The Politics and Process of Refugee Leadership: A Comparative Analysis of Factors Conditioning Refugee Leadership in Global South
This 18-month comparative study on the politics and process of refugee leadership in the global South, with a specific focus on South America and East Africa is generously supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation.
This research is a collaboration between R-SEAT (Refugees Seeking Equal Access at the Table) and LERRN (the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network), with the active cooperation of the RLRH (Refugee-led Research Hub) in East Africa and CAPRS (the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies) in the Asia Pacific region. The project builds on LERRN’s recent work with its partners on the impact of refugee-led organizations in East Africa and the Middle East, and seeks to inform research, policy and practice on the conditions that enable or constrain refugees from demonstrating leadership in navigating local, national and regional power structures to influence the development and implementation of policy and programmes intended to affect the daily lives of refugees.
This 18-month project will emphasize the active and equal participation of researchers with lived experience of displacement in developing the research methodology, conducting research, producing knowledge, and mobilizing knowledge to influence research, policy and practice.
Study Reports
South America Study Report: “The Politics and Processes of Refugee Leadership”
Informe del estudio sobre Sudamérica «La política y el proceso del liderazgo de los refugiados»
East Africa Study Report: “The Politics and Processes of Refugee Leadership”
Relevant Events and Publications
On February 6, 2025, Gerda Henkel Foundation and LERRN hosted a webinar called The Politics and Process of Refugee Leadership: A Comparative Analysis of Factors Conditioning Refugee Leadership in Global South.
Learn from our research teams on their findings of the 18-month comparative study on the politics and process of refugee leadership in the global South, with a specific focus on South America and East Africa. The research study is generously supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation and facilitated by LERRN, Carleton University.
In the latest blog Pascal Zigashane explores the motivations that drive refugees to take on leadership roles in Kakuma refugee camp, highlighting gaps in humanitarian services as a key factor. The author emphasizes the vital role refugee leaders play in camp settings and urges readers to critically reflect on the barriers including entrenched tokenism that hinder their meaningful participation in influencing decisions that directly affect their lives. The blog calls on national and international communities to meaningfully embrace refugee leadership as a pathway to practical solutions in protracted refugee situations.
