“We Were Not Merely Participating; We Were Leading the Discussions”: Participation and Self-Representation of Refugee Young People in International Advocacy

Abstract

There is increased commitment to the participation and self-representation of people with lived experiences as refugees and asylum seekers in advocacy, especially at international, high-level events. However, we know very little about what opportunities and challenges such processes present. This paper reports on findings from a research project on youth participation and self-representation at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with two young women and two young men from refugee backgrounds who live in Australia. We contribute new perspectives to contemporary debates on the potential for participation and self-representation in high-level consultations to effect policy change.

Keywords:

• Refugee advocates
• Self-advocacy
• Consultations
• Meaningful participation
• Engagement
• Gender issues

Acknowledgement

All the young people who participated in the 2016 UNHCR-NGO Consultations for providing rich perspectives at the event, that informed the conceptualisation of this paper. The anonymous reviewers for their thorough and supportive comments.

Notes

1 See https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/supporting-refugee-community-advocacy-international-stage/

2 See https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/excom/unhcrannual/5ba3a5d44/report-united-nations-high-commissioner-refugees-part-ii-global-compact.html

3 http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/57e1126e7