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We have moved to a new blog. You can now find us at http://weblog.iom.int/ This blog will no longer be updated. For all updated posts you can refer the above link. We'll see you there!

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“He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich”

Best TV show or Documentary Showing Migrants in a Positive Light Australia’s film-makers embrace the migration narrative

By Joe Lowry

Kookaburras, kangaroos, surfing and vegemite.

What else would a group of kids from rural Myanmar need to know about the land down under? And how can a TV show aimed at pre-teens or a documentary about refugees establishing a new life in Australia, help reinforce a positive image of migration?

  Here's the thing, quite a lot actually, and quite a bit, but fun stuff first.

  Thirteen-year-old Owen Small, who is a young man with big dreams and a big heart, who  is the subject of an Australian TV series called “Enquiring Minds” which focuses on helping pre-teens to be ambitious when looking at their careers.  Most of the series is taken up with “normal” stuff like being a vet or an engineer, but Owen has a passion for rights and equality.

  And, having come to the attention of the producers through an essay on human rights he penned in school, Owen and his father Roger were whisked to Kuala Lumpur to take part  in an Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) session run by IOM Malaysia recently. Their experience will form a special hour-long end-piece to “Enquiring Minds”, aimed at getting young people to explore migration issues, with Owen leading the charge.

  Scott Richardson from TV Sydney, producer of the series explained that once they heard about Owen’s story they decided to pull out all the stops to make a moving programme on Owen’s interaction with young refugees. “It’s a great story,” he said, “and it will make kids think more about where people come from to get to Australia, and what they go through.”

  With cameras rolling, Owen walked into a classroom of kids from Myanmar, ranging from 6-12 years of age, and within minutes had his peers hanging ten on imaginary surfboards, playing “duck-duck-goose” and scrunching up their faces at their first taste of Vegemite.

  “This is really cool, it’s great to be in Kuala Lumpur taking part in this,” said Owen at the first break in the day’s training, part of a week-long intensive orientation which takes place just before families leave for their new lives in Australia.

  “Australia is a land of migrants, and I am here because I am Australian and I want to help these people settle. Everyone should be safe; everyone deserves to be in a happy place,” said Owen, who surfs, swims and plays footie when he’s not thinking about human rights.

  AUSCO has been running worldwide since 2003 and some 45,000 people from 24 countries have benefitted from this immersion course in Australian laws, values and lifestyle, which also prepares them for travel and arrival. The scheme is funded by Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship, and the training delivered by IOM.

  Satelah, one of the oldest participants in the children’s group said she was “very happy to be playing games and learning about Australia.” Like many of the children she was most interested in learning about school and how to make friends. And – like any young girl – she blushed when asked what she thought of Aussie boys. “Very nice,” she admitted.

  We took our leave, with Owen standing at the top of the class, leading a chant that went:

  “G’day mate, how ya going?”

  It seems that Australia’s film-makers are embracing the migration narrative, at a time when it is a hot topic in the country.

  ‘New Land, New Life’, a government-funded documentary made in conjunction with the Horn of Africa Relief & Development Agency (HARDA) is about to hit the silver screen. It is billed as inspiring story of success and opportunity for the refugee community in Australia.

  “This is a moving portrayal of the struggles and victories refugees face in establishing their new life in Australia,” according Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Brendan O’Connor, speaking at the film’s launch.  “The overwhelming success of these refugees is a reminder of our world-class settlement policy and services, allowing migrants to flourish and Australia to capitalise on the full benefits of migration for our society.”

  The three men and two women featured in the documentary include an Ethiopian who is now one of Mitsubishi Holdings Australia’s top executives and a former child soldier from South Sudan who arrived at age 18 speaking no English, but now works as a criminal lawyer.

  MP Julie Owens said the documentary not only told of the refugees’ inspiring journeys, but their hopes for the future in their adopted country.

  “The documentary is not just about where these amazing individuals have come from but how they want their journeys to continue, with a special brand of humour and emotion,” Ms Owens said.

  'New Land, New Life’ provides an opportunity for the wider community to understand first-hand the contributions and achievements of these Australians, many of whom arrived as humanitarian entrants having endured difficult circumstances overseas.

  “The film will educate the broader community about the positive contribution that the African community makes for all Australians.”

  Australia can now take a bow and claim the IOM award for  “Best TV show or Documentary Showing Migrants in a Positive Light.”

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Information about the UN High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development is now online!

By Karoline Popp, Migration Policy Officer

  If you are interested in how States deal with migration multilaterally, 2013 is a big year. On 3-4 October 2013, Member States of the UN will come together – for the second time in the history of the General Assembly – to debate international migration, in the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development.

Some important questions could be at stake: what could the governance of international migration look like in the future? Will Member States come to a consensus outcome or will they remain split along North-South, origin-destination lines, as in the past? What role does the UN have in migration? 

The High-level Dialogue is also not an isolated event. It takes place at a critical time when the international community is renegotiating the global development framework: with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaching their deadline in 2015, preparations have already started to come up with a successor agenda for development. Whether this agenda takes the form of “MDGs plus”, “sustainable development goals” or something else remains open.

What place, if any, will migration have in a future development agenda? 

All of these questions could have a direct impact on IOM and its work: for example, whether IOM is recognized as the global lead agency on migration - even though it is outside the UN - or whether States feel that the UN needs to play a stronger role on international migration, will affect the legitimacy, visibility and ultimately resources with which IOM carries out its migration mandate. 

IOM has been working to make sure IOM’s experience and views on migration (and its links to development) will be heard at the High-level Dialogue and beyond: IOM Member States have voiced their position in a resolution; IOM and UNFPA have coordinated recommendations on migration for the UN system; IOM will take on the chairmanship of the Global Migration Group in July 2013; many IOM country and regional offices have already started preparing their counterparts for the High-level Dialogue; IOM, UNDESA and UNFPA are holding a series of roundtables in New York ahead of the High-level  Dialogue; and the list goes on.

Last week, the Director General issued an IOM Position Paper on the High-level Dialogue which you can use in your liaison with governments and partners. This paper and other materials on the High-level Dialogue are now accessible on the IOM intranet and on the IOM website. We hope you’ll find this repository useful and we will keep updating it. Please get in touch with the IOM Observer Mission in New York and ICP in Geneva for any updates, feedback and questions about the High-level Dialogue. 

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Showing Haiti Skeptics the Error of Their Ways

© IOM 2010 (Photo by Daniel Desmarais) Here’s The Thing By Bradley Mellicker, Disaster Risk Reduction specialist Port-au-Prince, Haiti

  JUST before the arrival of Hurricane Sandy last year, millions of extremely vulnerable individuals in Haiti — both those in post-earthquake IDP sites as well as those in other areas — prepared the best they could for the unpredictable effects of the coming storms. Tropical cyclones can cause very high loss of human life and near-catastrophic damage in a country with near 99% deforestation, extremely limited economic opportunity, inadequate infrastructure, continuing displacement from the 2010 earthquake and other factors. Underlying vulnerabilities in Haiti frequently cause a level of damage far disproportionate to that in neighbouring countries.

But here’s the thing: In Haiti, despite the extreme level of vulnerability tropical storms and hurricanes, organized, preventive evacuations — the norm in other countries prone to such storms — were virtually non-existent in Haiti. Instead, vulnerable populations were left with few, if any, options, and were forced to ride out the storms in very dangerous situations, only trying to evacuate during the worst of the storm.

The 2012 hurricane season, however, gave the Haitian government and some of its most vulnerable populations the opportunity to put into practice a newly-developed system of short-term, preventive evacuations. Distinct from collective centres for internally displaced persons, these shelters are designed to provide safe shelter temporarily, during the passage of the storm.  

The development of this system, although still in its infancy, is the direct result of extensive IOM leadership and technical support to Haitian Civil Protection, the Haitian Red Cross, civil society and vulnerable populations themselves. Since the 2010 earthquake, IOM constructed or rehabilitated nearly 30 evacuation shelters, assisted the Government in developing its first-ever guidelines on short-term evacuations, supported post-earthquake structural evaluations by the Ministry of Public Works of hundreds of other potential shelters and provided direct logistical and operational support for evacuations of up to 10,000 people. 

Beginning in the days before the storms, IOM teams worked tirelessly, helping GoH to finalize evacuation plans, prepare shelters, sensitize vulnerable populations and conduct the evacuations themselves. In both cases, all evacuees left the shelters immediately after the storm, leaving schools used as shelters in good condition. By many observers, this was considered unlikely and a potential threat to the success of such evacuations.

In the cases of both Isaac and Sandy, however, IOM helped show skeptics that such a system could work in a context as difficult as Haiti, that in every difficulty there is an opportunity to improve, to prepare better for the next time, to continue working to minimize the impact of ever-worsening tropical cyclones on an increasingly-vulnerable population.

IOM Haiti’s work on the issue of evacuation shelters comprises one pillar of its Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness / Response programme. In addition, IOM supports Government in activities designed to reduce the physical risk faced by vulnerable population. This takes place primarily through reforestation, soil conservation and drainage works designed to reduce flooding. Over the past years, IOM has built, rehabilitated, treated or otherwise improved hundreds of kilometers of watercourses in the country.

Finally, IOM engages directly with Haitian civil protection, Haitian Red Cross, civil society and other local actors to improve the preparation and response capacities of vulnerable communities. This includes the training of thousands in basic first aid, community mitigation, basic early warning systems, evacuation procedures and related subjects.

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Haiti Fights to Stave off Disaster

By Bradley Mellicker, Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, Babako, Haiti Just before the arrival of Hurricane Sandy last year, the impoverished residents of the small agricultural village of Babako— as well as countless others around Haiti— prepared the best they could for the unpredictable effects of the coming storm. But here’s the thing: While New York hogged the media attention from Sandy, for it had already left a path of death and destruction in Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti as it meandered its way through the Caribbean. The wrath of Sandy was felt mostly in vulnerable Haiti as well as numerous tiny Caribbean communities you have probably never heard of. The residents of Babako, a tiny village of around 1,200 people know well the potential for devastation should they feel even moderate effects from a tropical cyclone. With near 99% deforestation in the country, extremely limited economic opportunity, inadequate infrastructure, continuing displacement from the 2010 earthquake and other factors, tropical storms can cause very severe consequences indeed.

As a result of the three days of rain brought by Sandy (totaling an estimated 500 mm in some areas of the country), a river a few hundred meters from Babako spontaneously formed a second branch, with the new section of the river passing directly through the village. Luckily, most residents had evacuated the village before the worst struck, but over half of all structures in the village were heavily damaged or destroyed, and the entire village was rendered uninhabitable. As a result of this damage, IOM is supporting local and national authorities in reconstruction assistance for the affected population, as well as to help extremely vulnerable populations and civil society to mitigate the effects of future storms. Indeed, absent substantial and immediate assistance (whether from Government, NGOs, the international community or any other sources) in terms of disaster risk reduction and mitigation, as well resilience-building for the population, it is highly likely that events like Sandy will reap disastrous consequences on Haiti in the future. This fact is further exacerbated by the increasing frequency and strength of adverse weather events as a result of climate change.

IOM’s DRR programme includes activities designed to reduce the physical risk faced by vulnerable population such as Babako. This takes place primarily through reforestation, soil conservation and drainage works designed to reduce flooding. Over the past years, IOM has built, rehabilitated, treated or otherwise improved hundreds of kilometers of watercourses in the country. Given the level of deforestation present in the country, however, populations must be able to seek safe shelter in case of emergency. For this reason, IOM is supporting the Haitian National Disaster Management System to expand and improve its system for short-term evacuations. IOM has constructed or rehabilitated nearly 30 evacuation shelters, assisted the Government in developing its first-ever guidelines on short-term evacuations, and provided logistical and other support for the country’s first ever preventive evacuations for Tropical Storm Isaac in August 2012 (and again forSandy in October 2012).

Finally, IOM engages directly with Haitian civil protection, Haitian Red Cross, civil society and other local actors to improve the preparation and response capacities of vulnerable communities. This includes the training of thousands in basic first aid, community mitigation, basic early warning systems and related subjects. All of these activities aim to minimize the impact of future natural disasters on communities such as Babako and countless others just like them in Haiti. Part 1 of a 2 part series

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A Valentine's Day Wish: Be My Donor

By Kristina Mejo

In this projectized world, having a committed donor to make plans with this February 14th, St. Valentine’s Day, is something we all aspire to. But should the donor of your dreams not materialize this time, don’t drown in your sorrows. Better to focus on how to hone your skills, so that come this time next year, you’re sure to have a line-up of suitors for your projects. Here’s the thing: Donors are increasingly conscious of the pennies they spend, and competition for resources is high. This appears even more so, as the overall number of organizations vying for donors’ funds are growing in scope.  As a result, it is even more important that our interventions are targeted ones. Before we develop a successful proposal, there are many considerations which come into play, even prior to opening up your proposal template, many of which, include preparations, discussions with potential donors and building up of relations ahead of time. It is important for us to not only present ourselves and be in contact with donors during times for calls for proposals, but ahead of time… even to the point that they are the ones that call us when there is an upcoming call for proposals, tender or “ideas” they just want to discuss. The age old saying, “you get out what you put in” may actually be correct here.   Tip One: Know your target. Look at donor websites to see what THEIR priorities are. Their strategies. Their plans, as they align with country strategies, MDG goals, etc. Check out the global donor profiles, or donor profiles from the region, which can help give you a better glimpse and overview of their funding mechanisms, region and country interests. 

Tip Two: Start afresh. Donors, like everyone else, want something fresh and relevant that has been contextualized to the current concerns on the ground, and timely response.

Tip Three: Know your donors. Visit them. Make sure they know you are there, and they can call upon you when they have questions, queries, or need urgent information.

Tip Four: Avoid duplication. One thing to know and be conscious of is - what are others doing? It’s important that as on the ground, and working in the respective country contexts, you are not only aware of our good work that is ongoing, but also, of who are the other players, whether they be big or small, civil society, NGOs, academia, research institutes, other IOs/UN, on the ground. What are they doing? Are we participating in thematic meetings? UNDAF meetings? Donors like to fund innovative creations. What’s more, they like their logo to be on them, to give them positive visibility. We can help them do just that.

Tip Five:  Create Partnerships.  Partnerships demonstrate that we are working well, and with others. This shows us as a dependable organization, that is not only the can-do organization, that works and coordinates well with others, and knows how to take the lead, but also when to partner with others, when it is their turn to take the lead. 

Tip Six:  Communicate. Donors like to be informed. They like to be ‘in the know.’ Share with them updates on relevant issues/new topics that may render them even more ‘informed’ and enable to further update their colleagues and capitals.  This shows us as taking the lead, providing key and relevant information.

Tip Seven: It’s all about timing. Timing, like in many parts of life, is everything. The same goes for communication with a donor. In many ways, once you have established a positive and frequent channel for information sharing on important/relevant information on issues/trends, current developments on the ground, statistics, etc., this demonstrates our comparative advantage.  Consequently, once the ‘time is right,’ you can share with the donor your killer project proposal, request for appeal, co-funding requirement, or potentially in kind donation, such as in the case of non-traditional donors.

Tip Eight: Be reliable. Once you have agreed to share your concept note or proposal with a donor, make sure that you deliver on time. Show the donor that you have discussed with them, recognized the importance of the mutual agreed time frame, and keep to it. This is even more important, once funding is received, and in reporting.  Keep up the frequent and informed communication.  And, if it’s absolutely unavoidable, and you know you are going to be late, give them a heads up. This keeps them both, in the know, as well as tells them, that you haven’t forgotten them.

Tip Nine: Thank your donor. People appreciate recognition of good work done. This is no different for donors. It is important to demonstrate that their role is key in bringing much needed assistance/technical assistance or relief. This is even further more so when at the time of report writing. This can again show the donors’ impact, as well as results achieved.

Tip Ten: Last, but certainly not least, build momentum. Donor visits and engagement don’t happen in isolation. It may take one visit, it may take multiple visits, discussions, emails, briefings, in country, at the regional level, headquarters, and in capital cities. The most important is that you are consistent, reliable and steadfast in your work, approach, and sooner, if not later, donors recognize this, and see you present in various settings and around the table on the hot issues. Thus, the more we are present, the more we engage our donors, the more we create this successful momentum. For more information on donor liaison and fundraising, please see the IOM Project Handbook (pp 67-71).

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Who You Gonna Call?

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By Frank Fowlie, Ombudsman,

It never seems as easy as it should be for people to complain and get mistakes sorted out quickly in their workplace. Sometimes simple mistakes can take weeks, if not years to be resolved, with frustration building up on all sides as time passes.

Here’s the thing: In an international organization such as IOM the whole point of an Ombudsman is to help staff (including those dealing with front-line activities) to successfully navigate such workplace difficulties. The role acts as an informal resource to staff. Issues being dealt with could include creating a respectful workplace environment, gender matters, contractual or employment arrangements, or inter-personal conflicts.

The Ombudsman is essentially a flexible, independent and confidential resource for staff, wherever they are in the world. This role is quite different from a formal complaint to the Joint Administrative Review Board (JARB) or other grievance procedure. Instead, the Ombudsman has at his or her disposal a wide range of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques to help resolve problems. They may include: Negotiation, Mediation, Shuttle diplomacy. Good Offices, Fact finding, Informal investigation, Active listening. Coaching, Issue evaluation and feedback, Role playing, Creating referrals, Making recommendations, Advocating for due process and procedural fairness.

Over the coming year, your Ombudsman will be working with the Chief of Staff and Human Resources to develop and implement a peer mediator program. The goal of this program will be to train peer mediators in IOM locations around the globe to be able to provide mediation and problem solving resources in field locations.

You can find out more about the IOM Ombudsman Framework on the intranet’s Office of the Ombudsman section.

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It’s Manila On the Line…

By Leonel Guzman

Ring, Ring… “Oh no, it’s Manila MFS – they’re at it again!” Well, pick up then! You should. Always. And here’s why.

Here's the Thing: There are two sides to our global work: operations and reporting. The latter (in this specific case, financial reporting), which has less visibility, is why we’re here in the first place.  So why do we ask you – among various other questions – for updates on receivables (monies owed to IOM), or information about a project that, even if ended in 2008, still has money in its accounts? Two main reasons. One, because it’s part of the governance of the Organization, and two, because the External Audit (let alone donors and Member States) vigilantly check on the way we use the money. Keep in mind that our overall credibility depends on both sides our performance in operations, and how we, IOM, manage the money (with not so much overall visibility)!

We (IOM) need clear, concise, objective, and documented answers – all these four characteristics. If in one given month we receive a shallow answer like “.. we are negotiating with the donor,” we have to ask again because IOM needs to know (governability), and because the External Audit, that is evaluating our performance in the finance field, will ask “And did you ask again?” or “What is the latest answer?”.

Our justification for deficits, large amounts owed to IOM, monies sitting on projects even if the projects finished 3 years ago required, etc. must be robust and documented justifications. Vague responses are not enough (it may be for internal purposes). But the Auditors will ask, will want to see email exchanges, will ask, and will ask again. DOCUMENTED (yes, in capitals) is a key word here.

As the world (and the donors) moves into scarce resources and more scrutiny, we need to build our credibility on our financial management.

Imagine a donor subcontracting the services of an NGO that takes years to collect monies, gives millions in advances to vendors, and in the last three years loses over 1 million dollars. On top of that, when asked about what happened, the response simply is “Well, we tried to manage..” Ugh. Uncomfortable? IOM can’t be that.    

So here’s the thing: Provide OBJECTIVE, ROBUST, and DOCUMENTED answers to financial questions. That’s what we have to pass on to the people evaluating our institutional performance.

The IOM Project Handbook is a useful tool that includes standard procedures for preparing well-documented financial reports. You will find details on Reporting in Module 5 and can access the Financial Donor Reporting Checklist (among other useful templates). The Handbook is available on the IOM Bookstore (LINK TO http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47&products_id=751).

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Protecting the privacy of the people we help

By Ruzayda Martens

WE should think hard about the way we handle personal data. Not doing so could lead to inappropriate disclosure, affect human rights, jeopardize implementation of projects and even put lives at risk.

Here is the thing: Nowadays personal data can be easily transferred across borders. We live in a digital world, technology is expanding rapidly, and there have been increased incidences of data theft and data loss. Data protection is relevant to all the organization's activity areas. A standardized approach to data protection reinforces our commitment to respect the well-being and dignity of beneficiaries, helps to protect the interests of the Organization and harmonizes practices. More than many agencies, IOM handles large volumes of extremely personal data and deals with human lives on a daily basis. It is, thus, important for everyone to consider data protection in their daily work.

The best way is to think of the "Five C's" when it comes to personal data: CARE - Handle personal data with due care throughout the data processing cycle from project development and implementation to evaluation and reporting. CAUTION - Always apply caution when collecting and disclosing personal data, particularly sensitive data. CONFIDENTIAL - Treat personal data as confidential at all times. CONSENT - To the extent possible, obtain the (written) consent of the individual concerned to collect and process any personal data. CONTRACT - Ensure adequate safeguards are included in a written contract.

International Data Protection Day comes every year on January 28th and IOM supports it with a week of awareness raising on the importance of protecting personal data in the scope of the organizations activities.

Read more here

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EMAILS are important to all of us and we all have war stories of messages not getting delivered when we wanted them to be. Most of us assume that something must have broken or there is a problem with IT.  Actually, we may all unwittingly be the very source of some of the problems.

Here is the thing: All email systems have limited capacity, though it’s going to be higher for internet giants like Google compared to IOM. If we pay a little attention to how we use it, we can greatly improve the speed of email delivery and our experience with the service. Rather than waiting at your desk for that email, you may even be able to save a little time to catch up with a colleague instead of waiting by the computer.  It’s also important to know that email is not the only communications medium available to us and there are different communications tools out there that are more effective in specific communication scenarios, but then, that is another topic you will hear in later newsletters.

Tip One: If the message is likely to result in multiple rounds or back-and-forth emails, a phone call is better to arrive at the outcome and you may then follow up with a single email. A three minute phone conversation can help you avoid many back-and-forth emails and saves you time. And remember, we have Skype in IOM to call others and it is Free!

Tip Two: If you are one of the many recipients of an email addressed to a large number of recipients, pause and think whether your response to the sender must be known to all the other recipients! ‘Reply’ is not the same as ‘Reply All’. The latter may clog the email system especially if the message is large or the number of recipients is many!

Guidelines on using IOM Email services can be found here.

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Road safety concerns everyone and it is the most serious level of risk faced by IOM staff. Vehicle accidents remain the leading cause of occupational death and injury to personnel throughout IOM missions. With the dramatic changes in security – especially involving the movement of staff  by land transport, road safety has become a serious concern. IOM operates in increasingly insecure environments and with the threat from terrorism and organized crime at a global high, more colleagues than ever before are either directly or indirectly exposed to a wider range of risks when on the road. Overall, the risks of being a victim while driving are much greater for the large number of you travelling and working in volatile environments.

Being in a vehicle can give you a false sense of security and can possibly make you a victim of carjacking, hijacking, kidnapping, land mines, improvised explosive devices and shootings. Improve your safe driving habits and keep yourself and your colleagues safe and support senior management’s and SSU’s efforts to mitigate the risks involving driving or the use of IOM vehicles by following this link to learn more about basic safety procedures that could save your life.

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