Colombian refugees in Quito

Im back in the metropolis of Quito, this time with a grant from the interexchange foundation that will significantly help defray the cost of my travels. I have edited an entry I had started back in June but never published to hopefully give a bit of insight into what I am doing back in Ecuador for 6 months.

During my three month stint in Quito last year, I attended a meeting with Colombian refugee leaders from all over Ecuador. This was probably the most rewarding experience I had while in Ecuador. The meeting was sponsored by asylum access, an international organization that gives legal aid and policy advocacy for refugees, in conjunction with a group of students from la FLACSO, the most respected graduate school in Latin America for social sciences. The organizers invited the refugee leaders-who had all immigrated from Colombia and started organizations in Ecuador to help refugees learn about their legal rights- to come and discuss the formation of a united front of the organizations so that their voice would be stronger and more focused when talking with organizations such as the Ecuadorian government or UN. The two day meeting consisted of a several break out sessions to discuss how they wanted to unite and what the mission or goals of the new organization should be. At the end of the two days, organizations that work with the refugees were invited for an hour long presentation of the outcome of the conference and the future steps for the new organization.
I was invited through CEMPROC to attend the final hour long presentation, but asked the organizers to attend the entire 2 days, which they agreed to.

The first day officials from the government, the UN, and professors came to answer questions about refugee's rights and how to file for refugee status or citizenship and what the requirements are for both. While many of the questions were very specific and only relevant for the person asking, recurring themes included being denied services at banks or doctors, even with identification indicating their refugee status, or being denied refugee status unfairly. This was an especially timely event, as the president of Ecuador (Rafael Correa) rewrote the constitution in 2008 and changed several of the laws dealing with refugees which include basic recognition of asylum rights as well as group recognition of refugee status. The ministry of Education also made a change in October, 2008 which allows for all refugees and migrants to enroll in public schools, even if they do not have identification.

The second day, the refugee leaders discussed and laid out the plans for their new organizations. Some of the topics discussed were why the federation should be formed, what its goals should be, and how they planned to accomplish those goals. This was a group of people who liked to hear themselves talk, which made for long discussions at times, but in the end they finished their proposition, and 6 months after the meeting, the federation they formed is in it's beginning stages.

I have returned to Ecuador to work with this group, with two principle goals. First, I am working with the President of the Federation to create a cooperative of artisans, whose artwork I will help export to the US, where there is a larger market. My second goal is to work with this group to implement trainings for newly arrived refugees, teaching them tools to confront conflicts they may face as migrants. Im sure I will hit some brick walls, but Im excited to be back and after my first meeting with the President of the Colombian Refugee Federation this morning, am optimistic about the outcome of my work here.