Refugee Review: Social Movement

Abstract

We welcome readers to the e-publication of the New Scholars Network's inaugural issue of the Refugee Review journal. This open-source, peer-reviewed journal—based at no particular institution and tied to no particular location—is the product of collaboration between a growing and global group of new scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and activists in the field of forced migration and refugee studies. We are proud not only to introduce practice and theory being undertaken and considered in this field, but to do so in a way that is fully supportive of shared knowledge production.

The creation of this journal was a labor of love—not because there is pleasure to be taken in a field of work and study that exists in part due to the many injustices found within the human experience, but because the work surrounding forced migration is in large part being performed by persons like the contributors found here, who seek to understand how to proceed with ethical, equitable, and appropriate actions. And they seek to know others who are doing the same.

This journal is a publication that is important to us, but its power and purpose is not to be found in the mere fact that it has been published online. It was published because migrants need improved methods for caring for and interring their dead (see Sarenac), because better theory and practice is needed as nation states make decisions that weigh national security and the provision of a safe haven of asylum (see Every and Augoustinos, Mellinger), and because durable solutions need to address the populations they actually seek to—and acknowledge the way these populations engage in activism (see Banki). It was published because legal aid is expanding to be more than legal aid (see Pangilinan), because activists are sometimes neighbors who witness asylum seekers being removed from their homes in the early morning (see Bates and Kirkwood) and because there are wide-ranging and systematic global structures that affect migration and migration politics (see Williams). It was published because language (see Sivalingam, Bates and Kirkwood), economics (see Ghráinne), the interpretation of statistics (see Ando), and access to higher education (see Magpayo) are important to refugees and all those that work with them.

Social activism, and the thinking behind it, is present in each of the following contributions to this journal. Our inaugural journal is about ‘social movements’ because people move, and their agency moves with them. Our journal is committed to representing various types of writing, and we believe this varied work helps us in carrying out our mission to foster the professional development of new scholars and advance research in the field of forced migration.

It can be difficult for new scholars to find a place for their ideas, or to feel the confidence to share them. Likewise, it can be difficult to engage with more established scholars, some of whom have also contributed to the publication of this journal. For these reasons, we hope this multidisciplinary compilation will resonate widely with new scholars and we look forward to you telling us what is next as we continue these discussions.