Refuge: Reading Journal #5

   As the book closes in these final two chapters, Betts and Collier lay out what an effective and current refugee might look like based on three principles: What are the objectives of refugee governance, how should we allocate responsibilities, and what organization structures are needed? In part, this vision of new refugee policy requires that refugees are not seen only as a humanitarian issue, but also an opportunity for state-building and human and post-conflict reconstruction policy across several organizations. Finally, the book closes with a look back at the ways in which the Syrian refugee crisis played out, and how a more comprehensive refugee system might have changed the course of history and the future we look to today.

1. Is it more effective for one organization to take charge of the refugee crisis, or does a monopoly on this issue stunt progress?

2. Because an effective refugee system requires collaboration from several different countries and governments, is it possible for the refugee crisis to transcend political differences?