Abstract

Over the last two decades, leading humanitarian agencies in the Global North have increasingly promoted a policy of self-reliance, understood as making individual refugees financially independent from aid assistance through livelihood programmes. However, individual economic autonomy offers an incomplete picture of refugee well-being. Based on fieldwork conducted over 2017 in Halba (Lebanon), Delhi (India) and Thessaloniki (Greece), this multi-site study shows that non-camp refugees build on collective strategies at household, social network and community levels in efforts to develop mechanisms of survival and enfranchisement. These strategies include social and leisure activities as well as income-generating activities which are often organised compartmentally in humanitarian programming. We argue that while leisure and social mingling alone cannot ensure economic sustainability, they are fundamental dimensions of self-reliance as seen by refugees and should therefore be systematically included in livelihood programming.

“It is on a living tree that the vine grows” (Ghanaian proverb teaching support, growth and interdependence on one another within the community).

摘要

在过去的二十年中，全球北部的主要人道主义机构越来越多地推行自力更生的政策，这被认为是使单个难民在经济上独立于通过生计方案提供的援助。但是，个人的经济自主权并不完全反映难民的福祉。根据2017年在哈尔巴（黎巴嫩），德里（印度）和塞萨洛尼基（希腊）进行的实地调查，这项多地点研究显示，非营地难民建立在家庭，社会网络和社区层面的集体战略基础上，致力于发展机制生存和特权。这些战略包括社交和休闲活动以及创收活动，这些活动通常在人道主义方案中分门别类地组织。

“葡萄生长在一棵活树上”（加纳谚语讲授社区内彼此之间的相互支持，相互促进和相互依存）。