Iraq Forum 2008: Panel II.

Understanding the Displaced & Most Vulnerable

Radhouane Nouicer | Dana Graber Ladek & Robert Carey | Q & A

SUMMARY: Elizabeth Campbell introduces Radhouane Nouicer of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), who gives a brief overview of the impact of continued instability in Iraq and the region. Nouicer warns of the consequences of allowing the suffering to be further prolonged. The second speaker, Dana Graber Ladek focuses on the displacement crisis within Iraq and the role the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has in addressing this issue. Bob Carey with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) concludes the panel discussion with comments on plans for resettlement and the positive influence public awareness can have on curbing the crisis. Finally, the panelists take questions from the audience.

Elizabeth Campbell, Ph.D. is the Director of Refugee Council USA, which she joined in 2006. Before working with RCUSA, Campbell was a Fulbright Scholar based at UN High Commission for Refugees branch office in Nairobi. Campbell went on to complete her Ph.D. on “Refugee Protection Challenges in the Era of Globalization: the Case of Nairobi.” Her dissertation focused on urban refugee protection, livelihoods, and possibilities for local integration. Dr. Campbell has published her findings in the Journal of Refugee Studies, Refugee Survey Quarterly, and for the Global Commission on International Migration as well as other edited book collections.

Radhouane Nouicer is the Director of Bureau for Middle East North Africa at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva and has enjoyed a 16 year career with UNHCR. Between 2001 and 2006, he was appointed the Deputy Director of the Bureau for Central and South East Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Prior to his post as Deputy Director, Mr. Nouicer worked as a Senior Protection Officer in Baghdad, a representative to Djibouti, a representative to Czechoslovakia, and Chief of Mission in Syria.

Dana Graber Ladek & Robert Carey (31:09)

Dana Graber Ladek is the specialist on Iraq displacement for the International Organization for Migration in Amman, Jordan. Ladek is an international development professional with more than ten years of experience developing and implementing humanitarian assistance and community stabilization projects around the world. Ladek has also served as the Program Liaison for IOM’s Field Offices, Director of Outreach for The Communitarian Network, and Youth and Family Specialist with UNICEF and Peace Corps.

Robert Carey is the Vice President of Resettlement for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in New York. Carey has over 23 years of experience working in refugee advocacy and resettlement and has held his current position with the IRC since March, 1995. He has been quoted by numerous media outlets, such as the New York Times, CNN, and NPR and has participated in overseas delegations to West Africa, Southeast Asia, and most recently to the Middle East to assess and address refugee issues. He is the current Chair of Refugee Council USA, and sits on the Department of State’s Joint Regional Working Group for Southeast Asia.