UNRWA and Palestinian Refugees From Relief and Works to Human Development

Exploring the evolution of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), this book fills a lacuna in literature on the agency.UNRWA and Palestinian Refugees employs recent fieldwork in order to analyse challenges in programmes and service delivery, protection, camp governance, community participation, and camp improvement and reconstruction. The chapters examine the way UNRWA is adapting to a changing social, political and economic context, mostly within urban settings – a paradigmatic shift from understanding the Agency’s role as simply a provider of relief and services to one comprehensively supporting the human development ofPalestinian refugees. Examining the refugee debate using new disciplines and research frameworks, this collection aims to emphasise the centrality of the Palestinian refugee issue for Middle East peace-making and to contribute a better understanding of a unique agency. This book will be a useful aid for students and researchers with an interest in Middle East Studies, Politics, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Part I: Meeting Challenges in Programmes and Service Delivery 1 Realizing Self-Reliancethrough Microfinance – Allex Pollock 2UNRWA’s 'Traditional'Programmesas a Catalyst for Human Development – Tjitske de Jong & Miriam AcedPart II: Protection: From Concept to Practice 3 Incorporating Protection into UNRWA Operations – Mark Brailsford 4 Advancing Child Protection in Jordan, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory and Syria –Laurent Chapuis Part III: Governance: The Camps and UNRWA5 From Chaos to Order and Back: The Construction of UNRWA Shelters and Camps 1950- 1970– Kjersti Gravelsaeter Berg 6 UNRWA as 'Phantom Sovereign': Governance Practices in Lebanon – Sari Hanafi Part IV: Civic Participation and Community Engagement 7 From Beneficiary to Stakeholder: An Overview of UNRWA's Approach to Refugee Participation– Terry Rempel 8 Community Participation and Human Rights Advocacy: Questions Arising from the Campaign about the Right to Work of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon – Sergio Bianchi Part V: Camp Improvement/Reconstruction and Development 9 Dynamics of Space, Temporariness, Development and Rights in Palestine Refugees' Camps– Mona Budeiri 10 Talbiyeh Camp Improvement Project and the Challenges of Community Participation: Between Empowerment and Conflict– Fatima Al-Nammari 11 Implementing the Neirab Rehabilitation Project: UNRWA's Approach to Development in Syria's Palestinian Refugee Camps– Nell Gabiam 12 The Urban Planning Strategy in Al-Hussein Palestinian Refugee Camp in Amman: Heterogeneous Practices; Homogeneous Landscape– Lucas Oesch Part VI: Palestinian Refugees and Durable Solutions: A Role for UNRWA 13 UNRWA as Avatar: Current Debates on the Agency and their Implications – Rex Brynen 14 The Role of UNRWA in Resolving the Palestinian Refugee Issue – Leila Hilal

Sari Hanafi is Professor of Sociology at the American University of Beirut and editor of Idafat: the Arab Journal of Sociology (Arabic). He is a member of the Executive Bureau of the International Association of Sociology and the Arab Council of Social Science. He is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters on the political and economic sociology of the Palestinian diaspora and refugees; sociology of migration; politics of scientific research; and transitional justice. Leila Hilal is Director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation. She focuses on Syria, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and issues related to U.S. foreign policy, community-based change, constitution-making, and transitional justice in the broader Middle East and North Africa. Prior to joining New America Hilal served as Senior Policy Adviser to the Commissioner-General of the Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) and as a legal adviser to Palestinian negotiators from 2002-2008. LexTakkenberg has worked in various field and headquarters positions with UNRWA since 1989, and is currently based in Amman where he occupies the post of Chief, Ethics Office at UNRWA Headquarters. Before joining UNRWA, he was the Legal Officer of the Dutch Refugee Council.