Program Overview: 

​

GYC's delegation to Tanzania will discuss the international laws and mechanisms currently in place to protect refugees, explore the history of refugee settlement in Tanzania and discuss the challenges that refugees and Tanzanian citizens face as they build lives together. We will also discuss ways in which we can advocate for the rights of refugees worldwide.

 

Delegates in this program will include international participants, Tanzanians and refugees who have sought or are seeking asylum in Tanzania.

​

History:

 

For the first time in history, an unprecedented 65.3 million people have been displaced around the world due to war and persecution. This means one in every 113 people worldwide is now either an asylum seeker, internally displaced person or a refugee.

 

Tanzania:

​

Tanzania has historically been one of the more welcoming refugee hosts worldwide. It has provided safety and refuge to thousands of African refugees for many decades, and was an early signatory in the region to international agreements on the rights and welfare of refugees and asylum seekers. Tanzania has also been a leader in granting refugees citizenship as a durable solution; recently over 162,000 Burundian refugees were naturalized. A majority of refugees in Tanzania have fled violent conflicts in neighboring Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

 

However, like many developing countries, Tanzania lacks sufficient resources to meet all humanitarian needs and independently realize sustainable solutions for the refugees it has hosted for almost 40 years. Recent decades have seen increasing resentment and hostility towards refugee communities.

​

Objectives:

 

Delegates who enroll in this program will:

 

• Learn about the international framework for refugee rights, including durable solutions.

• Explore Tanzania's commitment to accepting refugees for the past 40 years.

• Learn about the conflicts that led to the influx of refugees: violence in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Discuss issues around integration and xenophobia.

• Engage with local leaders and organizations who are working to support refugee communities in Tanzania.

• Have Kiswahili lessons.