Education, Migration and Displacement in South America: What is the role of humanitarianism ?

• In Event: Beyond Education Emergencies: towards an ideology of struggle

Proposal

Education is often portrayed as a development and humanitarian imperative in contexts of 'crises' and 'emergencies'. These contexts are always attributed to the global south and the presence of humanitarian agencies and organisations funded by global north actors is abundant. In this presentation, I aim to explore the role of humanitarian agencies in education in South-South migration and displacement particularly focusing on Venezuelans in Brazil. I will share findings from my study in Northern Brazil based on observations and Interviews with educators, mothers, young people, government representatives and humanitarian workers (international agencies). This study found that humanitarian actors are involved in border securitisation, tracking and management, dispersal procedures that have implications for education and integration of newcomers. Despite education being regarded as an essential right, the educational needs of young people are often not prioritised.

Author

• Jafia Naftali Camara