SYRACUSE, New York — On October 29 and 30, the Near East Foundation co-presented a session on livelihoods development for returns and reintegration at a meeting convened in Geneva by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).
The two-day stakeholder’s meeting was organized to contribute to PRM’s strategy for humanitarian assistance in Iraq and for Iraqis in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Jina Krause-Vilmar, NEF Director of Program Development, presented the livelihoods session along with Michael Pillinger, International Organization for Migration’s Iraq Country Director.
The NEF and IOM session discussed models for livelihoods support and advocacy needs in the region. The co-presenters facilitated a conversation with participants to brainstorm on needs, strategies, and desired results of possible interventions.
The invitation-only meeting was spearheaded by Deputy Assistant Secretary Kelly Clements, and attended by senior UNHCR and UNDP staff, as well as representatives from U.S. government agencies, multilateral organizations, and international development agencies.
With funding from PRM, NEF is leading a one-year initiative to enhance the economic resilience of impoverished Iraqi and Jordanian women and youth in Zarqa, Jordan.
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The Near East Foundation is a U.S.-based international development NGO leading innovative social and economic change in the Middle East and Africa for nearly 100 years. Founded in 1915, NEF helps build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. NEF field staff – all of them from the countries in which they work – partner with local organizations to implement grassroots solutions and to empower citizens through “knowledge, voice, and enterprise.” To learn more visit www.neareast.org.
