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2008 Annual Report	2.36 MB

In 32 countries around the world, Refugees International’s staff members spent 2008 listening to the stories of husbands, mothers, sons and daughters who were forced to flee their homes. Our staff heard of the violence these people had witnessed, the family members who were dead or missing, and the struggles they faced in obtaining food, shelter, medicine and other basic necessities to survive. RI takes these stories to the corridors of power and says what few others dare to say—the exact steps that must be taken immediately to help the world’s most vulnerable people.

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By directly pressuring policymakers, exposing crises in the media, producing top quality reports and leading coalitions of like-minded groups, RI improved the lives of displaced and stateless people. Thanks to our work, millions more dollars were given to provide food, housing, education and job opportunities for displaced people in places like Burma, Colombia, Syria, and south Sudan. And after years of advocacy by RI and other groups on behalf of Bangladesh’s stateless Urdu-speaking minority, a High Court decision recognized some 200,000 of them as citizens.

RI travels to some of the most dangerous countries in the world. In eastern Congo, RI staff members were on the ground when violence broke out. One week after they were quickly evacuated to safety in Rwanda, we launched a field report calling for more support to the UN peacekeepers in the DR Congo. Our subsequent media interviews and briefings with top officials helped lead the UN Security Council to bolster the UN peacekeepers there with 3,000 more troops.

Refugees International also outlined a new strategy for our work. We will continue our efforts to expose neglected crises and provoke governments to respond. But we are also committed to broadening the scope of our mission over the next several years. Our experience has shown us that there are perpetuating factors that come up time and again that must be addressed in order to reduce the numbers of displaced people. These themes—and our successes with each—are described in this year’s annual report.

In 2009, Refugees International is celebrating its 30th anniversary. For 30 years, we have been a powerful voice for lifesaving action. Committed individuals like you continue to make our work possible. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Farooq Kathwari
Chairman of the Board

Kenneth H. Bacon
President


To receive a hard copy, please contact us at ri@refintl.org.