FMHT: Remittances, Forced Displacement and Human Security
The Initiative on Forced Migration and Human Trafficking (FMHT), a research initiative at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, hosted a March 30, 2016 discussion focusing on remittances, forced displacement and human security.
The talk, led by Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Senior Academic Researcher at the Center for Finance, Law & Policy and visiting researcher at the African Studies Center, explored remitting dynamics in the context of the global refugee crisis and how migrant remittances contribute to building local resilience and enhancing human security in conflict-affected contexts.
Rodima-Taylor said these topics are particularly relevant in light of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations that highlight the rights of migrants and the forcibly displaced, and focus on facilitating sustainable livelihood activities and financial access among these vulnerable populations.
“Novel digital remittance transfer systems,including mobile money as well as bitcoin, hold a promise for less costly and more transparent money transfers,” Rodima-Taylor said. “There is a need to build on the success of these technological innovations that have become central in enhancing financial inclusion in many parts of the developing world.”
Rodima-Taylor concluded the session with a call for more systematic research to better understand the contributions of remittances to building resilience and enhancing sustainable institutions in the situations of forced displacement.
Kiran Nazish, a journalist who focuses on forced migration fed by conflict in Iraq and Syria, said the talk shed light on potential solutions to the current refugee crisis around the world.
“In the session, Dr. Rodima-Taylor spoke with impressive details about different ways remittances can be used as an opportunity in different countries in Africa,” Nazish said. “Her work can be used as an important example of finding simple solutions to problems that big organizations, government and aid agencies are trying to solve with the current exploding refugee and IDP crises around the world.”
The Pardee School Initiative on Forced Migration and Human Trafficking brings together students, scholars, practitioners and policy-makers to support research, education,and advocacy on the pressing issues of forced migration and human trafficking.