Submission by Dr Alina E. Dolea, on behalf of Bournemouth University, to the International Development Committee’s call for evidence into The FCDO approach to displaced people.

I am a strategic communication expert and 2022-2024 Research Fellow of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy conducting research on diaspora diplomacy and the emotional costs of displacement with a focus on the vulnerability of the displaced.

I can offer the Committee and this particular call a perspective on displacement as a profound loss and trauma and its consequences, as well as some recommendations in response to the questions "What is the role of local and civil society organisations in supporting displaced people? How could the FCDO better support these organisations?"

1. All displaced people, be it refugees, migrants, or expatriates, experience a sense of loss and trauma. They go through different stages of mourning and grief, as well as rage and guilt towards those left behind[1]. As I discussed in my recent studies, they carry with them this invisible emotional luggage that shapes their identity and influences their existence and integration in their new host places[2][3] (see Bruno Catalano's series of bronze sculptures "Les Voyageurs" - The Travellers - for a visual representation of this missing part). 

2. The displaced are the perpetual "newcomers" in relation to the "hosts" who often go from an initial outpouring of solidarity to ‘refugee fatigue’, rising tensions, perceptions of unfair allocation of resources; in addition, not all newcomers look like refugee: images of well-of refugees clash with the expectations of the host population that refugees are “suffering” people. In turn, the newcomers face pressure to prove themselves worthy of the mercy received, an urgency to assimilate and adapt[4]. They equally feel inappropriate, inadequate and even shame, especially if they don't speak the language, experiencing an inferiority complex; sometimes they feel rejected by both their home and host country which amplifies their loneliness and marginalization.  

3. Understanding the trauma of the displaced and its social consequences provides new insights into their inner worlds and lived experiences, as well as into the emotions that shape representations, attitudes and behaviours of both newcomers and hosts. Such insights are much needed in designing policies aimed to support displaced groups and ease their integration and adaption in host countries. They can also contribute to more inclusive and positive public discourses about migrants and refugees and more resilient societies.

4. The emotions and trauma of displacement, this perceived status of constant in-betweenness and lack of belonging contribute to what I call the vulnerability of the displaced[5]: they become vulnerable and susceptible to misinformation and disinformation, to exploitation, human trafficking, modern slavery, to manipulation by those who promise belonging and justice for the pain they have suffered.

5. Local and civil society organisations' role is to:
1. foster the sense of belonging of the displaced to their own communities through regular events, meetings and celebrations;
2. act as cultural mediators by explaining the social and cultural norms of the UK and provide support to navigate the relationship with local authorities;
3. build bridges with other local communities and host populations through programs and initiatives aimed to increase multi-cultural awareness, communication and collaboration;
4. develop a bespoke cultural resource for each displaced group that can be used by local schools’ libraries, local councils, social workers, healthcare professionals, police force for better understanding, interaction, communication and work with the displaced communities;
5. build resilience to disinformation of the displaced communities to a wide variety of issues ranging from public health issues (e.g. vaccination, maternity care, etc) to malign political interference and manipulation of political debates; 6) start immediately  mental health and wellbeing campaigns to support the displaced in processing their trauma of displacement and equip them with resources to integrate, adapt to the life post-displacement which can also facilitate a possible return to home country.

6. FCDO can:
1. prioritize and support initiatives of capacity building and professionalization of civil society organisations emerged from within displaced communities in the UK;
2. facilitate regular events for sharing best practices of grassroots activities and community development programs between these organisations;
3. organize disinformation resilience trainings to train the leaders of these organisations as they are micro-influencers within their online and offline communities;
4. commission/ develop with these organisations a bespoke bilingual disinformation toolkit for each community with a special emphasis on their cultural aspects;
5. initiate social media (e.g. TikTok) campaigns to tackle disinformation in collaboration with these organisations to build societal resilience. 

I am available to provide further detail and give oral evidence as needed.

Sincerely,

Dr Alina E. Dolea

Associate Professor in Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy

Head of Department in Humanities & Law

Faculty of Media and Communication, Bournemouth University

Talbot Campus, W408, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK;

https://staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk/display/edolea

2022-2024 Research Fellow, USC Center on Public Diplomacy - Diaspora Diplomacy, Emotions, and Disruption_6.19.24.pdf (uscpublicdiplomacy.org)

Academia.edu: https://bournemouth.academia.edu/AlinaDolea 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinadolea

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alina_Dolea