User:Liz.go/sandbox

Selecting possible articles
I plan to add information about funding from the 2016 annual report, including donor/revenue information to the "Organization" section. I also plan to add to the timeline of the IRC's history in the subsections that lack information. Additionally, I will add more information about the IRC's resettlement programs and statistics concerning economic outcomes and financial stability. I plan to add a new section dedicated to child refugees and the laws that concern them, more information about refugee laws in other countries, besides the US, which is overrepresented, and more about the specific conditions that must be met to be considered a refugee.
 * International Rescue Committee
 * Refugee Law

Evaluating Articles and Sources
Sector: Refugee Law
 * Everything in the article is relevant to the topic of refugee law, but I found the order of sections to be slightly illogical. Instead of having the definition of a refugee after the sources of refugee law, I think it would be more appropriate to place the the definition first.
 * It seemed unusual that one section was entirely dedicated to US refugee law, but there were no analogous sections for any other countries. The US perspective is overrepresented in this regard, while all other countries are underrepresented.
 * Some sections capitalize the first letter of each bulleted item, while others do not.
 * It would be useful to provide a link for the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) mentioned in the US Refugee Law section.
 * One reference link does not work. (Goldenziel, Jill (September 1, 2016). "THE CURSE OF THE NATION-STATE: Refugees, Migration, and Security in International Law". Arizona State Law Journal: 8.)
 * Various minor grammatical errors throughout
 * Stub rating
 * Another student from a different university on the talk page is interested in improving the article by removing superfluous information and adding more information about other countries.
 * The article could use more specific laws regarding refugees, rather than broad statements about the history of refugee laws.
 * Some information seems dated, and may need updates pertaining to modern refugee law.

Area: International Rescue Committee
 * Various minor grammatical errors
 * The section on the IRC's current work lists three countries and one specific project the IRC worked on in each country. The choice of these countries seems arbitrary, seeing as the IRC works in over 40 countries. Also, the description under each country does not fully encompass all the work that the IRC has done in that country.
 * Some of the subsections under the Operations section lack adequate information (Resettlement and advocacy)
 * Additionally, their operations are divided differently on the IRC's website. (i.e. Health, Safety, Education, Economic Wellbeing, and Power)
 * The timeline includes notable events in the history of the IRC, but severely lacks information in the 2010 decade section.
 * The article does not include any information on the IRC's Research and Development efforts.
 * The article does not discuss the IRC's major initiative, IRC 2020.
 * More information could be provided on the IRC's specific strategies and approaches for providing aid (evidence-based methods)
 * Some references are not scholarly sources. (CBS news, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service)
 * Some reference links do not work. (The 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa)
 * C-class rating

Summarizing and Synthesizing
Area: IRC, Refugee Studies, Refugee Law in the United States

Sector: Refugee Mental Health, Refugee Children

Area: Refugee Law
-Switch order of sections, so that Definition comes before Sources of Refugee Law (done)

Definition
According to the original 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol, refugee children were legally indistinguishable from adult refugees. Although the Convention on the Rights of the Child was not specific to the rights of refugee minors, it was used as the legal blueprint for handling refugee minor cases, where a minor was defined as any person under the age of 18. In 1988, the UNHCR Guidelines on Refugee Children were published, specifically designed to address the needs of refugee children, officially granting them internationally recognized human rights. See also: Refugee children

In 1989, however, the UN signed an additional treaty, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which defined the rights of children and bound its signatories to upholding those rights by international law. Although the treaty is not specific to the rights of refugee minors in particular, it was used as the legal blueprint for handling refugee minor cases, where a minor was defined as any person under the age of 18. In particular, it extends the protection of refugee children by allowing participating nations the capacity to recognize children who do not fall under the strict guidelines of the Convention definition, but still should not be sent back to their countries of origin. It also extends the principle of non-refoulment to prohibit the return of a child to their country “where there are grounds for believing that there is a real risk of irreparable harm to the child.”  Despite playing an active role in its drafting, the United States has yet to ratify the treaty, making it the only nation in the UN that is not party to it.

Additionally, US Law draws an important distinction between "refugees" and "asylees". A refugee must meet the definition of a refugee, as outlined in the 1951 Convention and be of "special humanitarian concern to the United States." Refugee status can only be obtained from outside the US. If an individual who meets the definition of a refugee, and is seeking admission in a port of entry is already in the US, they are eligible to apply for asylum status.

The term displaced person has come to be synonymous with refugee due to a substantial amount of overlap in their legal definitions. However, they are legally distinct, and convey subtle differences. In general, displaced person refers to "one who has not crossed a national border and thus does not qualify for formal refugee status."

(done)

Refugee Status Determination (RSD)
The burden of RSD falls primarily on the state. However, in cases where states are either unwilling or unable, the UNHCR assumes responsibility. In 2013, the UNHCR managed RSD in over 50 countries and worked in parallel with national governments in 20 countries. In the period from 1997-2001, the number of RSD applications submitted to the UNHCR nearly doubled. The core principles and standards for determination of refugee status outlined by the UNHCR are as follows: RSD provides protection for refugees through promoting non-refoulement, resettlement assistance, and direct assistance.
 * Asylum seekers must have appropriate access to UNHCR staff and RSD procedures, and all necessary information to support their refugee claim.
 * Procedures must be in place to identify and assist vulnerable asylum seekers
 * RSD applications must be processed on a non-discriminatory basis, pursuant to transparent and fair procedures
 * RSD applications must be processed in a timely and efficient manner
 * RSD staff must have adequate qualifications, training, and supervision to effectively carry out their duties
 * Applicants should have an individual RSD interview with a qualified Eligibility Officer
 * Rejected applicants should have access to procedures for review of the RSD decision by an Officer, other than the Officer who decided the claim in the first instance.
 * There should be organization-wide consistency on procedures that define substantive rights in the RSD process, including procedures affecting the submission and receipt of applications, individual interviews, and the notification of UNHCR decisions.
 * All aspects of the RSD procedures must be consistent with established UNHCR policies relating to confidentiality, standards of treatment of vulnerable asylum seekers, and gender and age sensitivity.

(done)

Revenue Information
As of 2016, the IRC held $175,835 in net assets, with most of its funding coming from donors and the federal government through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. A breakdown of their financial report shows that the largest program service investment was in health services, which absorbed 38% of the IRC's funds for the year 2016. (added)

Operations
Programs for Children:

In 2016, the IRC and its partners helped provide over 1.5 million children with access to educational opportunities. (added)

Intro
In 2016, the IRC resettled 84,995 refugees from several countries worldwide (added)

The IRC also has an innovation center, called "Airbel", which conducts research on communities affected by crisis.

The IRC in the United States uses the definition of "refugee" that originated from the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its associated 1967 Protocol: “A refugee is defined as a person outside of his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”.

"Consisting of first responders, humanitarian relief workers, international development experts, health care providers, and educators, the IRC has assisted millions of people around the world since its founding in 1933" (may remove because of tone)

Resettlement
Upon receiving a referral for a refugee applicant, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) directs it to one of its nine Refugee Support Centers (RSCs) worldwide, which then assists refugees with resettlement consideration, under guidance of PRM. The IRC and other similar organizations manage these RSCs in cooperation with the UNHCR, and help refugees finalize their applications, compiling biographical information, preparing them for medical screening, and beginning the process of acculturation to America. This process generally takes 18-36 months. The IRC specifically runs the RSCs located in Thailand and Malaysia, which were established in response to the influx of asylum seekers from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in 1975.

Refugee Studies
With the occurrence of major instances of diaspora and forced migration, the study of their causes and implications has emerged as a legitimate interdisciplinary area of research. Interest in the academic inquiry of refugees began to rise by mid to late 20th century, after the end of World War II. Although significant contributions had been made prior to this point, the time period in the latter half of the 20th century saw the establishment of institutions dedicated to the study of refugees, such as the Association for the Study of the World Refugee Problem, which was closely followed by the founding of the United State High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In particular, the 1981 volume of the International Migration Review defined refugee studies as "a comprehensive, historical, interdisciplinary and comparative perspective which focuses on the consistencies and patterns in the refugee experience." Following its publishing, the field saw a rapid increase in academic interest and scholarly inquiry, which has continued to the present. Most notably in 1988, the Journal for Refugee Studies was established as the field's first major interdisciplinary journal. The emergence of refugee studies as a distinct field of study has been criticized by scholars due to terminological difficulty. Since there exists no universally accepted definition for the term "refugee", many dispute the academic respectability of the policy-based definition, outlined in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, most often used. Additionally, academics have critiqued the lack of a theoretical basis of refugee studies and dominance of policy-oriented research. In response, scholars have attempted to steer the field toward establishing a theoretical groundwork of refugee studies through "situating studies of particular refugee (and other forced migrant) groups in the theories of cognate areas (and major disciplines), [providing] an opportunity to use the particular circumstances of refugee situations to illuminate these more general theories and thus participate in the development of social science, rather than leading refugee studies into an intellectual cul-de-sac." Thus, the term refugee in the context of refugee studies can be referred to as "legal or descriptive rubric", encompassing socioeconomic backgrounds, personal histories, psychological analyses, and spiritualities. (done)

Mental Health
As of 1997, states are required to provide a comprehensive health screening for all newly arrived refugees in the United States, which includes a mental evaluation, as well as a physical examination. This approach has resulted in a significant number of mental health referrals and treatments, indicating a need for increased psychological support for newly-arrived refugees. The most frequently diagnosed mental condition in refugee populations is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is commonly a result of violence. Experts have found that drug therapy, through the use of serotonin uptake inhibitors, as well as cognitive therapy have been effective treatments during resettlement. However, there still exists a lack of culturally appropriate psychiatric care that prevents adequate treatment. (done)

Refugees often also experience further mental trauma after migrating due to hostility from native citizens, or even authorities at detention centers and ports of entry, which is further exacerbated by long wait times for asylum application decisions. This process generally takes anywhere from 18 months to well over two years. Researchers have identified a number of factors contributing to mental illness in refugee populations, including language barriers, family separation, hostility, social isolation, and trauma prior to migration. However, few doctors in the US are equipped to address these issues, and thus, there have been calls for a refugee-specific strategy for health care that ensures equal access to services for refugees, as well as universal training for physicians to handle refugee-specific conditions and circumstances. Several barriers prevent Western mental health protocols and categorizations from effectively evaluating and treating refugees. For example, bereavement and demoralization are often labeled as depression in Western mental health. Moreover, access to mental health resources is often time-limited for newly-arrived refugees, which poses another challenge health professionals attempting to deliver effective and culturally appropriate care, which takes into account the unique history and cultural diversity of the refugee population. However, critics propose that a greater effort should be made to address the history of trauma and other factors contributing to a refugee's mental health. Additionally, referrals to cultural case mediators, social workers, and community organizations have been effective in alleviating symptoms.

(added to Refugee Health in the United States)

In particular, refugee children are extremely vulnerable during migration and resettlement, and may experience long-term pathological effects, due to "disrupted development time." Psychoanalysts of refugee health have proposed that refugee children experience mourning for their culture and countries, despite the fact that the war-torn state of their homes is unsafe. This sudden loss of familiarity may then lead to mental dysfunction. In addition, studies have shown that refugee children show a higher vulnerability to stress when separated from their families. However, these outcomes can be prevented with adequate protective factors, such as social support and intimacy. Additionally, effective adaptation strategies, such as absorption in work and creation of pseudofamilies, have led to successful coping in refugees. Many refugee populations, particularly Southeast Asian, undergo a secondary migration to larger communities of kinfolk from their countries of origin, which serve as social support networks for refugees. Research has shown that family reunification, formation of new social groups, community groups, and social services and professional support have contributed to successful resettlement of refugees. (added)

Another barrier to refugee mental health is cultural beliefs about mental dysfunction. Language barriers, distrust, past negative experiences, and stigmatization of mental health services drives many refugees away from psychiatric help.

Sector: Refugee Children
Copied and edited from refugee children mental health section:

Traditionally, the mental health of children experiencing conflict is understood in terms of either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or toxic stress. Prolonged and constant exposure to stress and uncertainty, characteristic of a war environment may result in toxic stress that children express with a change in behavior that may include anxiety, self-harm, aggressiveness or suicide. A 2017 study conducted in Syria by Save the Children determined that 84% of all adults and most children considered ongoing bombing and shelling to be the main psychological stressor, while 89% said that children were more fearful as the war progressed, and 80% said that children had become more aggressive. These stressors are leading causes of the symptoms described above, which lead to diagnosis of PTSD and toxic stress, among other mental conditions. These issues may then be further exacerbated by a forced migration to a foreign country, and the beginning of the process of refugee status determination.

Additionally, studies from treatment facilities and small community samples have confirmed that refugee youth are at higher risk for psychopathologic disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, conduct disorder, and problems resulting from substance abuse. However, other large-scale community surveys have found that the rate of psychiatric disorder among immigrant youth is not higher than that of native-born children. In fact, many immigrant youth have been reported to be highly motivated, with many performing exceptionally well in academics after resettlement.

Sector: Refugee Health
Additionally, refugee children face unique barriers to adequate psychological health support due to significant trauma during their vulnerable developmental years.

Refugee

 * Added a new section "Refugee Studies" and a long paragraph summarizing it

Refugee Health

 * Added brief sentence about refugee children health
 * Linked to Refugee Children

Refugee Children

 * Edited Mental Health and Illness section for content and clarity
 * removed irrelevant details
 * made grammatical corrections
 * removed non-neutral statements
 * Linked Mental Health and Illness section to Refugee Health article
 * removed unnecessary introduction sentences

Refugee Law

 * Added more detailed definition of "refugee" and distinction between asylees, refugees, and displaced persons
 * Added information about refugee children
 * Switched order of "definition" and "sources" sections for clarity
 * Added Refugee Status Determination section and brief summary
 * linked to Refugee article
 * Added information about the Convention on the Rights of the Child globally and in the US section
 * Linked to Convention on the Rights of the Child
 * Linked to US Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Refugee Health in the United States

 * Added information about Western approaches to refugee health
 * Added factors contributing to mental dysfunction in refugee populations
 * Added information about asylum application process
 * Added information about barriers to health in refugee populations
 * Linked section featuring information on PTSD to PTSD article
 * Added historical information about mental healthcare in the US

International Rescue Committee

 * Added relevant funding and revenue information
 * Added information about programs for children
 * Removed inaccurate financial information from questionable source
 * Grammatical edits
 * Removed empty section