On Monday, June 22, 2015...
All is well with me here in Ecuador, and I've been enjoying the opportunity to observe a few additional refugee women's organizing groups, one of which is beginning to self-generate ideas about forming a business association. This week, I am working with Asylum Access (my host organization) to begin establishing interviews with private sector representatives, including social enterprise associations, Chambers of Commerce, and similar groupings of businesses throughout Ecuador.
With my free time, I've done some traveling throughout Ecuador, and I have plans to visit friends in new cities over the next few weekends. In Quito, this Sunday marked World Refugee Day, as well as a host of accompanying events. My host organization, as well as various NGOs and UN bodies (namely the UNHCR) were represented in parks and public spaces throughout Quito as markers of the refugee presence in the city.
I consider the impact of events like these upon the attitudes of Ecuadorian citizens toward refugees. As reflected in the discriminatory actions of many private sector businesses throughout the country, even campaigns directly aiming to undermine some of these long-held, negative perceptions about Colombian migrants have a long way to progress. My hope is that through my research, I may understand and contribute to the completion of the public narrative about refugees, and develop an applied understanding about urban asylum-seeker and refugee status.