TREADING WATER: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE PLIGHT AND CAPABILITIES OF AFGHAN REFUGEES IN INDONESIA

Abstract

ACCORDING TO THE 2016 UNHCR STATISTICS, THERE ARE OVER 14,000 REFUGEES TRAPPED IN INDEFINITE TRANSIT IN INDONESIA, WITH FAINT HOPE OF EVER BEING RESETTLED TO ANY THIRD COUNTRY. THE WEST JAVA TOWN OF CISARUA ALONE HOSTS NEARLY 5,000 REFUGEES FROM THE ETHNIC HAZARA MINORITY GROUP FROM AFGHANISTAN. IN THEIR INTRACTABLE LIMBO, A GROUP OF THESE HAZARAS HAVE SET UP A NUMBER OF REFUGEE RUN LEARNING CENTRES AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, CREATING FOR THEMSELVES MEANING AND PURPOSE DURING THEIR UNBOUNDED TRANSIT. THIS TOWN AND POPULATION REPRESENT A UNIQUE CASE STUDY IN REFUGEE RESILIENCE, TRANSFORMATION, AND EMPOWERMENT IN LIGHT OF A DEEPENING GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISIS. USING A CAPABILITIES FRAMEWORK AND SOCIAL CAPITAL THEORY, THIS THESIS EXAMINES THE EMERGENCE OF THESE REFUGEE RUN INSTITUTIONS, AND THE IMPACT THAT INVOLVEMENT WITH THESE INSTITUTIONS HAS ON REFUGEES IN PERPETUAL TRANSIT. THE RESEARCH EMPLOYS ETHNOGRAPHIC, QUALITATIVE METHODS IN ORDER TO SHARE THE STORIES AND EXPERIENCES OF SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AND FORGOTTEN MEMBERS OF SOCIETY IN THEIR JOURNEY TO EMPOWERMENT. THE ANALYSIS OF THIS STUDY CONCLUDED THAT THE SOCIAL CAPITAL BUILT THROUGH INVOLVEMENT WITH REFUGEE RUN INITIATIVES IS THE CONVERSION FACTOR THAT CHANGES LIVES; COMMUNITY ITSELF IS THE TRANSFORMATIVE ELEMENT. THROUGH THIS TRANSFORMATION, REFUGEES HAVE CREATED FOR THEMSELVES MEANING AND PURPOSE DURING THEIR INDEFINITE TRANSIT, AND LAID PATHWAYS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE.