Refugees in the Digital Economy: The Future of Work among the Forcibly Displaced
Journal of Humanitarian Affairs
; 4(3):1-12, 2023.
Article
in English
| ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2294558
ABSTRACT
The current scale and duration of displacement prompts renewed urgency about livelihoods prospects for displaced people and the role of humanitarian organisations in fostering them. This special issue focuses on how aid organisations, together with the private sector and other actors, have worked to include refugees in new forms of online work within the web-based digital economy. Building on comparative analysis and a comprehensive review of the field of digital livelihoods among the forcibly displaced, in this introductory article we argue that including refugees in this digital economy is currently neither a sustainable form of humanitarian relief nor is it a development solution that provides large-scale decent work. We show how digital livelihoods approaches have gained a special footing in the middle ground between short-term economic relief and long-term development. Indeed, digital economies seemingly offer a variety of ‘quick-fix' solutions at the transition from humanitarian emergency towards long-term development efforts. While digital economies harbour significant potential, this cannot be fully realised unless current efforts to include refugees in digital economies are complemented by efforts to address digital divides, uphold refugees' rights, and ensure more decent working conditions.
Social Services And Welfare; digital work; refugee; refugee self-reliance; digital economy; gig economy; humanitarianism; development; future of work; Refugees; Internet; Entrepreneurship; Smartphones; Displaced persons; Freelance; Labor force; Employment; Pandemics; Gross Domestic Product--GDP; Developing countries--LDCs; Economic growth; Coronaviruses; Labor market; Skills; COVID-19; Middle East
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
ProQuest Central
Language:
English
Journal:
Journal of Humanitarian Affairs
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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