youth perspectives on justice and security in the world’s largest refugee camp: Cox’s
Bazar, Bangladesh.
Topics of Inquiry
During the initial planning phase in early 2020, the original research question that
propelled the research project was: how do youth (males and females ages 18-29),
understand issues of justice and security in Cox’s Bazar, and what role they play in
fostering peace and justice? With the onset of Covid-19, the project was updated to
canvass community perceptions about the disease, and the additional challenges and
needs that have arisen for camp residents during the Covid-19 response in the
camps. Building on earlier conversations about life in the camps, the community-based
research team developed their own set of questions to investigate, focusing specifically
on community experiences during Covid-19. Based on the issues that they deemed
important to their community at the time, the seven questions the researchers ultimately
selected to pursue are as follows:
1. What knowledge and ideas do you have regarding Covid-19?
2. Has the lockdown of Covid-19 affected your livelihood? If yes, how?
3. Has the lockdown of Covid-19 affected your relationship and communication
with others? If yes, how?
4. What would you want from humanitarians and agencies as assistance to
help you to prevent the spread of Covid-19?
5. Since the lockdown of Covid-19, what are the most difficult things you have
faced that you want government and humanitarian agencies to know?
6. Why are people worried and afraid of going to the clinics or hospitals since
the appearance of Covid-19?
7. Do you have any questions or anything else that you want to share with us?
The report groups together five themes of community experience in the camps during
the Covid-19 crisis: (1) Knowledge, understanding and perspectives of Covid-19; (2) The
impact of Covid-19 on livelihoods; (3) The impact of lockdown on relationships and
communication; (4) Perceptions of medical clinic and hospitals; (5) Concerns to share
with (international) actors responding to the pandemic.
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