3 Myths About Displacement
Imagine the last time you went camping. The feel of grit on your skin, the smell of campfire smoke on your clothes, and aches in your hips and back from sleeping on a thin pad probably got old after the second day. Maybe you didn’t have the right gear and felt like you were going […]
World Refugee Day Shelter Tour
Everyone has the right to adequate housing. This right is affirmed in dozens of international treaties, conventions, charters, policies, and laws. But what does adequate actually mean? Is it purely subjective, or are there standards to which we can hold one another accountable?
Host A Shelter Tour
Everyone has the right to adequate housing. This right is affirmed in dozens of international treaties, conventions, charters, policies, and laws. But what does adequate actually mean? Is it purely subjective, or are there standards to which we can hold one another accountable?
Every Shelter Wins Second Place at Dubai’s International Humanitarian Hackathon!
Every year, world leaders gather in Dubai for the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development conference and expo. It’s a massive event that brings together representatives from all across the spectrum of aid and development — from top UN officials to donor organizations to field workers from nongovernmental organizations — ready to discuss the biggest […]
Billboards and Tarps Nerd Session
Using Billboards for Tarps TLDR: Using discarded billboards for tarps wasn’t our idea. We saw refugees using them, and unlike the standard shelter tarps, these lasted for years and not months. To be clear, if the world has tarp experts, it’s these families. They’re forced to rely on these thin membranes for years on end. […]
Summer 2019 Co-Creation Internship
We are gearing up for a fast-paced, exciting summer. In May, a group of interns pursuing architecture and engineering degrees will join us for a three-month internship to develop prototypes of brand new products to pilot in Uganda with the American Refugee Committee (ARC) in Uganda. This is our first big “co-creation” project, and we […]
Co-Creation Methodologies: Redefining Development
Co-creation is scary and humbling, because it doesn’t always align with “conventional” logic, and it doesn’t allow outsiders or power mongers to play superhero. But, it does make room for the human spirit to triumph — and that is always sustainable.
What is “Adequate Shelter?”
Everyone has the right to adequate housing. This right is affirmed in dozens of international treaties, conventions, charters, policies, and laws. But what does adequate actually mean? Is it purely subjective, or are there standards to which we can hold one another accountable?
Prioritizing Refugee Success is the Key to Rebuilding in Post-Conflict Settings
Helping refugees and displaced people find future success in rebuilding their home countries starts with capably and competently assisting them now, during their time of displacement and in their immediate need.
Rohingya Response: Privacy and Protection
Imagine the walls of your entire one-bedroom home are perforated, allowing any passerby an easy glimpse inside your private space at any time of day. Your nearest neighbor lives just a few feet away, and hundreds of people pass by your house on foot each day, leaving you exposed before each set of eyes. As […]