CAIRO: After decades of hard work for refugees, the woman who coined the term “forced migration, the highly impressive Barbara Harrell-Bond, was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and was awarded a badge by the British Ambassador in Egypt Sir Derek Plumbly at the British Embassy in Cairo, on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
“The Order of the British Empire is a very high dignity indeed, said Plumbly in his speech before pinning Harrell-Bond with the honor. The motto of the OBE is For God and the Empire.
The Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on June 4, 1917, by King George V. The order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are knight or dame grand cross (GBE), knight or dame commander (KBE or DBE), commander (CBE), officer (OBE) and member (MBE).
Originally American, Harrell-Bond, who became a British citizen through marriage, was recognized for being the founding director of the Refugee Studies Center at the University of Oxford in 1982, and has since become an advocate of refugee rights and has started many legal aid programs around the world including Egypt.
She first came to Egypt in 2000 to help found a refugee studies program at the American University in Cairo (AUC), “which is one of the darlings of the university administration, says Ray Jureidini who co-teaches with her at AUC.
Originally, she was coming for two years and was not going to start legal aid, but her good nature changed her original plans.
“The refugees found my flat in Garden City and actually lined up in front of it . So we started AMERA . refugees can go there pro bono, she explained to The Daily Star Egypt.
During her speech after receiving her award at the embassy, Harrell-Bond thanked AMERA (Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance) interpreters several times. The British-based charity organization has provided legal representation for refugees in Kenya, Uganda and Sudan and is in the process of establishing aid for Turkey, Lebanon and Zambia.
Jureidini, who co-teaches two courses with Harrell-Bond, The Introduction of Forced Migration and Refugee Studie and Issues in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies, says that it is very fitting that she gets the award because of her “extraordinary single mindedness with regard to refugees.
“She is a person who lives and breathes refugees. A walking encyclopedia on refugee issues and its history, both legal as well as social . She has devoted all of her energies physically, intellectually and emotionally over many years in the analysis of the fight of refugees around the world, he continues.
After receiving her award, Harrell-Bond chose to show a documentary film entitled “Voices and Shadows by independent filmmaker Ahmed El Kady that focuses on the Sudanese refugees who were living in Mustafa Mahmoud Square in Mohandiseen.
Plumbly introduced the film and guests gathered in front of the screen to watch the touching documentary that Harrell-Bond wanted people to watch in order to draw more attention to the issue.
Her published books include: “Imposing Aid: Emergency Assistance to Refugees and recent release “Rights in Exile, co-written with Dr. Guglielmo Verdirame.
