This book examines the origins and evolution of refugee protection over the past four centuries.

There are today some 60 million people who have fled their homes because of persecution and conflict. This is the highest number ever recorded. These people suffer exile that will likely last for years and even whole lifetimes-both present and future. The unprecedented scale and duration of forced displacement provide unsettling points of departure for the 2016 edition of The State of the World's Refugees. Covering the years since 2012, this volume is the seventh in a series of flagship publications by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ('UNHCR'). This book draws upon expert analysis as well as UNHCR's direct experience to shed light on the root causes and consequences of the current humanitarian and development crisis. Its eleven chapters examine the world's evolving efforts to finance, plan, and implement basic human rights protections amidst a recent spate of complex emergencies. Updated data, maps, and case studies examine persistent challenges such as limited access to asylum abroad, protection gaps at home for internally displaced persons, the devastating consequences of statelessness, and the troubling elusiveness of durable solutions. This book also highlights the widespread impact of climate change as well as innovations in how humanitarian operations are designed and conducted. Over 65 years after UNHCR was established, A World in Turmoil reveals why its work remains more relevant and urgent than ever.

People in danger have received protection in communities beyond their own from the earliest times of recorded history. The causes — war, conflict, violence, persecution, natural disasters, and climate change — are as familiar to readers of the news as to students of the past. It is 70 years since nations in the wake of World War II drew up the landmark 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. People Forced to Flee marks this milestone. It is the latest in a long line of publications, stretching back to 1993, that were previously entitled The State of the World's Refugees. The book traces the historic path that led to the 1951 Convention, showing how history was made, by taking the centuries-old ideals of safety and solutions for refugees, to global practice. It maps its progress during which international protection has reached a much broader group of people than initially envisaged. It examines international responses to forced displacement within borders as well as beyond them, and the protection principles that apply to both. It reviews where they have been used with consistency and success, and where they have not. At times, the strength and resolve of the international community seems strong, yet solutions and meaningful solidarity are often elusive. Taking stock today - at this important anniversary – is all the more crucial as the world faces increasing forced displacement. Most is experienced in low- and middle-income countries and persists for generations. People forced to flee face barriers to improving their lives, contributing to the communities in which they live and realizing solutions. Everywhere, an effective response depends on the commitment to international cooperation set down in the 1951 Convention: a vision often compromised by efforts to minimize responsibilities. There is growing recognition that doing better is a global imperative. Humanitarian and development action has the potential to be transformational, especially when grounded in the local context. People Forced to Flee examines how and where increased development investments in education, health and economic inclusion are helping to improve socioeconomic opportunities both for forcibly displaced persons and their hosts. In 2018, the international community reached a Global Compact on Refugees for more equitable and sustainable responses. It is receiving deeper support. People Forced to Flee looks at whether that is enough for what could – and should – help define the next 70 years.

'The Modern Refugee Era' began with the end of World War II. An extensive literature has been created on the issue of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons during this period. While much of this has focused on refugee 'flight' and 'post-flight,' Forced to Flee uniquely looks at the 'pre-flight' environment and the factors contributing to human rights violations therein. It is due to these abuses that many people flee their homelands. Author Peter W. Van Arsdale presents first-hand fieldwork conducted over a 30-year span in six refugee homelands ranging from Sudan to Bosnia. This expert research bridges the emergent refugee and human rights regimes, while addressing theories of obligation, justice, and structural inequality. Van Arsdale also deftly tackles the difficult ideas of compassion, suffering, and evil, and introduces the concept of 'pragmatic humanitarianism.' Forced to Flee is a comprehensive study that should be of great interest to scholars and practitioners of anthropology, sociology, social work, political science, and environmental studies.

The outlaw who became a folk hero for her courage and her daring escape by sea: “An epic story of love and liberty" (Elizabeth Cobbs, bestselling author of The Hamilton Affair) Jenny Gwyn is a survivor. Faced with destitution after the death of her father, she becomes a highwaywoman to support her impoverished family. One fatal mistake leads to her arrest, and the king’s justice demands her death. But rather than beg for mercy, Jenny condemns the system that would make her choose between obeying the law and dying, and breaking it for the chance to survive. Her ferocity convinces the judge to spare her life, and he sentences her and dozens of other convicts to transport across the seas to England's penal colony in Australia. After a grueling passage on a filthy ship where she must sell her body for protection, Jenny learns that her struggles have only just begun. The landscape of Sydney Cove is harsh and unwelcoming to the new settlers, with its arid climate and precious little fresh water. Despite the lack of shackles or bars, she and the others are still prisoners under the strict watch of Governor Edward Lockharty, and no amount of cunning can earn his favor. Jenny refuses to submit to the governor or to the barren land unable to support the growing population. Determined to find a better life for herself and her children, she braves the sea, and a journey of over three thousand miles in a small rowboat, for a chance at a future worth fighting for. Based on the true story of Mary Bryant, an iconic figure in the foundation lore of Australia, Fled is a sweeping, heart-wrenching account of one woman's life-long search for freedom.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) IF SHE FLED (A Kate Wise Mystery) is book #5 in a new psychological thriller series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. When another 50 year old woman is found dead in her home in a wealthy suburb—the second such victim in just two months—the FBI is stumped. They must turn to their most brilliant mind—retired FBI agent Kate Wise, 55—to come back to the line of duty and solve it. What do these two empty nesters have in common? Were they targeted? How long until this serial killer strikes again? And is Kate, though past her prime, still able to solve cases that no one else can? An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, IF SHE FLED is book #5 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #6 in the KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES is also now available!

A bundle of books #5 (IF SHE FLED) and #6 (IF SHE FEARED) in Blake Pierce’s Kate Wise Mystery series! This bundle offers books five and six in one convenient file, with over 100,000 words of reading. In IF SHE FLED, when another 50 year old woman is found dead in her home in a wealthy suburb—the second such victim in just two months—the FBI is stumped. They must turn to their most brilliant mind—retired FBI agent Kate Wise, 55—to come back to the line of duty and solve it. What do these two empty nesters have in common? Were they targeted? How long until this serial killer strikes again? And is Kate, though past her prime, still able to solve cases that no one else can? In IF SHE FEARED, when another woman is found dead in a vacant, suburban house, the FBI must call in brilliant FBI special agent Kate Wise, 55, and ask her to come out of retirement from her suburban life to find the psychotic killer. But why is the killer staging the bodies in empty houses in suburbia? What do the victims have in common? And can Kate, despite her age, stop him in time to save another woman’s life? Dark psychological thrillers with heart-pounding suspense, the Kate Wise mystery series is a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #7 in the series, IF SHE HEARD is also now available for pre-order!

A bundle of books #4 (IF SHE HID), #5 (IF SHE FLED) and #6 (IF SHE FEARED) in Blake Pierce’s Kate Wise Mystery series! This bundle offers books four, five and six in one convenient file, with over 150,000 words of reading. In IF SHE HID, two parents are found dead, and their twin 16 year old daughters are missing. With the case quickly growing cold, the FBI, stumped, must summon their most brilliant agent: retired 55 year old FBI agent Kate Wise. Was this a random murder? The work of a serial killer? Can they find the girls in time? And does Kate, haunted by her past, still have the ability to solve cases as she used to? In IF SHE FLED, when another 50 year old woman is found dead in her home in a wealthy suburb—the second such victim in just two months—the FBI is stumped. They must turn to their most brilliant mind—retired FBI agent Kate Wise, 55—to come back to the line of duty and solve it. What do these two empty nesters have in common? Were they targeted? How long until this serial killer strikes again? And is Kate, though past her prime, still able to solve cases that no one else can? In IF SHE FEARED, when another woman is found dead in a vacant, suburban house, the FBI must call in brilliant FBI special agent Kate Wise, 55, and ask her to come out of retirement from her suburban life to find the psychotic killer. But why is the killer staging the bodies in empty houses in suburbia? What do the victims have in common? And can Kate, despite her age, stop him in time to save another woman’s life? Dark psychological thrillers with heart-pounding suspense, the Kate Wise mystery series is a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Books #7 is also available!