European Union: Savior or Conspirator? The Image of Europe as a Global Actor Seen from a Refugee Camp of Kurdistan Region of Iraq
The current knowledge about the perceptions and images of EU as a global actor is mostly based on public opinion of EU citizens and some of the neighboring countries (e.g. Eurobarometer). Few studies (if any) focus on opinions of the refugee populations. This paper offers an analysis of the perceptions of/and expectations for EU, from the side of war refugees. It offers some insights about the opinions and images that Europe has in a region that is deeply troubled by wars and crises, beneficiary of some EU external programs and provider of mass migration to European countries. A survey is done in this occasion within a refugee camp in Kurdistan Region of Iraq among Syrian refugees that fled the 2011 Syrian civil war and the 2014 occupation of the Islamic State. Opinions about defense and economic security, humanitarian response and crisis management of the EU members states in relation to the war in Syria and migration crisis are analyzed. The results and conclusions of this paper will contribute to the scholarly and practitioners´ debate regarding the need to revisit the dominant paradigm and practice of EU external interventions, as well as the possibilities to involve the direct beneficiaries in the long-term solutions.
Angela Movileanu . angela.movileanu@gmail.com
Open Think Tank & Centro de Estudos Internacionais do Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
Angela Movileanu is a PhD in European and Comparative Politics. Political development and democratization are among her research interests. In the last years she has benefited of a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Siena and an FCT scholarship at the CIES-IUL, Lisbon. Angela is a founding member of Open Think Tank, an organization based in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Angela is currently working as a consultant for the presidency of Republic of Moldova, her native country.
Mohammedan Yaseen Taha . myt@perleman.info
Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa
Mohammedali Yaseen Taha is a PhD in Comparative Politics at ICS-University of Lisbon, with a thesis on Press and Politics in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Among others, he is a published poet, experienced journalist, Member of Parliament, founding member and executive director of Open Think Tank. Mohammedali has worked with numerous civil society organizations both as a trainer and an organizer in capacity building and improvement programs. He speaks 7 languages.