Megan Bradley, Former Cadieux-Léger Fellow
Report on Cadieux-Léger Fellowship 2007-2008
By: Megan Bradley, July 15 2008
I had the pleasure of serving as the Cadieux-Léger Fellow in the Policy Research Division from September 2007-June 2008. The Cadieux-Léger Fellowship provided me with an exceptional opportunity to advance my PhD research on refugee repatriation movements while gaining first-hand insight into DFAIT’s work, particularly in the field of humanitarian affairs.
Based on my experience, I believe that the Cadieux-Léger Fellowship is both a valuable professional development opportunity for young scholars, and a chance for the Department to strengthen links between the research and policymaking processes. I am grateful for the insights and experiences I gained through this Fellowship, and for the support extended to me by colleagues in the Policy Research Division.
Research work
My research focused largely on refugee repatriation processes, and the role of reparations such as property restitution in resolving displacement crises. Much of the work I carried out as the Cadieux-Léger Fellow was directly connected with my doctoral research in this field; over the course of the fellowship I drafted four chapters of my thesis. This research served as the basis for several academic publications that I prepared during the fellowship, as well as policy papers and presentations for Department staff.
Policy Papers, Academic Articles and Book Reviews
While serving as the Cadieux-Léger Fellow, I wrote several academic articles, review essays and book reviews which were accepted for publication in peer reviewed journals, and finished revisions on articles that had been accepted for publication before I began the fellowship. I also prepared and circulated policy papers for the internal use of the Department.
Articles and reviews published or accepted for publication over the course of the fellowship include:
- “Back to basics: The conditions of just refugee returns”, Journal of Refugee Studies, forthcoming.
- “Return in dignity: A neglected refugee protection challenge”, Canadian Journal of Development Studies, forthcoming.
- “On the agenda: North-South research partnerships and agenda-setting processes”, Development in Practice, forthcoming.
- “Redress and refugees: Reflections on some recent literature” (review essay), Journal of Refugee Studies 20.4 (2007).
- “Review of Conflict and the Refugee Experience: Flight, Exile and Repatriation in the Horn of Africa, by Assefaw Bariagaber”, Political Studies Review, forthcoming.
- “Review of The Future for Palestinian Refugees: Toward Equity and Peace, by Michael Dumper”, Journal of Refugee Studies, forthcoming.
Policy Papers:
- “The UN Principles on Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons (Pinheiro Principles): An Overview”
- “Refugee returns and land conflict in Afghanistan: Challenges and opportunities”
Engagement with the Department
Beyond undertaking and sharing my research on refugee repatriation processes, I also benefited from the opportunity to engage in a variety of Department activities, including co-authoring a paper entitled “The Global Water Crisis: A Question of Governance” on water and conflict that was featured on DFAIT’s website.
Other activities
The Fellowship afforded me the flexibility to take advantage of various training, learning and research opportunities. For example, in January 2008, I participated in a two-week Institute on Qualitative and Multi-Method Research in Phoenix, Arizona. I also benefited from participating in a human rights delegation to Guatemala in April 2008, organized by a small Guatemala-based NGO. (These activities were funded using the stipend from the Fellowship.)
