We have got to know the refugee camps as temporary emergency solutions, but worldwide refugees live in one type of shelter or another for seventeen years on average.
The hundreds of refugee camps in the world are increasing rapidly and are becoming mini-societies, with refugees as citizens and aid organizations as governments. Just like all other people, refugees try to improve their work situation, they go to the baker’s, look for jobs or they start their own businesses, look for entertainment, fall in love, argue with the neighbours, marry and have childreren, who, in their turn, have to go to school too.

Refugee Republic is an interactive documentary about everyday life in one of the refugee camps, the Syrian refugee camp Domiz in North Iraq.

Go to http://www.volkskrant.nl/refugee-republic.

Tip: switch on the sound!

Click ‘Start’ or ‘Start introduction’.

You will see four virtual walks through the camp.  Choose one of the four walks::

Answer the question that goes with your walk:

Walk camp BUILDING: how many steps does it take to go from a tent to a house? Walk camp SMART: How many primary schools does your camp have? Walk camp LIVING: What does a tent look like from the inside? What kind of things do you see there? Walk camp MONEY: How many tuk-tuk drivers are present in the camp?

Take what you have heard, seen and read in step 1-4, the walk. Use this to make a poster, PowerPoint presentation or a film of your own refugee camp.

Good luck!