Ben Rawlence on How to Provide Higher Education for Refugees in Kenya and Somalia

Open Society Fellow Ben Rawlence took part in a recent conversation on the refugee situation in Kenya and Somalia, moderated by the Open Society Foundations’ Martha Loerke.

In his talk, Rawlence argued that Islamic extremism and the counterproductive responses from ill-informed and unwieldy governments are the principle threats to the development of open societies. Critically engaging with Muslim areas, issues, organizations, and populations, and developing a generational, long-term strategy will be key to overcoming these problems. Pointing to the success of the Aga Khan in this region, Rawlence contended that there needs to be a renewed focus on higher education and long-term capacity building among refugees in eastern Africa.

Listen to the discussion above.