You win some, you lose some

You win some, you lose some. This weeks been loss after loss, after loss but Thursday I lifted myself back up.

Wednesday, I couldn't even get out of bed to do much more than eat, use the bathroom, and change napping locations. This feeling continued into Thursday morning and feeling like this, so constrained, so stuck, out of control, can be overwhelming, discouraging, and very frustrating. The key is to give yourself a break, but not let these feelings run your life.

So, Thursday morning, I woke up (quite early) and was immensely frustrated with myself because despite being awake, there was not one bone in my body that wanted to start my day. I had plans to run and workout, get some reading done, grocery shop. Instead, I gave myself a break. "Ok," I said to myself "sleep three more hours then you start your day." Three hours later, I got up, got ready, bought myself my favorite breakfast, did my reading and jump started my day. It just got better from there.

On my way to my tutorial, I picked up a sandwich at my favorite shop, "The Alternative Tuck Shop" for a baguette to eat between classes. I got my music history class readings done before class, and a head start on my next week's tutorial, so I was already being infinitely more productive than yesterday. I've got to say,I also did some drying off between my walk and the tutorial starting, because I had quite embarrassing pit stains from my power walk.

this is me feeling pretty before the pit-stains

The tutorial went decently. I struggled heavily with the reading this week. For one, I was unable to find a cohesive argument to unite all the readings. This made it difficult for me to pick out the key information in the works, and therefore, instead of uniting the pieces I was drowning in the facts. On the other hand, whenever I did have an argument, I was finding it next to impossible to put my thoughts to paper.

Needless to say, Evan, my tutor, noticed. She was very understanding though, and we talked through all my confusion, misunderstanding, and concerns, such that I am confident in a more successful essay next week.

Today was similar. It started off a bit tough, but I did what I needed to to move on from it. I slept in a little longer. I started my day with breakfast instead of a run right away. Igot in my run by noon. I went to the mall with a friend to find her a birthday dress. I printed all my readings for the week. I bought myself a steamed bun for a pound sixty frpm the open market. I took a marvelous, much needed nap. I got in a rewarding workout. And finally had myself delicious supper for dessert.

I think the highlight of my week has been that my housemate, whom I originally did not think I'd get along with, did an act of service for me that was so touching. I have been raving all week about these flapjacks at a cafe down the road. In order to save money, I tried, and quite miserably failed, to make them myself. Knowing how badly I wanted them, she took it upon herself to make them for me. She did in fact succeed. I woke up from my nap today to find Apple Cinnamon flapjacks prepared for me on the counter. FOr me this was a sign from God. Things are looking up. Hard work does not go unrewarded. I deserve a rainbow after the rain, the flapjacks were my rainbow.

L

Because I think it is important to showcase my successes as well as my failures, here is my failed attempt at a piece on the Greco-Turkish war and the population exchange it triggered. I lacked a coherent argument, a uniting idea, connecting phrases, and confidence.

here it is:

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The State and Asia Minor Refugees

The outcome of the Greco-Turkish war which spanned from 1919 to 1922 called for a rapid exchange of ethnic groups from the Turkish territory to Greek territory and vise-versa. The Greek force had temporarily gained control of Smyrna, but at the end of the conflict, Turkey regained possession. The land exchange, coupled with Turkish nationalism, and ethnic tension, influenced the persecution that the Greeks would face in Asia Minor, if they failed to flee in time. This called for the Greek state to collaborate with Transnational Advocacy Networks (TANs) to have negotiations with the Turkish state, and also to provide aid for the basic needs of individuals migrating from Asia Minor. While states were the major reason that individuals became displaced after the Greco-Turkish war, they later became mediums for non-state actors to work with and through to provide adequate aid to migrants.

Territorial conflict between the Greek and Turkish states drove the displacement of individuals between the two countries. More specifically, Turkish victory over the Greeks in Smyrna triggered the Greek troops to retreat quickly, leaving behind Christians in Smyrna and West Asia Minor[1]. The troops retreated in time to escape the disorder brought on by the Turkish armies, who were looting and killing in Smyrna’s Armenian and Greek Quarters[2]. In a reaction to such a win, the Turkish state called for the detention of Armenian and Greek males as war prisoners, but also for the Armenian and Greek families and refugees to “be allowed ‘to emigrate’ until 30 September”[3]. It is clear that the Greek living in Asia Minor were living with a well-founded fear of persecution, due to state action. This fear influenced the decision of “hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Greeks from Asia Minor and the Black Sea communities” to flee, leaving behind their material possessions[4]. The Greeks living in Asia Minor were strapped for time, especially keeping in mind that resources were still being utilized at war with Turkey. At such a slow rate, the territory would not be able to evacuate by the deadline. With the help of the United States, however, the Greek government was granted an extension of the evacuation deadline and received aid with the technical and diplomatic obstacles of the population exchange[5].

Transnational Advocacy Networks provide additional aid to people in need. In this case, one TAN in particular played a major role, namely, the League of Nations. After the Bolshevik Revolution influenced individuals opposed to the communist political climate to flee. These refugees were the first to be recognized by the League of Nations, and the ones who called for the creation of a Nansen passport[6]. The League was the first actor of the international refugee regime to jump in to aid the Greeks fleeing Asia Minor[7]. Colonel Proctor, of the Nansen Office in Constantinople assessed the needs of the Armenian and Greek refugees, and called upon the High Commissioner for Refugees, Fridtjof Nansen, to get the League to intervene[8]. As per Proctor’s observations the refugees would need around 10 million pounds for aid and. Resettlement[9]. Using the many sectors of the League including the Financial Committee, and the Economic Section of the League Secretariat, they were able to raise the funds to execute their plan[10]. Having funds to put towards programs makes a major impact on the communities in need. The League of Nations also helps mobilize local aid, and aid from international organizations. Within Greece, citizens mobilized their own “philanthropic organizations, created emergency committees, gave freely, received the destitute into their homes, provided barracks and soup kitchens” and more[11]. Additionally, American and British philanthropic societies, such as the American Red Cross, Near East Relief, American Women’s Hospitals, and the British save the Children fund, among many others, provided aid where they could[12].

In 1923, the League of Nations Council approved “a protocol establishing a Greek Refugee Settlement Commission (GSRC)” combining international and national resources to reach a sustainable solution quickly[13]. Which is a prime example of the state working with TANs to bring about peace. In its lifetime, the GSRC helped thousands of Greek refugees, but had its greatest impact on the Greek economy[14]. It particularly benefitted agriculture, by bringing land under cultivation and introducing modern farming techniques[15].

It is important to look at the impact that states and non-state actors have on the communities they support. Looking back, it seems that the actions taken by the states and by the non-state actors of the international refugee regime were the best they could do given the time constraints. The efforts do fall short of being called sustainable solutions, because even fifty years in the future from the migrations some families have still not been reconnected[16]. Not only that, but many of the people who migrated, “had a clearly developed sense of identity, separate from that of Greek society”[17]. They referred to themselves as refugees or Asia Minor People, perhaps for political reasons, so that they could make claims for compensation, or perhaps due to their psychological and cultural predisposition to marking boundaries, they lost their identities once, they would not do so again[18]. Such distinction creates potential cultural boundaries between the “native Greeks” and the “Asia Minor people” that can spread from internal thoughts, to external behaviors. It also can be observed that fifty years later, the people, so hastily rehoused by the GRSC, were put at an economic disadvantage. For one, the skills of refugees were not considered with their placement[19]. In an effort to make the migrants appear to be productive and self-sufficient “rural housing was given priority over towns”[20]. This was problematic because many of the people settled into rural areas had no experience with that lifestyle, and therefore would not be able to be self-sufficient in these areas[21]. Alternatively, the urban areas focused more on the shelter aspect of resettlement and not so much on the self-sufficiency[22]. These individuals were picked up and placed in a new location to figure out on their own how they were going to make a living. These people often brought with them their skilled trades from Anatolia, the biggest problem being, a population full of skill set that once were scattered throughout a large area, now had to compete for business in a smaller community[23]. These examples just put a dent in the impact.

Furthermore, even in early cases of legally recognized “refugee” migration it is clear that states do not act alone, but with plenty of support from non-government actors. States do in fact play major roles, being either the origins of migrating people or their hosts and facilitating the presence and actions of Transnational Advocacy Networks. Looking back at history is essential for understanding failures in refugee relocation and settlement, and to plan for more effective, smooth, transitions in future crises. This case is a prime example of an emergency evacuation of a particular group. From this, policymakers can learn that, first, there should be emergency procedures already in place for successful and speedy evacuations. The state must consider in tis policy, ways to assure that individuals will be placed according to their skillsets (if not originally, overtime. It is also important that there be diversity and sensitivity training, along with strict codes of conduct for people who are going to be in contact with migrating individuals, such that they will not be taking advantage of any of the refuge seekers on their journeys. Finally, the resettlement communities should make sure that there are training programs and education systems so that the individuals do not get stuck behind due to a lack of education which they had no control over.

Bibliography

Giannuli, D. (1995). Greeks or "Strangers at Home": The Experiences of Ottoman Greek

Refugees during Their Exodus to Greece, 1922–1923. Journal of Modern Greek Studies,

13(2), 271-287.

Hirschon, R. (1998) Heirs of the Greek catastrophe: The social life of Asia Minor refugees in

Piraeus.

Howland, C.P. (1926) ‘Greece and Her Refugees’. Foreign Affairs 4(613): 613–623.

Skran, C. M. (1995) Refugees in inter-war Europe: the emergence of a regime. Oxford

University Press.

[1] Giannuli, D. (1995). Greeks or "Strangers at Home": The Experiences of Ottoman Greek Refugees during Their Exodus to Greece, 1922–1923. Journal of Modern Greek Studies, 13(2), 273.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Skran, C. M. (1995) Refugees in inter-war Europe: the emergence of a regime. Oxford University Press. 84.

[7] Skran, C. M. (1995) Refugees in inter-war Europe: the emergence of a regime. Oxford University Press.158.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Howland, C.P. (1926) ‘Greece and Her Refugees’. Foreign Affairs 4(613): 618

[10] Ibid. 620.

[11] Howland, C.P. (1926) ‘Greece and Her Refugees’. Foreign Affairs 4(613): 618

[12] Ibid.

[13] Skran, C. M. (1995) Refugees in inter-war Europe: the emergence of a regime. Oxford University Press. 161.

[14] Ibid. 166.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Hirschon, R. (1998) Heirs of the Greek catastrophe: The social life of Asia Minor refugees in Piraeus.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid. 40.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid.