Going Home Campaign
Starting in the early 1980’s, when Salvadoran refugees fleeing extreme violence and repression began filling internal and external refugee camps, SHARE began supporting the refugees and advocating for their rights. SHARE was present in the UN-sponsored Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras as well as in church-sponsored centers for the displaced inside El Salvador. In 1986, NEST accompanied internally displaced who returned to the Chalatenango town of San Jose Las Flores. That same year, SHARE accompanied the repopulation of the community El Barillo in the department of Cuscatlan.
In 1987, after seven years of living in the highly militarized UN sponsored refugee camps in Honduras, – the limit that the United Nations gives before camps start to become permanent homes- the refugees of Mesa Grande started to talk about repatriating and returning to their home notwithstanding intense opposition from the Honduran, Salvadoran and U.S. governments and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. The Mesa Grande refugees – with whom SHARE had maintained a strong working relationship from its inception in 1981 – and the Salvadoran-based National Commission on Repopulation formally requested physical accompaniment as well as political, moral and material from SHARE as they planned their return. Despite resistance from the Salvadoran and Honduran governments, SHARE together with the Salvadoran Churches advocated for the right of the refugees to return to their place of origin (in zones of conflict).
In four different trips, between 1987 and 1989, refugees from Honduran UN sponsored refugee camps repatriated their homeland. In the first repatriation alone, 4,313 people (4,314 upon arrival as a baby was born on the way) returned to El Salvador. This was the single largest repatriation in history to that point. Accompaniment in this period meant physically going on the buses with people back to their homes, monitoring human rights and activating pressure when people were captured. It was not only to help people settle in these places, but as a sign of international protection.
Once repatriated, the refugees had to focus on completely rebuilding their lives with the very few resources they had. SHARE was able to fundraise over one million dollars as part of the Going Home campaign to support housing, day care centers, irrigation, farming equipment and other types of infrastructure projects. While living the camps, refugees had organized themselves in a cooperative model of living with an incredibly high level or organization. There were communal plots of land and everyone in the camp had a role and responsibility. Upon repatriation, SHARE worked with the communities to continue this model of organization.
In 1987, after seven years of living in the highly militarized UN sponsored refugee camps in Honduras, – the limit that the United Nations gives before camps start to become permanent homes- the refugees of Mesa Grande started to talk about repatriating and returning to their home notwithstanding intense opposition from the Honduran, Salvadoran and U.S. governments and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. The Mesa Grande refugees – with whom SHARE had maintained a strong working relationship from its inception in 1981 – and the Salvadoran-based National Commission on Repopulation formally requested physical accompaniment as well as political, moral and material from SHARE as they planned their return. Despite resistance from the Salvadoran and Honduran governments, SHARE together with the Salvadoran Churches advocated for the right of the refugees to return to their place of origin (in zones of conflict).
In four different trips, between 1987 and 1989, refugees from Honduran UN sponsored refugee camps repatriated their homeland. In the first repatriation alone, 4,313 people (4,314 upon arrival as a baby was born on the way) returned to El Salvador. This was the single largest repatriation in history to that point. Accompaniment in this period meant physically going on the buses with people back to their homes, monitoring human rights and activating pressure when people were captured. It was not only to help people settle in these places, but as a sign of international protection.
Once repatriated, the refugees had to focus on completely rebuilding their lives with the very few resources they had. SHARE was able to fundraise over one million dollars as part of the Going Home campaign to support housing, day care centers, irrigation, farming equipment and other types of infrastructure projects. While living the camps, refugees had organized themselves in a cooperative model of living with an incredibly high level or organization. There were communal plots of land and everyone in the camp had a role and responsibility. Upon repatriation, SHARE worked with the communities to continue this model of organization.