Catholicism and Humanism in the context of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis

Alex Woelkers will share about his experience serving as a humanitarian worker in the Rohingya Refugeecamps of Bangladesh, highlighting the story of this protracted crisis, as well as the work of Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Bangladesh and other Catholic humanitarian organizations to respond. Alex will present evidence from the field about the Rohingya experience of genocide, displacement, and reliance on humanitarian assistance, and how this has influenced shifts in culture and social norms; and will offer a brief reflection on some questions this experience presents to the humanitarian community, and where Catholic Social teaching might help frame a more effective approach to protecting and promoting human rights for vulnerable groups like the Rohingya.

Alex grew up in Montana, USA and has volunteered or worked with Catholic humanitarian and development organizations around the world. After earning an M.A. in Systematic Theology with research focused on theological anthropology, Alex has divided his time between working in Catholic education as a teacher and administrator, and humanitarian work – as a Catholic Relief Services (CRS) International Development Fellow in Kenya, as CRS Emergency Coordinator Somalia, and with Imprint Hope, a small NGO in Uganda focused on serving the families of children of disabilities. Alex currently works as CRS Emergency Coordinator based in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Alex’s research interests include the intersections between theology, human rights, culture, and law.

Contact:
Las Casas Institute
lascasas@bfriars.ox.ac.uk