ABSTRACT
In 1995, the year in which the United Nations System celebrates its 50th Anniversary, any hopes that the refugee problem would disappear have not been fulfilled. The voluntary return of refugees, for example to Cambodia or to Mozambique, has eased the growing trend of involuntary population movements. Non-Governmentai Organizations (NGOs) have been especially important in focusing attention on the plight of vulnerable groups. Because NGOs are viewed as being independent of the governmental hierarchy, they have great latitude in championing the cause of single groups, be they children, the elderly, or victims of torture or sexual violence. Psychosocial programmes undertaken by NGOs for refugees and displaced persons have usually attempted to create a sense of solidarity with the community by involving a network of both professionals and volunteers. Resources to promote psychosocial care have remained extremely limited, even though there is certainly much sympathy for the problem of refugee trauma.
