Literacy: a sustainable justice tool for refugee emancipation

This article relates to ongoing research that began in 2012, which first explored the related meanings attached to the dual constructs of literacy/non-literacy and the development of displaced Karen living in refugee camps and villages along the Thai–Myanmar border zone. The research expanded to a participatory community developmental model to develop, implement and evaluate adult literacy programmes aiming at emancipating refugees to be active participants in the current United Nations High Commission for Refugees roadmap for repatriation to their homeland, Myanmar. Research findings demonstrate the value of grass-roots adult literacy programmes to achieve sustainable justice, emancipating refugees to confidently build more resilient communities in these changing times.