Introduction
Academic interest in the impact of political violence on persons of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) has grown over the course of the past decade in political science, international relations (IR), and conflict studies. In addition to research conducted by academics, a large part of the on- the- ground research is done by staff of local and international non- governmental organizations (NGOs), especially in conflict- affected settings. This is due to multiple reasons, among them the greater ease and speed at which NGOs, especially local NGOs, can conduct research with conflict- affected populations when compared with academic institutions, and the fact that these organizations in many cases already have pre- existing contacts to often hard- to- reach individuals and groups (on NGO research, see also Myrttinen and Mastonshoeva, 2019). For most NGOs, however, research is only one of the many activities, alongside service provision, policy formulation, and advocacy. This means that resources, including time, for research and analysis are limited and less of a priority.
Conducting research in conflict- affected and displacement settings entails a wide range of risks and challenges, both to researchers and research participants. This research also raises ethical concerns (see, for example, the edited volumes by Wibben, 2016; Ahall and Gregory, 2017; Rivas and Browne, 2018 for discussions of these and the Resource Guide I in this volume). Many of these risks, challenges, and ethical concerns can be heightened when working with persons of diverse SOGIESC in contexts where these individuals face widespread discrimination and violence, such as in our three case- study countries here: Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
In this chapter, we, the authors, discuss and reflect on our experiences and the tensions of doing NGO research with diverse SOGIESC refugees, of engaging with local power- holders and international actors, including donor governments and UN agencies, and balancing the needs of research with the needs and concerns of research participants. All of us authors have been working on diverse SOGIESC research through MOSAIC, a Lebanese NGO founded by activists and legal and health experts in September 2014. MOSAIC is committed to improving the health and well- being of vulnerable and marginalized groups in Lebanon and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In addition to research, MOSAIC provides legal and mental health services to persons of diverse SOGIESC and conducts advocacy work.