Involuntary Resettlement In Africa

Annex 3. Opening speech.

As the plight of refugees around the world looms large as one of the central problems facing the international political community at the beginning of the 21st century, the situations facing displaced persons in Africa are both acute manifestations of this global trend, and unique in their particularities. As the powerful nations of the world are mobilized to tackle domestic conflicts and their ensuing refugee problems in the Balkans, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and elsewhere, African societies have typically been abandoned by the international community to resolving their own conflicts through their own means. The authors of this volume examine both causes and effects of displacement in terms of both local and global politics, environmental risks, socio-economic costs, and policy and identity issues. Combined, these papers provide a powerful if not comprehensive overview of the variety and complexity of circumstances concerning displaced persons.

Global trends suggest that the number of people involuntarily displaced will increase exponentially in the coming decades. The authors argue that when the agency, time-tested adaptations, innovative capacities, dignity, and human rights of displaced people are respected as full participants in the rebuilding of their communities, livelihoods and standards of living, resettlement outcomes are more positive. The goal of resettlement must be the sustainable social, economic and human development of affected communities, requiring a praxis of ethical commitment to effective, actionable recommendations based on empirical observation. The authors draw on case examples from Asia, Africa and the Americas. This book will be of interest to resettlement specialists, planners, administrators, nongovernmental and civil society organizations, and scholars and students of anthropology, sociology, development studies, and social policy.

Involuntary Resettlement Sourcebook: Planning and Implementation in Development Projects clarifies many policy and technical issues that confront resettlement policymakers and practitioners. It provides guidance on resettlement design, implementation, and monitoring, and it discusses resettlement issues particular to development projects in different sectors, such as urban development, natural resource management, and the building of dams. The sourcebook will be useful to a wide range of stakeholders. Its primary audience is resettlement practitioners, who have a role in the actual design, implementation, and evaluation of resettlement programs. The sourcebook will also be of interest to policymakers and project decision makers.

This popular technical paper is currently in its sixth reprinting (10/97).Many development projects require that people be involuntarily resettled to other locations to live and work. Governments need adequate policies to minimize the negative effects of this relocation both on the individuals involved and on the national economy. This report presents policy guidelines and procedures for World Bank-financed projects requiring involuntary resettlement.Designed for development specialists, social anthropologists, and sociologists, this volume discusses past Bank projects to illuminate the responsibilities of the governments and the needs of resettlers and host populations during resettlement. Among the topics addressed are types of involuntary resettlement; basic sociological principles in approaching resettlement; policy objectives and strategies; reconstruction of the resettlers' homes, production bases, and social organizations; and the effects of resettlement on the environment.Annexes to this report contain technical checklists for preparing and appraising resettlement plans in projects and for monitoring and evaluating rettlement.Michael M. Cernea has published and editied several books on the sociological aspects of development. Among these books is Putting People First: Sociological Variables in Rural Development , which describes culturally sensitive approaches to the preparation, planning, and implementation of development projects. Other books include Social Organization and Development Anthropology; Social Assessments for Better Development: Case Studies in Russia and Central Asia ; and Urban Environment and Population Relocation .

A collection of oral histories that reveal the loss of cultural continuity, identity, shifts in family responsibilities, gender roles and fractured relationships between generations that are just some of the challenges people face as they attempt to rebuild lives and communities.

Of the world's refugees, more than a third live in Africa, displaced from their homelands by war, poverty, famine and political persecution. In this book, contributors explore key issues related to these refugee populations. The first section looks at the legal framework for defining and assisting refugees, and the second deals with the issue of relief by considering specific cases, the general problems faced and particular relief efforts. Subsequent chapters examine forced migration, resettlement and repatriation, conflict with local populations, integration of refugees, and sustainable development.