Caught Between Borders: Response Strategies of the Internally Displaced

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Internally displaced persons are those who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of war, natural or man-made disaster, or generalised violence, and who do not cross an internationally recognized border. There are an astounding 28 million people around the world who currently qualify as IDP. Unlike refugees, they have no organisation to deal with their plight." "Very little is known about how people respond to the experience of displacement. In economic terms, the presence of the internally displaced is obvious - as they open small restaurants and bars, or as they sell handicrafts at markets in order to make a little money. What are less obvious are the informal protection mechanisms that enable people to cope with the experience of displacement: the information networks that warn them of impending danger, or inform the displaced of events occuring in their home villages while they are absent." This is the first book to put together information on the methods and networks that people have evolved for coping in such situations. Examining those people who have become IDP as the result of violence and war, it uses case studies from different countries, different settings and different phases of displacement. In doing so, the authors identify cross-cultural patterns of coping strategies, examine whether these strategies are effective and highlight to what extent they are dependent upon culture or the experience of displacement. Ideal for use as a resource of information on IDPs, revealing the way that individuals, families and communities respond to such crises, it is also a practical handbook that will help international organisations formulate their relief plans to support - rather than inadvertantly damage - existing coping mechanisms. Case studies include Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Burma, Colombia, Georgia, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Sudan and Uganda.

SYNOPSIS