Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Today, there are more people uprooted by conflict than at any time since World War II, and persecution and disasters further increase the record numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons. This book takes a new approach to examining the obstacles to resolving forced migration by focusing on the coping and problem-solving abilities of the refugees and other displaced persons themselves. The contributors to this volume bring interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies from the fields of political science, law, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy to help scholars and practitioners look at the problem of refugee crises in a new light. The chapters draw on original fieldwork, including refugee testimonials, and archival research and cover major displacement situations throughout the world. For example, the contributors examine the long-term plights of the Palestinians and Sahrawi and refugees or internally displaced persons related to the cases of Colombia, Myanmar, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Liberia, Ghana, Haiti, and Nagorno-Karabakh. The findings of this work show that it is important to empower refugees, to tailor solutions to the particular circumstances of a crisis, and to directly involve refugees in conflict resolution processes.
Synopsis
How are refugee crises solved? This has become an urgent question as global displacement rates continue to climb, and refugee situations now persist for years if not decades. The resolution of displacement and the conflicts that force refugees from their homes is often explained as a top-down process led and controlled by governments and international organizations. This book takes a different approach. Through contributions from scholars working in politics, anthropology, law, sociology and philosophy, and a wide range of case studies, it explores the diverse ways in which refugees themselves interpret, create and pursue solutions to their plight. It investigates the empirical and normative significance of refugees' engagement as agents in these processes, and their implications for research, policy and practice. This book speaks both to academic debates and to the broader community of peacebuilding, humanitarian and human rights scholars concerned with the nature and dynamics of agency in contentious political contexts, and identifies insights that can inform policy and practice.