A Tale of Two Solitudes: Comparing Conflict and Development-induced Internal Displacement and Involuntary Resettlement
Author(s)
Muggah, Robert
Abstract
Development projects and war regularly lead to the internal displacement and involuntary resettlement of tens of millions of people each year. Though most “internally displaced people” settle spontaneously, a significant proportion is involuntarily resettled into planned “camps” and “settlements”. This article is primarily concerned with a relatively understudied category of forced migration studies: resettlement. It contends that until very recently, the theory, policy, and practice of resettlement for people internally displaced by development and war have been treated as intellectually and practically exclusive. The article observes that the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement have, to some extent, clarified the rights of development and conflict-induced internally displaced people, as well as the responsibilities of states. It notes that in practice, however, resettlement of both types of populations is treated separately. The article then turns to a number of seminal theoretical contributions to the study of development and conflict-induced internal displacement and involuntary resettlement (DIDR and CIDR, respectively). The article highlights their separate evolution in theory and practice over time. It closes with a brief treatment of some of the common features of DIDR and CIDR, including their political economy, their institutional and bureaucratic logic, and similar patterns of impoverishment risks.
