Resettling Displaced Communities

Applying the International Standard for Involuntary Resettlement.

The goal of resettlement must be the sustainable social, economic and human development of displaced communities. The provisions and directives entailed in resettlement policies and current performance standards constitute the I.S.I.R. Case examples from Asia, Africa and the Americas illustrate the praxis required for improving outcomes.

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. It 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.