Displaced The Human Cost of Development and Resettlement

Although displacement is commonly associated with refugees fleeing conflict, millions of people are resettled every year in the name of development and progress. Many of these individuals endure social and cultural disruption as well as economic upheaval, and a significant number never regain their former quality of life. Despite this, the voices of those with direct experience of displacement are rarely heard. Displacedseeks to redress this, bringing together oral histories that reveal the loss of cultural continuity and identity, shifts in family responsibilities and gender roles, and fractured relationships between generations that are just some of the challenges people face as they attempt to rebuild lives and communities. Although these narratives are suffused with regret and a sense of loss, they also demonstrate resourcefulness and resilience in the face of profound change. Development's social cost continues to be under-reported; these stories are a crucial reminder of its often devastating consequences.

Olivia Bennett has been a writer, editor, and researcher in development information and publishing for more than 35 years. She developed the oral testimony program of activities at panos london, where she co-authored Arms to Fight; Arms to Protect; Women Speak Out about Conflicts. Christopher McDowell is a reader in Political Anthropology at City University London.

Moving People: States, Displacement and Resettlement * Methodology: Speaking out * “We had a set way of life... All that has been disturbed”: Tarbela Dam, Pakistan * “I have lost status in my community”: Conservation and agricultural production in Kenya * “The people’s place became the animals’ place”: Resettlement policies and conservation in Botswana and Namibia * “Our fields have gone, our lifestyle has changed”: Coalmining in India * “The wisdom of living in this place will be lost”: Mohale Dam, Lesotho, before resettlement * “I do not have the cleverness for here”: Mohale Dam, Lesotho, after displacement