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  • Moving People in Ethiopia: Development, Displacement, and the State
  • Astair G. M. Mengesha
Alula Pankhurst and Francois Piguet, eds. Moving People in Ethiopia: Development, Displacement, and the State. Oxford: James Currey, 2009. xiii +301 pp. Acronyms. Bibliography. Index. Map. Tables. Glossary. Notes. $90.00. Cloth.

Scholars have long focused on the divergent paths of development pursued in Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular. This text covers a socioeconomic and political phenomenon that has been discussed and debated for the past several decades. For a significantly large number of people in Ethiopia, the subject of state-directed, often mandatory people's movements, involves painful personal experience. As a consequence of conflict and the resulting dislocation and displacement of people, Ethiopia has more than its share of refugee communities in various parts of the world. The volume articulates salient refugee problems from national and international perspectives. It offers a unitary study of forced displacement; the specific issues examined in the volume are of considerable interest.

Part 1, which offers a sound introduction, covers the historical overview in the context of migration, resettlement, and displacement, and provides a sensible foundation to the study. A clear understanding of the historical background is necessary before one can understand the process of migration, displacement, and resettlement.

Part 2 examines global theoretical and methodological approaches to analyze the situation of refugees and forced resettlers and to consider reasons for the failure of resettlement projects. Here an attempt is made to offer a unitary study of forced displacement.

Part 3 comprises eight sections, each a case study from different regions. In summary they are as follows: the social dimension of development-induced resettlement; the case of Gelgel Gebe hydroelectric dam; the effect of a development project on the Karrayu and Afar in the mid-Awash valley; the effect of investment on the livelihood of the Tsamako in the Woyto valley; planning resettlement in Ethiopia; the experience of the Guji Oromo and the Nech Sar National Park; and the urban development and displacement of rural communities around Addis Ababa. Each case is unique and demonstrates the varied challenges faced in each region. The authors articulate the social and economic problems of development-induced displacement.

Selected case studies are presented again in part 4 in order to examine the experience of state-organized resettlement. The failure of resettlement is discussed using lessons from Metekel and the social impact of resettlement in the Beles valley. Finally, the section ends with a comparative review of the 1980s and 2000s resettlement projects.

Part 5 addresses the dilemmas of refugees and displaced groups. It explores such subjects as working with the displaced in Addis Ababa, returnees' experiences in Humera, war displacement and coping, as well as stories from the Ethio-Eritrean war, from the reports of young soldiers [End Page 208] to the experiences of adult civilians. A consideration of gender challenges in Addis Ababa cooperatives introduces the particular cross-gender dimensions of the displaced communities.

The conclusion, part 6, evaluates challenges for policy, research, and coexistence in relation to displacement, migration, and relocation. The authors call for a broader study of issues of migration and relocation and for collaboration between researchers and practitioners.

The book addresses the movement of people in Ethiopia successfully. In collaboration with scholars from different disciplines who provide various perspectives, the editors have produced a comprehensive volume that embraces major topics of migration and relocation. Development, conflict, and scarcity of resources are also measured as they affect people's lives. Differences and similarities are carefully scrutinized, from a national standpoint to global perspectives. Sound conceptual, theoretical, and methodological approaches make the volume a useful resource for future research. Indeed, it is a pioneer work that demonstrates the relationships among development, displacement, and the state in the Ethiopian context. Had the voices of more displaced people been included, the volume could have provided a further dimension to its crucial topic. Nevertheless, this book is a valuable contribution to diaspora studies as well as a good resource for the fields of economics, political science, and social and cultural studies. [End Page 209]

Astair G. M. Mengesha
Arizona State University
Tempe, Ariz.
astair.mengesha@asu.edu

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