Brown Bag Lecture: Conflict-induced Displacement and Translocal Coping Strategies Among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Urban Ethiopia

On 18 December 2023, the projects Return and Belonging after Conflict-induced Displacement (RE-MIG) and Forced Migration and Refugee Studies: Networking and Knowledge Transfer (FFVT)are organising a Brown Bag Lecture on "Conflict-induced Displacement and Translocal Coping Strategies Among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Urban Ethiopia" held by Dereje Regasa.

Internal displacement remains one of the pressing current humanitarian and development challenges, with sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected region. Ethiopia is among the countries with the highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) primarily due to inter-ethnic conflicts and the lack of durable solutions to previous displacement situations. In the absence of institutional and legal frameworks dedicated to protecting IDPs, the federal and sub-national governments often implement return or resettlement based on emergency response systems construing displacement as a temporary shock. This adhocratic arrangements leave IDPs with a lot of burden to improve themselves in new socio-spatial contexts where they experience power imbalances in terms of access to space, social relations and representation. Drawing on an ethnographic study with ethnic Oromo people displaced from the Somali region of Ethiopia and resettled in urban settlements, I highlight their displacement experiences, the resettlement processes and translocal coping strategies. The constellation of mobility, translocal belonging and social-networks support IDPs’ means of living at different places. Further research is needed to unravel the extent to which these translocal practices address the needs created by displacement and resettlement.

Dereje Regasa holds a PhD in Social Work and Social Welfare Studies from Ghent University studying the resettlement processes, marginality and coping strategies of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in urban areas. He teaches sociology and social work at Jimma University, Ethiopia.

You are cordially invited to attend the event. The lecture will take place from 13:00 until 14:00CET. 

The event can be attended at Pfarrer-Byns-Straße 1, 53121 Bonn or over Zoom via this link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83082104139?pwd=WXpEeEkrNVlnNjF6NlJ3K0hTSlplZz09

(Meeting-ID: 830 8210 4139, Kenncode: 276150).

Please do not hesitate to contact us at remig@bicc.de if you have any questions.