Internally Displaced, Refugees and Returnees from and in Mozambique

Book excerpt: This review attempts to synthesize and evaluate the research undertaken on internally displaced, refugee and returnee population movements consequent to the war in Mozambique. The review discusses the changing conceptions of the role of research and the changing perceptions of the role of apartheid, the destabilization process, and the social dynamics of displacement. The following section of the review focuses on research dealing with the livelihood and experience of refugees and displaced persons. Specific mention is made of research concerning the trauma of displacement and violence, survival strategies, and historical perspectives and social change. The review also focuses on literature looking at the impact of forced migration on the hosting areas. Information is provided on works dealing with the impact on Malawi as well as local ecological and social impacts. A section of the review explores the work being undertaken in the field of returning home and rebuilding Mozambique, including the impact of assistance programmes. The review contains an extensive bibliography as well as a listing of the holdings of the Refugee Studies Programme Documentation Centre on Mozambique and on Mozambicans in the neighbouring countries.