Since the end of the Cold War, increasing numbers of people have been forced to leave their homes as a result of armed conflict, internal strife, and systematic violations of human rights. Whereas refugees crossing national borders benefit from an established system of international protection and assistance, those who are displaced internally suffer from an absence of legal or institutional bases for their protection and assistance from the international community. This book analyzes the causes and consequences of displacement, including its devastating impact both within and beyond the borders of affected countries. It sets forth strategies for preventing displacement, a special legal framework tailored to the needs of the displaced, more effective institutional arrangements at the national, regional, and international levels, and increased capacities to address the protection, human rights, and reintegration and development needs of the displaced.
Roberta Cohen is a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution and serves as codirector of its Project on Internal Displacement. Francis M. Deng is a nonresident senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies program at the Brookings Institution and co-director of the Brookings-SAIS Project on Internal Displacement. He has served as the Sudan's minister of state and foreign affairs; as its ambassador to Canada, the United States, and Scandinavia; and as special representative of the United Nations secretary-general for internally displaced persons.
"'Masses in Flight' provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the causes and consequences of internal displacement, the current political, normative and institutional frameworks for addressing the problem, and numerous recommendations to improve the current response.... 'Masses in Flight' is a unique, well-written and very well researched study on the phenomenon of internal displacement.... A must for anyone wanting to acquire a full understanding of internal displacement, and constitutes a solid basis for those who are to formulate appropriate policies and strategies for handling specific situations. Consequently, it deserves a prominent place in any collection dealing with humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies." -Daniel Helle, Legal Adviser, ICRC, International Review of the Red Cross, 9/1/1999 |"'Masses in Flight' should be required reading for all of those engaged in developing such a consensus. They will find it an excellent resource for articulating the challenges and opportunities facing the international community and for offering sound recommendations for change." -Susan Martin, Georgetown University, International Migration Review, 5/10/2001 |"This study makes a compelling argument for a more interventionist, international role to protect and assist internationally displaced persons and elaborates legal and institutional mechanisms of response." -Astri Suhrke, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway |"For those in the academic community, here at Cardozo and elsewhere, who benefit from being outside the turf wars that characterize UN agencies -focus your energy on finding a solution [to humanitarian crises]. Thus far, the work of academics and advocates like Francis Deng and Roberta Cohen of the Brookings Institution have been absolutely indispensible in drawing attention to this crisis and possible solutions. Their book, Masses in Flight, published by Brookings, is a landmark study and an excellent place to start. An address at Cardozo Law School" -Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, 3/28/2000 |"This study is one of the first in-depth looks at the problem that has emerged as one of the great human tragedies of our time." -From the Preface by Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations |"A pathbreaking work--balanced and comprehensive--on an increasingly important international problem, which is only now being recognized. It will prove invaluable to policymakers and informed citizens alike." -Ambassador Herbert S. Okun, Former Deputy Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the United Nations |"This important work will greatly assist humanitarian practitioners, at headquarters and in the field, to better understand the dynamics of internal displacement." -Sergio Vieira de Mello, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations
