Michael M. Cernea and Christopher McDowell (eds.) Risks and Reconstruction: Experiences of Resettlers and Refugees The World Bank: Washington DC. 2000

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"The Risks and Reconstruction volume offers an incisive comparative analysis between two large groups of displaced people: resettlers and refugees. Displaced populations have been part and parcel of modern history, and often people are being displaced even in the name of progress. But displacement may cause enduring human misery. The book's authors explore how the risks of impoverishment through displacement can be mitigated and reversed through reconstruction and improvements in livelihoods. For policy makers and civic militants, practictioners and academics, the volume's theoretical analysis and operational recommendations are a 'must know.' Reading this book is an illuminating experience." Eveline Herfkens. Minister of Development Cooperation, the Netherlands.

"Since humans have existed, voluntary and involuntary relocaitons have been a constant feature of their existence and of world history. Either for reasons of war, natural disaster, overpopulation, economic hardship, infrastructural construction or for the needs of development, population resettlement always changes lives and shapes existences. Risks and Reconstruction is a must for those who want to meet the challenges ahead in resettlement processes and in assisting refugees while learning how to avoid the mistakes of the past." Jean-Daniel Gerber. Director, Federal Office for Refugees, Switzerland.

Acknowledgments This study has much benefited from discussions around of earlier versions. I am grateful, in particular, to R. Cernea, D. Aronson, T. Downing, D. Gibson, M. Gill, S. Guggenheim, L. K. Mahapatra, H. M. Mathur, M. C. Mejia, V. Lassailly-Jacob, W. Partridge, L. Patchen, M. Lin-Rodrigo, T. Scudder, I. Serageldin, A. Steer, P. Streeten, H. van der Tak for their valuable comments, which have helped strengthen the argument, and to Gracie Ochieng for her work in processing the study. Parts of this paper were presented as the Keynote Address at the International Conference "Towards New Approaches to Resettlement," University of Oxford, RSP, September 1996, and at several other international conferences-at Rhodes University, South Africa, in New Delhi, India, Harvard University, Cambridge, Yale University, New Haven-or were published in earlier, preliminary versions. Debates in these conferences have enriched the synthesis presented in this paper and I thank all who made a contribution. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institutions with which he is associated. Michael M. Cernea

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