Dreams and Dilemmas of Internally Displaced People: An Intricate Reality of a Nomadic Lifestyle

Abstract

Land tenure is an important variable impacting the vulnerability of people staying on leased land the world over. Land tenure-ship security is widespread in countries where the land is owned by the state or traditional people. The problem in securing a tenured land manifests itself in a number of ways that accentuate environmental and socio-economic impacts. Mounting evidence of reduced tenure security shows that affected communities are often unable to evolve equitably and enjoy long term economic stability. In the Fijian context, many displaced Fijians have moved on and settled in the periphery of towns and cities thus changing the socio-economic equilibrium of the environment. A qualitative study using a case study research design was undertaken to establish the perceptions of a group of sugar cane farmers who had become victims of non- renewal of their land leases in 2002. Findings reveal that expiry and non-renewal of land leases leads to social, economical, cultural, political and even psychological and emotional consequences on internally displaced people. The article outlines the pain and agony of the displaced farmers and how they have made integral adjustments to cope with the challenges of resettling in new environments. Having faced the adversities of extradition and then resettling, the dilemmas of ensuing nomadic journeys present a more daunting unfolding for many - only that they have realized it as a fact of life.