Finding home far away from home: place attachment, place-identity, belonging and resettlement among African- Australians in Hobart Kiros Hiruy BSc Agriculture, Animal Sciences Diploma, Dairy Science Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Management, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania Hobart, March 2009 Declaration This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any tertiary institution, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. Signed Date - 02 March 2009 ii Abstract This thesis explores the resettlement experiences of former African refugees in Hobart. It provides insight into their lived experiences and conceptualises displacement, place attachment, identity, belonging, place making and resettlement in the life of a refugee. It argues that current discourse on refugees‟ resettlement in popular media, academia and among host communities lacks veracity, and offers an alternative view to enrich current knowledge and encourage further research and debate. In this study 26 people from five countries of origin (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Sudan) shared their life experiences in focus group discussions and interviews. Refugee theories and literature in resettlement, place attachment, place identity, belonging and resettlement were also reviewed. To develop an account of the lived experiences of refugees and understanding of the ways in which they create places, negotiate identity and belonging in the resettlement process, phenomenology and discourse analysis are used. The refugee status of African refugees is primarily caused by armed conflict. Singling out one cause is however problematic. The situation is far more complex and the interplay of socio-economic, political and environmental factors is evident. The thesis offers a framework to understand the various socio-economic, political and environmental situations that create refugee situations. The nature of forced displacement as an immediate outcome of the refugee situation is also complex; it is both multidirectional and multidimensional. Displacement as a phenomenon invokes emotional place attachment, and the creation and recreation of places and identities. Participants‟ responses and observations show that the nature of forced displacement among African refugees creates fluidity and multiplicity in identity and belonging for young people. It can be argued that the outcome of resettlement is highly influenced by past and present social and emotional experiences. Settlers see the success of their settlement in relation to their social participation and interaction. The existence of a clear iii connection of past and present social and emotional experiences to resettlement and belonging is an important insight. It unsettles established resettlement planning practices which are mainly based on practical resettlement, and calls for an inclusion of the settlers‟ perspectives, which in the case of African refugees in Hobart includes the central importance of social, cultural and emotional factors as key to resettlement and belonging. This study is significant in providing a platform for further research and debate by highlighting alternative arguments in relation to attitude towards refugees, identity, belonging and resettlement. It also provides insight to the lived experiences of African refugees in Hobart, which are important for social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists, and others working with the resettlement of refugees. iv Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge my supervisor, Associate Professor Elaine Stratford, whose suggestions and comments provided me with insights that shape the research and whose academic rigour and commitment enabled me to see the thesis through. I wish to thank the School of Geography and Environmental studies who accommodated my needs as a student working full-time and studying full-time particularly during the first year of my study. I particularly thank Dr Michael Lockwood for his support and wise counsel. I also thank other staff in the school for their support and cooperation. I am grateful to the Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tasmania) Inc. in general and Cedric Manen in particular who supported me throughout the study. My appreciation and thanks also goes to Ann Hughes who generously invested time reading the chapters and gave valuable suggestions and editorial support. This thesis could not have been written without the support of many fellow African Humanitarian entrants in Hobart. They have given their time and generously shared their life experiences. I value their support in my work at the Migrant Resource Centre in Hobart and the field work for this study. Finally I thank my family – my beloved wife Tsige and Daughters Tsionawit, Yeabsira and Yididya and my brother Girmay for their support and understanding during the last two years. This thesis is a testament to their encouragement, love and forbearance. v Table of contents DECLARATION .............................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT.................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................ ix LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................... x CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 Key terms, aims, objectives and methodological considerations . 3 Organisation of the thesis ....................................................................... 15 CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................................................. 18 Refugee Theory .......................................................................................... 18 Place attachment and identity ................................................................ 21 Resettlement and belonging .................................................................. 23 Summary ...................................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER THREE AFRICAN MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA AND THE CASE OF AFRICAN AUSTRALIANS IN HOBART ........................................................................ 29 The refugee situation in Africa .............................................................. 31 The refugee situation in Burundi .......................................................... 36 The refugee situation in the DR Congo ............................................... 37 The refugee situation in Ethiopia .......................................................... 40 The refugee situation in Sierra Leone .................................................. 42 The refugee situation in Sudan .............................................................. 43 vi Summary ...................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER FOUR DISPLACEMENT AND EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT .................................. 45 Displacement in common discourse .................................................... 47 Refugees as crisis or problem ............................................................... 50 Displacement as a multidirectional and multidimensional process ...... 51 Displacement and emotional attachment ........................................... 56 Summary ...................................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER FIVE EXILE AND SHIFTING IDENTITY – CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN ..................... 60 Life in refugee camps and cities ........................................................... 62 Shifting identities ...................................................................................... 65 Caught between three cultures: Third Culture Kids (TCK) ............ 68 The inbetweenness of life as a refugee ............................................... 71 Summary ...................................................................................................... 72 CHAPTER SIX RESETTLEMENT ......................................................................................... 74 Phases of settlement ................................................................................ 77 Settlement services and settlement challenges in Hobart ............. 83 Social interaction and resettlement...................................................... 90 Summary ...................................................................................................... 92 CHAPTER SEVEN PLACE MAKING AND SENSE OF BELONGING ......................................... 93 Place making .............................................................................................. 95 Belonging .................................................................................................. 100 Summary ...................................................................................................