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Ted Downing Profile Page
Ted Downing
Online Status ONLINE
Member Since 10/16/2007
 

Additional Info

Website: www.ted-downing.com (includes projects and writings)
Location: USA
Occupation: Research Professor of Social Development
Company: University of Arizona
City: Tucson
State: Arizona
Zip Code: 85719
Country: USA
Phone #: 1-520-323-8766
Fax #: 1-520-326-3338
Short Statement: Social Geometry Theory and Development-induced Displacement
Regretfully, involuntary resettlement policy and practice has not based on a firm theory of spatial and temporal dislocation. The building blocks for construction of a powerful theory of social dislocation are still scattered about - in the form of bits and pieces of observations, concepts, and insights of practitioners and policy makers. The works of Anthony Oliver-Smith, Thayer Scudder and Chris de Wet provide valuable notions that Carmen Garcia-Downing and I have used to develop the theory of routine and dissonant cultures (see www.ted-downing.com under writings).
Resettlement rips routine relations of social time and social space, laying bare critical, but often ignored dimensions of culture. Frequently, the end result is irreversible social and cultural impoverishment. What is less clear is "why?"
My work argues that involuntary displacement forces people to reexamine primary cultural questions which, under routine circumstances need not be considered. Key among these questions is "where are we?" What I call my theory of social geometry of a people consists of infinite intersections of socially-constructed spaces, socially-constructed times, and socially-constructed personages. And, for many cultures, the geometry also defines "who are we?" Evidence reveals patterns in the way that involuntary displacement disrupts social geometry. Mitigating development-displacement-induced, social impoverishment begins by identifying and then reconstructing, in a culturally appropriate manner, the social geometry of the displaced. F
Displacement Experience: Working on update policy of Asian Development Bank.
Consultant to The World Bank Group - 13 years. Currently a fact-finder for The Inspection Panel of the WOrld Bank and its counterpart, The Independent Review Mechanism of the African Development Bank (Uganda Bujagali II Project and the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) project in Nigeria). Appraisal and supervision, Aguamilpa (Solidaridad) and Zimapan dams 1987-1993; International Panel member, Yacyreta dam 1994; Evaluation 1994; Evaluation of indigenous benefit sharing arrangments at the IFC-sponsored, Pangue Dam, 1995-96. Monitoring of impact of involuntary resettlement on the Pehuenche Indians, Ralco dam 2000-present. In 2008, I investigated the resettlement components of two requests (complaints) filed by civil society with The Inspection Panel of The World Bank (www.inspectionpanel.org) in Nigeria (the West Africa Gas Pipeline) and in Uganda (the Bujagali dam). Linkages to these two reports are www.ted-downing.com under projects.
Publications: Mitigating social impoverishment when people are involuntarily displaced.

See all publications at www.ted-downing.com under the heading "Writings"
Accomplishments: President, International - Society of Applied Anthropology, 1985-1987. Chair, International Network on Displacement and Resettlement.
Highest Degree: Ph.D. Stanford 1973

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Cote d'Ivoire:Protest by Social Scientists
 A large group of West Africa, Europe, and North American academics and social scientists, many of whom are students of population displacement, have signed onto an editorial written and circulated by a group of West African academics and social scientists.  They argue that the former President of Cote d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, is abusively clinging to power after having blatantly tried to falsifiy the recent elections. The point out that international bodies have confirmed that the opposition candidate, Alassane Ouattara, has defeated Gbagbo. Nonetheless, the Gbagbo and his military supporters prevent the access to power of the newly-elected President. The likelihood of renewed violent conflict, civil war, and bloodshed in Cote d'Ivoire is high and increasing, involving obvious risks of renewed massive uprooting and population displacement. 
 

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