Call for Papers: Special issue on “Forming and transforming the IDP label: Categories, binaries and internal displacement”

Special issue editors: Megan Bradley (McGill University, Canada); Bríd Ní Ghráinne (Maynooth University, Ireland); Lahra Smith (Georgetown University, United States); Meron Zeleke (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia)

The proposed special issue of the seeks to challenge the marginalization of internal displacement in migration research by critically examining how labels, borders, and binary distinctions between “internal” and “external” displacement shape both governance and lived experiences across different contexts, while encouraging more inclusive and interconnected understandings of displacement.

Abstract submission deadline: 31 July 2026.

Interested contributors are welcome to submit an extended abstract (max 750 words) to the editorial team by 5:00PM EST, 31 July 2026.

The post Call for Papers: Special issue on “Forming and transforming the IDP label: Categories, binaries and internal displacement” appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

We’re pleased to share a new op-ed by Megan Bradly and  published in , which emphasizes the growing need to focus international attention on internal displacement, which often remains underrepresented in global humanitarian discourse.

Despite rising numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) driven by conflict, climate change, and natural disasters, the issue continues to receive limited and inconsistent policy attention. As global media and political focus tends to center on refugees, and humanitarian resources are stretched thin—particularly in the wake of severe funding cuts by the current U.S. administration—millions of IDPs risk being further marginalized.

The authors call for renewed and sustained commitment from international actors, governments, and civil society to prevent internal displacement from “falling back into the shadows.” Their piece emphasizes the need to prioritize IDPs on global agendas and promote inclusive, durable solutions that uphold the rights and dignity of displaced populations. Central to this is empowering displaced individuals to actively participate in decisions and shape localized responses that shape their futures.

Read the full article here:

The post New Op-Ed: Falling Back into the Shadows? How to Keep Internal Displacement on the Humanitarian Agenda appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.