From the project website: "Millions of people are forcibly displaced from their homes each year due to political conflict, persecution, food insecurity, and other crises. The experience of displacement can have severe effects on both mental and physical health, and often leads to the devastation of communities. This website is devoted to documenting the experiences of internally-displaced people in Cameroon, Central Africa, where ongoing civil conflict and climate-induced famine are forcing people to leave their homes. A primary focus of our interviews is on the way that these crises have impacted the use of Cameroon's indigenous languages, of which there are over 300 spoken in the country. Many of these languages were endangered or threatened prior to the conflict, and the current situation, combined with the lasting impacts of colonialism, have accelerated the pace of language loss. Here, we document the experiences of Cameroon's internally-displaced people, and feature messages, greetings, and advice in their languages. The site is a work-in-progress, with additional participants being added as the project grows."
Voices of the Displaced is organized by the PhonLab at Harvard and Dr. Kathryn Franich.