The protection pyramid approach: A contribution to the protection of internally displaced persons by combining bottom up coping mechanisms and top down protection strategies into a partnership approach to protection

In the current debate around Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) two sets of actors can be identified. IDPs (so-called Bottom Up actors) and State, non-State actors and other (aid) actors (Top Down actors). Research into IDP protection often focuses on either one of these groups. Habitually Top Down actors receive most attention even though BU actors experience the protection deficit, arguably making them most knowledgeable. In this research both actors are equally important. The divide between the groups is overcome by the newly developed Partnership Approach to Protection (PAP). PAP is one of eight components of the contribution this research makes to improving IDP protection: the Protection Pyramid Approach (PPA). Within PPA a new definition of protection is introduced, centring on Rights, Livelihoods and Dignity. Other components of the PPA include Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Giddens’ Structuration Theory. Methodologically, Grounded Theory (GT) is used to operationalise PPA. Theory development influencing and being influenced by data collection and analysis, as dictated by GT, led to a model that not only contributes to the protection of IDPs but can be used for any protection deprived group. To develop the Protection Pyramid Approach data collection has been conducted in three case study countries; Bosnia, Colombia and Uganda. The geographic, demographic and ethnical spread of these countries results in the broad applicability of the PPA in the worldwide arena of protection provision. Infinitely building upon the interaction between theory and practice PPA is the way forward to ensure (IDP) protection.