To everyone who is a parent and to those who are yet to become or may never become parents, what is one of the first things that parents seek to teach their young children? What life lesson does every parent notwithstanding their culture, religion, level of wealth or any other distinction, seek to impart to every child as a cornerstone of being a good person, doing the right thing, living as a kind human being? Of course, that first life lesson all across the globe is simply to do no harm, do not kill or hurt another human being. And close behind that basic part of what it means to be human is this: Do not steal. Do not take what is not yours to take. But in a world where in every culture, every legal system, every religion, every set of moral principles, everywhere stealing is seen as wrong, a crime and something for which people should be punished, there sure is a lot of stealing going on. And very much as is the case with the murder of another human being if you murder one other person you will likely go to prison for life no matter where…...

Ten Years of Action It is hard to believe that DS has now been active for ten busy and eventful years. This has been quite a ride for our (intentionally) small and flexible organisation, and one involving an wonderful team of dedicated HLP experts from around the world working in a range of displacement hotspots. From developing the Peninsula Principles, to spearheading global efforts to obtain land for climate displaced people, developing IDP return designs in Timor Leste, Somalia, Colombia, Bhutan and many more, carrying on-site investigations in Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Panama, Kiribati, Bangladesh and other climate change-affected areas, to conducting HLP rights analysis and restitution design work in Myanmar, advising the UN on HLP issues in Syria, publishing several books, inaugurating the world’s first law school courses on climate displacement, and writing DS reports, producing films, building homes for climate displaced families in Chittagong, and so much more, this first DS decade has been an exhilarating one. Since our founding on 28 December 2006, DS has worked in some 35 countries to assist in finding rights-based solutions to forced displacement in all of its forms. Besides our legal experts, we have had the honour of working with villagers, community…...

Longstanding DS associate, Prof. Daniel Fitzpatrick of Monash Law School in Melbourne, Australia, has published a new book – Law, Property and Disasters : Adaptive Perspectives from the Global South, with co author Caroline Compton. Analysing the challenges posed by natural disasters and the mass movement of people, the book demonstrates that state-centred property law is ill-adapted to circumstances of mass human mobility. In a world affected by catastrophic disasters, the book develops a vision of adaptive governance for property in land. This book will appeal to a broad readership with interests in legal theory, property law, international development, refugee studies and natural disasters. It's a great book. Give it a read!...

Congratulations to long-time DS associate Dr. Khaled Hassine on his new book Handling Climate Displacement! Recently published by Cambridge University Press, this excellent book delves into all of the key issues on climate displacement, with a focus on how the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States (2013) can play a key role in preventing and resolving this global crisis. This is a valuable book by a truly fine human being and I encourage everyone to read it and share it with your friends, family, colleagues. Not a bad cover photo, too.....  ...