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…...

We are delighted to announce the completion of the ninth house of the joint DS-YPSA One House One Family at a time project (OHOF) in Bangladesh, which serves to provide free, lifelong housing to some of this country's most vulnerable climate displaced families. DS coordinates OHOF, while YPSA manages the entire process on the ground - identifying suitable land sites and purchasing these, working with architects to design the homes, amassing building materials, building the homes with local labour and identifying the beneficiary families who are provided free, lifelong tenancies in the OHOF homes. 100% of DS' time involved in this project is pro bono in nature, and 100% of all funds raised go straight to Bangladesh to provide real, land-based solutions to climate displacement. In 2021 we will shortly commence Phase 3 of OHOF with a target of eleven (11) new homes and a fundraising target of USD 96,000, thus bringing the total number of homes to 20, enough for as many as 120 people. To date we have raised USD 12,000 for Phase 3, so have USD 84,000 to go. If you would like to play a direct role in finding housing solutions for some of the world's…...

A three-person DS team has just completed a research mission to Nepal to examine the legal and policy responses to the 2015 earthquakes that struck the country, causing thousands of deaths and injuries, as well as massive destruction and damage to almost one million homes. DS worked closely with the DFID-supported Durable Solutions Project (http://www.durablesolutionsnepal.org) coordinated by the Czech NGO People in Need to explore what was done right in response to the quakes, and what might be improved in the future. A detailed report and recommendations will be issued in early 2019, and a film produced by Jon Staley of Youthworx Media outlining the key HLP issues arising in the context of the reconstruction will also be released at the same time. Check back in January for the report and latest DS film. ...

DS Turns 10! 28 December 2016 DS marks its tenth anniversary after its founding in Geneva on the same day in 2006. DS Director and Founder Scott Leckie reflects on the activities and victories of the past ten years, and what to expect from DS in the years to come. Dear Friends, It's hard to believe that DS has now been active for ten busy and eventful years involving an extraordinary team of dedicated HLP experts from around the world. From developing the Peninsula Principles, spearheading efforts to obtain land for climate displaced people, IDP return designs in Timor Leste, Somalia, Colombia, Bhutan and many more, carrying on-site investigations in Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Panama, Kiribati, Bangladesh and many other climate change hotspots, to HLP rights analysis and restitution design work in Myanmar, the publication of several books, inaugurating the world’s first law school courses on climate displacement, and scores of DS reports, producing films, building homes for climate displaced families in Chittagong, and so much more, this dramatic decade has been an exhilarating one. On this tenth anniversary of DS, I would like to thank all of our supporters for making this journey so productive and even sometimes victorious. Special…...