Displacement Solutions and the Norwegian Refugee Council have called for dialogue on the establishment of a new nationwide restitution programme that would return homes, land and properties to their rightful owners and its inclusion in the peace process. The new report Restitution in Myanmar: Building Lasting Peace, National Reconciliation and Economic Prosperity Through a Comprehensive Housing, Land and Property Restitution Programme explores both the progress made towards ending practices of land grabbing and forced displacement, as well as pointing out the still considerable gaps between law and policy in the country and international law and best practices. Based on the extensive global restitution experiences of both organisations, the report takes the view that redressing housing, land and property abuses and creating pathways by which those affected can access legal remedies for these losses. Though some important strides have been made to address some manifestations of land grabbing by the NLD-led government, millions of people throughout the country and overseas, including refugees and IDPs, have not yet been able to formally reclaim their homes. The report argues that restitution must form a central component of the peace process and find a prominent place within any eventual peace agreements. The report continues…...

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…...

  The most recent episode of the podcast Jointly Venturing - Let's Talk World Citizenship, hosted by DS Director and Founder in his capacity as Founder of Oneness World Foundation, explores the climate crisis in the Marshall Islands. In a wide-ranging conversation with Guillaume Charron of Independent Diplomat, Episode 22 covers the history of the Marshall Islands, the present challenges facing this large ocean nation, and what the future holds for one of the main frontline states in the battle against rising seas and global warming. You can listen (and subscribe) here: https://soundcloud.com/user-893508577/episode-22-their-present-of-our-future-climate-challenges-in-the-marshall-islands The Marshall Islands need our support! Please do whatever you can!...

DS and NRC are happy to announce our latest publication promoting housing, land and property rights in Myanmar. Generously supported by MyJustice, the European Union and the British Council, the new report explores community based dispute resolution procedures and practices in the country. The full publication can be downloaded here: HLP FAQ - Improving access to justice...