A new 76-page report prepared by DS Director Scott Leckie with the collaboration of Jose Arraiza of NRC, with the support of the Joint Peace Fund, outlines the components of what an eventual agreement in Myanmar on housing, land and property restitution could look like. The report, entitled BUILDING AGREEMENT ON RESTITUTION RIGHTS WITH THE MYANMAR PEACE PROCESS AND NATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK examines all of the necessary components that would need to find recognition within an eventual national agreement designed to ensure that everyone with a viable HLP restitution claim could submit these to an independent judicial body with enforcement powers strong enough to ensure the full enjoyment of restitution rights throughout all corners of the country. Millions of people with legitimate restitution claims have yet to be able to have these claims heard by judicial bodies with the power to enforce these claims to return to, recover and/or re-inhabit the homes and lands from which they have been forced to flee over the past several decades. The report points out that HLP restitution rights are widely recognised in international law, and that many other countries have adopted restitution laws and procedures as key elements within peace processes and the context of post-conflict peace-building. The practically-oriented report contains a full draft of a National Restitution Agreement which could serve as a model for peace negotiators and government officials as they continue to search for ways to secure a sustainable peace and strengthened democracy throughout the country as a whole. The full report is available here: Building Agreement on Restitution Rights in Myanmar (March 2019).
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Read this book!!!
DVB on DS Report: The Peace Process and Land Rights
Second Phase of One House, One Family at a time project - almost complete!
This is What SOLVING Climate Displacement Looks Like!
Read this book!!!
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..... ...
DVB on DS Report: The Peace Process and Land Rights
The Democratic Voice of Burma has recently covered the release of Displacement Solutions report "Bridging the HLP Gap" and states that the housing, land and property rights of Burma's displaced ethnic people have been largely ignored during the ongoing peace process. Read the full article here. This article is also covered on ReliefWeb....
Second Phase of One House, One Family at a time project - almost complete!
DS is happy to announce that the second phase of our One House, One Family at a time project (OHOF) in Bangladesh, implemented with our partners YPSA, is nearly complete. Once Phase 2 is completed, OHOF will have constructed nine new homes for some of Bangladesh's most vulnerable coastal dwellers. These homes are provided on a permanent basis at no cost to the new residents. DS and YPSA will commence Phase 3 of OHOF in mid-2020 and will aim to raise funds for and construct a further eleven homes, thus bringing the total number of homes to 20, providing free homes to more than 100 residents. Please JOIN us in supporting OHOF by making a financial contribution of any size towards the USD 56,000- budget of Phase 3 by being in contact with us (info@displacementsolutions.org). As always, we re happy to report that 100% of your funds will go straight to Bangladesh. All efforts by DS are voluntary and carried out on a pro bono basis. We hope you can assist in making Phase 3 a success!!...
This is What SOLVING Climate Displacement Looks Like!
Growing numbers of people are losing their homes and lands every day because of the effects of climate change. Climate displacement is happening now, and has been happening for many years. With some notable exceptions, the vast majority of governments the world over have thus far failed to protect the rights of climate displaced families and only a handful of States have policies and programmes in place to protect this new wave of displacement, which will be far, far larger than displacement associated with conflict and instability. DS and our partners Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) in Bangladesh established The One House, One Family at a time project (OHOF) several years ago to provide quality homes to some of the most vulnerable climate displaced families in eastern Bangladesh. To date we have built four houses, with four additional houses under construction now. OHOF's third phase will commence in 2020 with the aim of constructing a further 12 homes, culminating in a total of 20 homes by the end of next year. With an average of five or six people per house, OHOF will have provided permanent new homes to more than 100 people by the end of 2020. Virtually…...
