Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement
Spring 2023 | The Fletcher School
Durable solutions to forced displacement is an emergent concept in displacement policy, advocacy, and programming. As a concept, durable solutions recognizes that displaced persons have three pathways to resolve their displacement: voluntary return home, resettlement to a safe third country, or legal, economic, and social integration in their place of displacement. Achieving these solutions requires collective action from displacement stakeholders including local and national displacement duty-bearers (typically states), multilateral institutions, and non-governmental organizations and civil society.
This seminar will provide participating Fletcher students with a working knowledge of durable solutions concepts, frameworks, policies, and practices, as well as key topics in today’s durable solutions discourse. Students who complete the seminar will be able to incorporate a durable solutions perspective in their own work; identify key durable solutions actors, laws, frameworks, and processes; and will be able to articulately discuss durable solutions with colleagues and potential employers.
The seminar will be co-led and organized by the Fletcher Migration Policy Group, a student organization, and the Leir Institute for Migration and Human Security.
Participation: This course will be offered as an in-person seminar for up to 15 student participants. Participating students are expected to attend all four sessions. There will be no homework, assignments, or required reading. Participants will be provided with a short reading list of documents that they are encouraged to skim before each session. Please note that students who miss either the February 17 or March 3 sessions will not be permitted to join the April 7 or April 21 practitioner roundtables.
Seminar Dates & Topics:
Friday, Feb. 17
9-11am ET
Introduction to Durable Solutions
Topics: durable solutions terms and concepts, legal frameworks
Friday, March 3
9-11am ET
Introduction to Durable Solutions (cont’d)
Topics: area-based approaches, coordination, current topics in durable solutions
Friday, April 7
9-11am ET
Durable Solutions Programming Practitioner Roundtable
Practitioners TBA
Friday, April 21
9-11am ET
Durable Solutions Advocacy and Policymaking Practitioner Roundtable
Practitioners TBA
Instructor: This seminar will be organized and led by Danielle Demers. Danielle is a Fletcher PhD (and former MALD ’16) who previously worked for the Durable Solutions Platform in Amman, Jordan. She has worked as a researcher on various aspects of the Syria response for more than seven years.
Application Process: Interested students should apply by end of day Friday, February 3, 2023. Selected (15) and waitlisted (5) applicants will be notified by Friday, February 10, 2023.
Questions? Please contact to Jacob Ewing, Leir Project Manager (jacob.ewing@tufts.edu) or Danielle Demers, Instructor (danielle.demers@tufts.edu).