Displacement Research and Action Network (DRAN)

The Displacement Research & Action Network, an initiative of the Program on Human Rights and Justice at MIT, is a global network on displacement and land rights that brings together activists, academics and policy makers to build new theory and evidence of the increase and intensity of mass internal displacement around the world due to development, conflict, or climate disaster.

As one of the most far-reaching and pressing issues of the modern world, there is increasing evidence that displacement is not an isolated phenomenon, but linked to severe social and economic outcomes and political consequences. To address this, the Network seeks to build global collaboration, advance the frontiers of knowledge on displacement and its consequences, and influence national and global policies on displacement that promote social, cultural, and economic rights.

Countries in Focus -- The Displacement Research and Action Network seeks to better understand the drivers and consequences displacement, equip local groups with tools for action, and influence displacement policy on a global scale. Currently the Network efforts are focused on displacement situations in Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, India, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States.
Country fact sheets, resources and research coming soon.

Property Rights in Land -- This research project will allow us to initiate a fruitful collaboration between MIT and Université Catholique de Louvain through our various research centers, linked by a shared concern for exploring alternative ways of reimagining property rights and securing access to natural resources. This research aims to address the challenges posed by the globalization of property rights over natural resources – land, water and marine resources and genetic resources.