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“We look for higher ground—again.”

With these words, one member of the Indigenous community of Walande in Solomon Islands summed up their experience of recent years. Rising sea levels due to climate change have displaced them once already. And they’re still not safe.

The community of about 800 people used to live on a small island just off the coast. They would be hit by occasional storms, even cyclones, but the people of Walande were able to repair their houses and adapt in place.

Things really started to change in 2009, with devastating “king” tides – waves and water levels higher than anyone could remember. A powerful new HRW video tracks the destruction: properties destroyed, houses washed away over the course of just a few years.

By the mid-2010s, the community had relocated to a small area on the mainland that was given to their ancestors. Their island simply doesn’t exist anymore.

Theirs was a community-led relocation. They didn’t get much assistance from the Solomon Islands’ government.

As one community member put it, the “government supported the community by providing ten cartons of nails to build a house. Yeah...”

Of course, when, as a last resort, people on the frontlines of climate change have to make a planned move like this, the community should be front and center in all the decision-making. That doesn’t mean they should be left alone, however.

The Solomon Islands’ government has obligations under international law to protect communities from foreseeable climate risks. It needs to help people adapt to the risks in ways that respect their rights.

To be fair, the Solomon Islands’ government has been getting more engaged on this issue generally. It launched national Planned Relocation Guidelines in 2022. It was a positive step, though the guidelines can’t be implemented yet without further details – Standard Operating Procedures – that are still under development.

The wider world also has a role to play. Under international climate and human rights law, “developed” nations have obligations to support climate adaptation in the least-developed countries, like Solomon Islands. A few countries have begun supporting community-led adaptation efforts, including Australia, which supported preparation of Walande’s new site.

But international donors should rapidly scale up financial and technical assistance.

There are countless other Walandes around the globe. The need for planned relocations is only going to increase.

Are governments ready to respond? And will they respond in ways that respect people’s rights?

Walande’s story itself is far from over. Seawater is breaching protective seawalls at the new site. The community’s traditional food sources are under threat: gardens are getting washed away, and fish are harder to find.

What’s next for Walande is what’s next for a lot of the world.

US/El Salvador: The AP reports that the Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador apparently despite a federal judge’s order temporarily barring the deportations. El Salvador’s president has offered to incarcerate US-deported immigrants of any nationality, even US citizens. Given condition El Salvador’s prisons, it’s “a recipe for violence and abuse.”

Azerbaijan: A court has convicted the prominent opposition leader Tofig Yagublu on fabricated forgery and fraud charges, sentencing him to nine years in prison. Yagublu’s prosecution and imprisonment are part of the Azerbaijani government’s relentless efforts to silence dissenting voices in the country.

Burkina Faso: Pro-government militias are implicated in video footage circulating on social networks showing the massacre of dozens of civilians in and around the western city of Solenzo last week. The authorities should impartially investigate and appropriately prosecute all those responsible.

Please send us your suggested links via email, Instagram, Mastodon, LinkedIn, or Bluesky.

Today, we have a mix of your recommendations along with a couple of ours, compiled by Lisa Maier:

• Landmines in Syria kill hundreds of civilians returning home after fall of Assad (The Guardian)
• This is the EU’s chance to support a better future for Syrians (euronews)
• Mexico: “It’s very painful because I don’t know if my son is there” - Terror at the Teuchitlán extermination center (El País, English)
• Serbia: Protesters flood Belgrade with Vucic under pressure (DW)
• UN experts accuse Israel of sexual violence and “genocidal acts” in Gaza (BBC)
• Landmark ruling on trans rights in Poland (HRW)
• Yemen’s Houthis and US launch new attacks amid Red Sea shipping threat (Al Jazeera)

Join our Russia team and invited expert guests for a discussion of xenophobia in Russia. They will look at the proliferation of hate speech against Central Asian migrants, new legislative initiatives that further restrict migrants’ rights, and the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on migrants.

Join us via our social media channels or YouTube Livestream, tomorrow, March 18, at 9am EDT / 14h00 CET.

Last week, we related a story from a friend in the US, who was out shopping with her daughter, when someone – clearly riled up by the words of leading politicians and pundits these days – aggressively accosted them for speaking Spanish.

The mother chose to not rise to the aggression and walked away, but later, she wondered if she did the right thing.

With her consent, we asked readers, listeners, and viewers what they thought she should have done.

We received many emails and comments on Facebook, LinkedIn, Mastodon and Instagram. Here’s a summary…

First, there was general disgust and outrage at the interrupter’s actions and what it said about the direction the US was heading.

Many related their own, similar experiences – in the US and elsewhere. More than one mentioned verbal, anti-immigrant abuse they received or witnessed in public in England after Brexit.

Some thought the mother should have said something, because “our silence empowers bullies.” They said she should have replied with either something clever and snarky, or something calm and measured.

Others felt trying to explain things to the ignorant interrupter in any form could lead nowhere good.

One email correspondent wrote: “I doubt you would make it past the second sentence before a shouting match started. And that would persuade nobody. (Remember the last time a shouting match ended with one side saying: ‘I see your point, I was wrong, sorry.’? Neither do I.)”

Most also recognized the greater risks this would entail: a verbal confrontation could lead to a physical one.

“The aggressor in this case is so filled with hatred that arguing with them makes no sense, and might well lead to violence.”

Still, some felt the situation merited putting the offending person to rights somehow, though they admitted it would be easier if they were in a group of adults, rather than a mother alone with a child.

Some suggested the mother should have threatened to call the police. However, others rightly pointed out that the police are not generally trusted by a lot of people in the US, particularly immigrant communities and particularly right now.

Amid the anti-immigrant hysteria fanned by politicians and pundits, and with ICE raids spreading, indeed, calling the police could just as easily turn on the person reporting harassment or agression in public.

The current situation is such that some immigrants – including citizens – are afraid to even send their kids to school or go to church or the hospital. So, the sad fact is, many folks cannot rely on the authorities, including the local police, to do what’s right.

Others thought the mother’s caution was the best path, because the immediate safety of her daughter should be the priority in the face of possible threats. It was “understandable” in the circumstances.

“I think the mother's response here is the wisest … you can’t argue with people that are that far gone.”

Following the Daily Brief story, Almaz Teffera, HRW’s researcher on racism in Europe, offered an analysis of incidents like this, in Europe and the US, and how people might respond. Her LinkedIn post is worth quoting at some length as the last word on this for today…

“It really depends on the threat that I’m exposed to in case of reaction, the surroundings/context, how I feel that moment and maybe if I’m alone or with someone else/in a group. As mentioned, the hatred that’s out there against racialized people or perceived ‘bad’ immigrants is unimaginable and only growing/getting bolder.”

“I feel this is a call on allies—new and old ones—to stand with those at risk. To listen and trust when affected people say that a word is offensive (even if it’s been used for centuries—tradition isn’t an excuse for racist slurs), speak up, educate your surroundings etc.”

“It’s tiring for people who are directly impacted. While it’s my job too—literally and because I’m an activist at heart—I also sometimes feel I need to take a breather. We need to give ourselves space to take a step back because the pressure and threats would otherwise consume us.”

“What Andrew’s video illustrates though is that these are daily situations for affected people. Easy steps are: stand together, support one another and create new partnerships. These are trying and hard times, so we need to come together to hold those in power to account.”