News on Land

South Africa embarked on a land reform process in 1994 to address the country’s tragic history of inequitable land distribution along racial lines. One of the aims of the process is to provide redress for people dispossessed of their rights in land as a result of racially discriminatory laws or practices. At the centre of this project is the establishment of the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights, an independent body tasked with receiving and investigating the land claims instituted in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994 (the Act).

Karina García is the latest candidate to be killed ahead of local elections. Residents say the peace that a 2016 deal was supposed to bring has not arrived

When she launched her campaign to be the town’s first female mayor, Karina García was already household name in Suárez, a conflict-ridden municipality in western Colombia.

Restrictions on land leasing in India have made it more difficult for marginal farmers to access land and finances, pushing them into informal leases that heighten their insecurity

Farming is a way of life in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, where three-quarters of the state’s 200 million people live in rural areas.

Last Tuesday, a group of about 100 women from rural counties converged on the Christian Leadership Centre, otherwise known as Ufungamano House, in Nairobi for one of those rare moments when they get to “talk to the world” about what they do and, hopefully, be heard.

While their live audience was really nothing to write home about in terms of numbers, that did not deter them; they were just happy to exchange ideas, challenges and experiences.

At the Women Deliver conference in Vancouver in June, Dr. Monica Mhoja made an impassioned case for land ownership rights for women.

"We understand that land is life," Mhoja, the Tanzania Program Director for Landesa, told the crowd gathered. "Land is dignity. Land is destiny. Land is hope. Land is empowerment of women and equality. And land is power. The power to prosper. To thrive."

ILC and the Sheffield Institute for International Development - University of Sheffield are inviting members to express their interest to host Master students for six to eight weeks in June and July 2020. Students are self-funded. They will carry out research on land governance related issues (at least 60% of their time), and support institutional tasks (up to 40% of their time).

Deadline: 15 November 2019

Historical Database on Economic and Social Impact of Informal Settlements Agreements in Brazil to be Made Available for Research

 

One of the fundamental resources that is essential for the development and sustenance of people in Africa is land.
Land is very important because it forms the basis of agricultural production in the sub-region.

However, it has been very difficult for women to access land in the country, and the continent in general due to multiple issues most of which are embedded on patriarchy as a system which breeds gender inequality.

Dozens of mayors of cities from every continent pledge cleaner air in a bid to improve urban health and tackle climate change

COPENHAGEN, Oct 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From penalising cars to planting trees, dozens of mayors from every continent pledged cleaner air on Friday in a bid to improve urban health and tackle climate change.

More than 90% of people breathe dirty air, causing death and disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Individuals from Indonesia and Liberia embroiled in land disputes with oil palm plantations have visited the Netherlands to call on the Dutch banks facilitating these companies’ operations to take action.
• The companies in question are PT Astra Agro Lestari in Indonesia and Golden Veroleum Liberia, both of which are owned by conglomerates based in secrecy jurisdictions and which have financial links to Dutch banks ABN AMRO and Rabobank.
• The banks say their relationship with the companies is only indirect, and as such they say there is little they

NAPLES - Organizations fighting for land rights from Italy, Palestine, Spain, Morocco, Moldova, Kosovo, Albania, Scotland and the Balkans will meet in Torrecuso, near Benevento, on October 10-12 for the annual assembly of the International Land Coalition (ILC).

The Regional Assembly gathers countries from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa that will examine problems and issues because, despite the diversity of their challenges, they share common issues and connections, organizers said.