Rwanda LAND Project

General

The LAND project is a five year program supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its primary goal is strengthening the resilience of Rwandan citizens, communities and institutions and their ability to adapt to land-related economic, environmental and social changes. Resilience is defined as “the ability to withstand or recover from difficult conditions.” It also comprises the ability of human and ecological systems to recover from shocks or difficult changes, and to transform to a better condition by responding flexibly and creatively to stress factors. In Rwanda, land tends to be one of the primary assets citizens rely on to buffer against difficult conditions and rapid change. Land pressures in Rwanda are extremely high and land-related conflicts comprise 70-90% of disputes. The LAND Project works to improve the effectiveness of land dispute resolution, which is a critical component of building resilience. Objectives Increase capacity of local Rwandan institutions to generate high quality, evidence-based research on land-related issues that can be used by the Government, civil society organizations, and Rwandan citizens. Increase understanding of land laws, policies, regulations, and legal judgments on land-related issues by GOR officials, local civil society organizations, research institutes and citizens. Expected Outcomes Holding annual National Land Research Agenda workshops to establish the research priorities of land sector stakeholders that the LAND Project will support. These workshops will bring together multiple stakeholders from government, civil society and the research community; Supporting research on land-related issues through competitive awards to Rwandan research institutions, universities, and civil society organizations, and providing tailored capacity building assistance to improve research and advocacy capabilities; Offering training and other support to legal aid providers to enhance their capacity to support vulnerable populations in understanding and realizing their land rights; Supporting capacity building efforts targeting local mediation committees (abunzi) in order to improve their application of land laws and regulations and to strengthen their mediation skills; Developing a land-focused website to improve research, communications, and policy advocacy efforts that are focused on land, and to act as a vehicle for enhancing collaboration between actors working in the land sector; Strengthening cooperation between government institutions to enhance the provision of dispute resolution services to Rwandan citizens; Deepening skills of local universities to undertake empirical research on gender and land through partnerships with international universities; and Supporting innovative and coordinated communications approaches and public awareness campaigns that will enhance the knowledge of Rwandan citizens about research findings and their land rights.