September 20, 2012

The development team along with other Land Observatory key members have been in Laos for the past couple of days, conducting our first, intensive co-development workshop with Lao government partners and civil society partners Land Issues Working Group.

We had a steep learning curve as we presented a demo version of the Observatory to our intended users for the first time. Our main goals here were getting a more specific view of user needs, and how to bring the platform to life:

[from SABC News] Women's rights are human rights, President Jacob Zuma said in a speech prepared for delivery at the high-level event on women's access to justice on the margins of the 67th sitting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

[...] Zuma said access to justice was an on-going campaign within South Africa, and regarding women specifically, included assistance with land cases, inheritance, and cases of abuse. "The fundamental principle in all this is that women's rights are human rights."

Have a look at the following article, creating the link between land rights and access to education for all... This is another argument in favor of land reforms wherever needed! To read the article click on the link below.

South Africa and the African continent would experience unprecedented levels of urbanisation in the next few decades which would present major challenges that governments and urban planners needed to be more aware of, Planning Minister Trevor Manuel warned yesterday.

http://www.iolproperty.co.za/roller/news/entry/sa_city_planners_face_many

Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote gender equality in all areas of decision making through advocacy, training, research, and publications.

Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), in partnership with Diakonia, Uganda Country Programme is implementing the Project on Amplifying Women’s Voices in Economic and Political Development, which is supported by The Royal Netherlands Government- Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW).

Not registering nearly half of all RDP houses with any deeds office could be costing the South African economy at least R50bn, according to the Free Market Foundation. Nearly half of all houses built in formerly black-designated areas are not registered with any deeds office – a situation which means their owners effectively have no legal claim to their homes.

http://www.fin24.com/Economy/RDP-homes-dead-capital-of-R50bn-20120902

In the midst of the building frenzy in Senegal, the construction of buildings that cost less than 60,000 dollars, and thus do not require a building permit, is going unchecked by authorities, resulting in the haphazard and unsafe construction of a majority of homes.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201210030235.html

[via BBC News Africa] 12 October 2012- The Botswana High Court has overturned a customary law which prevented women from inheriting the family home. The judge ruled that the law contravened the constitution, which guarantees equality for men and women.

Edith Mmusi and her sisters have fought a five-year legal battle after their nephew said he was the rightful owner of their house. Correspondents say traditions which stop women from inheriting property exist in many African societies.

'Respect our culture'
 

Thousands of low-income South Africans are forced to spend nearly half their monthly income to meet transport needs, which minister in the presidency for national planning, Trevor Manuel, says is testament that post-1994 housing programmes have unwittingly reinforced apartheid geography. Manuel hopes that the National Planning Commission's new spatial development plan, launched in August, will encourage the creation of more compact cities to help reduce travel time and costs between home and work.

An agreement was signed today in front of thousands of marchers of Jan Satyagraha on the COD Ground of Agra, India, between the Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh, and PV Rajagopal. This is a tremendous victory for non-violent struggles in favour of land rights for the poor and the marginalised. To read more see the attached press release.