Photo: UN Women (Creative Commons Attribution)

Photo Credit: ©2011CIAT/NeilPalmer

In the villages surrounding SudCam's vast rubber plantation in Southern Cameroon, the contrast between initial promises and current reality is striking. More than a decade after the establishment of this Halcyon Agri Corporation Limited subsidiary, local communities face a radical transformation of their environment and way of life.

Promising Beginnings, Rapid Disillusionment

The webinar Inclusive Land Governance and Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration: Whose Purpose?, which took place on 19 September, 2024, explored how a people-centered and holistic approach can transform Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA) and ensure that land administration truly serves the needs of communities.  The webinar, which was moderated by Imke Greven of the LAND-at-Scale Program Advisor at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) gathered over 275 people.  

On September 23, 2024, a powerful hybrid event titled "From Commitment to Action: Enabling Direct Funding for Indigenous Peoples in Multilateral Climate and Biodiversity Initiatives" was hosted at the Ford Foundation headquarters in New York City as part of Climate Week.

In a strict sense, there is no express right to land under international human rights law. Yet, without land, several human rights would be in jeopardy.

The Land Dialogues nurture a community of trust with Indigenous peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendent peoples by producing webinars that bring unlikely voices and perspectives together. Next week, The Land Dialogues will head to New York Climate Week 2024, where the webinar will be presented live for the first time in its four-year history. Read more below about how the series began and expanded, and join us for the next dialog.

Magic Comes to Life

Central to the oral history of the Santo Madero community is the legend of a miraculous tree that fell in a violent storm only to reappear a few days later, upright and green. The event, which reflects the magic realism that Colombia is known for, has evolved into a vital part of local folklore and is celebrated by the Afro-Colombian community every year.

In Burundi, a small landlocked country in Africa's Great Lakes region, land is far more than an economic resource – it is the foundation of history, livelihood, and identity for millions. However, Burundi's turbulent past, marked by cycles of conflict, displacement, and return since the 1970s, has created a complex web of competing land claims that threaten efforts to build lasting peace and stability.

It’s a bumper year for citizens of the world to participate in their own governance. Elections are happening almost every other week. Record numbers of countries are holding presidential or parliamentary national or local elections, in democracies and in less democratic political systems. Governments are turning over, expectedly or unexpectedly, or becoming entrenched. Electorates are turning out in great numbers, to punish or endorse, or voting out of the system by staying home.

A Strategic Pivot for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Promise

Inclusive land governance is critical to securing land rights and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Secured land rights are foundational for sustainable development, with the access, control and use of land presenting significant responsibilities for governments and their legal systems. Equitable land governance ensures fair access to land, which drives economic growth, reduces poverty, and promotes environmental sustainability.