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The battle for land reform is a persistent and intensifying dimension of politics and social life in the Global South where people are struggling to escape the claws of colonialism and capitalism. Here, the violent history of being stripped of the land and forced to sell labor power has left a legacy of enormous destruction both to the land and to society. Various movements are rising up to resist this injustice by advocating for the transformation of the relationship that people have with the land. In most cases this relationship has been, and continues to be, one of dispossession, exploitation and exclusion, as the people on the ground are often the most vulnerable and disregarded.
This essay attempts to shine light on the progressive potential of these movements by highlighting both their inspirational value and their effectiveness in achieving meaningful change. The colonial and capitalist hold on land governance is actively questioned and dismantled by these movements as they build a system that reflects better integrated nature-society relations. Active self-determination, liberation, and inclusivity are at the core of their essential understanding of how to successfully oppose the oppressive dictatorship threatening peasant and small farmers’ lives and livelihoods. Using the land as an anchor, protesters’ are taking matters into their own hands as part of a collective rebuilding of contemporary rural society.