The dynamics of land occupation in Conakry is approached from the angle of both the colonial authorities and the local dwellers. The former took upon themselves the power of allocating plots and strove to enforce a colonial urban pattern. The latter succeeded in partly appropriating the town in spite of the minutiae of the law. As the urban area extended, Conakry was divided into three zones according to an ordinance of 1905. Although the third zone was officially termed 'native', there were no ethnic or national criteria.

CHAPTER VII. Land Tenure:
"Salient differences between tenures in autocratic and democratic
groups rights and claims in autocratic group of chief, headman,
specialists, the whole community, the individual resident
and the individual cultivator the principles governing these rights
and claims the rights and principles of tenure in democratic group
land tenure in practice the "bul ram" individual tenure and its effects
communal land possible solutions to land problems".

If 2009 was the end of the hinterland and the beginning of a new globalized forest era, 2010 was a year of pushback. Worldwide, the news was full of reports of forest communities and Indigenous Peoples pushing back at land grabs and shaping policy at the national and global levels, and of governments countering and trying to contain community rights. Some governments and private investors accepted or even embraced the new players at the table and began to promote fairer business and conservation models.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/14/kenya-samburu-people-evicted...

It is increasingly recognised that pastoralism is essential for sustainable management and ecosystem health of dryland environments, yet natural resource management strategies are increasingly threatened by many different factors. The key to the successful conservation of dryland environments in the Horn of Africa lies in the ability of pastoralists to observe and manage variations in vegetation and precipitation in order to maintain pastoral livelihoods and growth.

Short article discussing challenges and solutions to Simanjro Conservation Easement in northern Tanzania.

The Simanjiro plains provide a key wet season dispersal area for wildebeest and zebra migrating from northern Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park. The plains lie within the boundaries of

The overarching goal of this study was to understand the bottlenecks and the incentives present in forest management in the Kyrgyz Republic. The study focused on the legal, policy, social, institutional, and governance constraints that prevent rural communities living within and around forest lands from increasing the benefits they derive from the use of forest resources, while preserving fragile forest ecosystems.

A new report released today by Namati and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) details an effective and cost-efficient process to help rural communities work together to protect their lands and natural resources--a potential solution to the global land grab. The communities, located in Liberia, Mozambique, and Uganda, have all survived long years of violence and upheaval only to find their lands coveted by foreign investors and local elite.

La Declaración Final de la Conferencia sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural (CIRADR), celebrada en Marzo de 2006 en Porto Alegre, Brasil, ha inspirado las reflexiones iniciales:

“Reconocemos que las políticas y prácticas para ampliar el acceso cierto a la tierra, al agua y demás recursos naturales y el suministro de servicios rurales deberían ser revisadas para lograr el completo respeto de los derechos y aspiraciones de la población rural, mujeres y grupos vulnerables, incluyendo comunidades rurales tradicionales e indígenas...”

[adapted from ActionAid] October, 2012- The report states that the importance of land to rural women goes beyond growing food. Having secure access to, and independent control over, land can mean the difference between, on the one hand, enjoying rights such as education and freedom from violence or, on the other, continual subjugation in society. ActionAid view security of land tenure for impoverished rural communities as a fundamental component of dignified, sustainable development and a crucial step towards reducing poverty and reducing inequality.

Communities of Grand Cape Mount, Liberia

March 25th, 2013