Location
Mokoro is pleased to host the ’Land Rights in Africa’ site as a contribution to the land rights dialogue and related debates. This website was created in January 2000 by Robin Palmer, and was originally housed by Oxfam GB, where Robin worked as a Land Rights Adviser. A library of resources on land rights in Africa – with a particular focus on women’s land rights and on the impact of land grabbing in Africa – the portal has been well received by practitioners, researchers and policy makers, and has grown considerably over the years. Since 2012, Mokoro has been hosting and maintaining the site.
The views expressed on the Land Rights in Africa site as well as the publications hosted there, are those of the authors and do not represent those of Mokoro. Wherever possible, we link to the source website of publications.
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Resources
Displaying 311 - 315 of 1120Formalising land rights in developing countries. Moving from past controversies to future strategies
Covers why do we need to think about policies to formalise land rights in developing countries?; primarily a political issue; policies to formalise land rights are not a panacea; inclusive formalisation policies present considerable challenges. Shows that policies to formalise rights raise highly political issues and often contribute to exclusion.
Legal Empowerment and Access to Justice as Instruments for Good Land Governance
Includes genesis of the CFJJ-FAO programme – policy and legal reforms, challenges for land governance today, legal empowerment and land governance; the twin-track approach; the training programme – paralegal courses, local government and sector officer seminars; results and impact – overall impact, gender issues and women’s land rights; discussion; a format for change – the empowerment chain. Important to have a long term view. The law indeed is not enough.
The Vagaries of Consulting on Land Policy and Land Law Reform in Africa 1994-2006
Describes the work of the late Patrick McAuslan, international legal adviser on land. Covers contrary perspectives in Tanzania 1996-7; counterpoint in Uganda 1998-9; the land policy paper that never was Lesotho 2001; a reform too far Lesotho 2003; some satisfaction Botswana 2002; full speed ahead Rwanda 2006; concluding comments. The author hopes that the principles and standards Patrick McAuslan set will continue to inspire those who follow him.
‘The Woman is a Tractor’: Marginalised women’s inadequate access to land in South Kivu, Summary Report
Women for Women International has worked with over 84,000 marginalised women in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and commissioned research to explore these women’s land rights. The study found that the women could not own land, even through inheritance, while men controlled the sales of the items that their wives farmed.
Land and Seed Laws under Attack. Who is pushing changes in Africa?
The lobby to industrialise food production in Africa is changing seed and land laws across the continent to serve agribusiness corporations. The end goal is to turn what has long been held as a commons into a marketable commodity that the private sector can control and extract profit from at the expense of smallholder farmers and communities. This survey aims to provide an overview of just who is pushing for which specific changes in these areas – looking not at the plans and projects, but at the actual texts that will define the new rules.