This guide provides information for communities who are, or who may be, harmed by projects sponsored by financial institutions, development banks and private groups. It is intended to assist community leaders, lawyers, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in determining what rights communities have and how they may access accountability mechanisms when those rights have been or may be violated.

These tools may be used where a project has harmed communities or resources on which they depend or when there is fear of harm in the future.

Customary communal tenure is characteristic of many local shifting cultivation upland communities in S.E. Asia. These communities have strong ancestral relationships to their land, which has never been held under individual rights, but considered common property of the village. Communal tenure has been the norm and land has never been a commodity...

Customary Tenure and Land Alienation in Myanmar:
"Customary communal tenure is characteristic of many local upland communities in S.E. Asia. These
communities have strong ancestral relationships to their land, which has never been held under
individual rights, but considered common property of the village. Communal tenure has been the
norm and land has never been a commodity. This is an age-old characteristic of many societies
globally. Prior to the publication in 1861 of Ancient Law by the English jurist Henry Sumner Maine,

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:-
(1) TO MYANMAR LAWYERS:
"a. Lawyers need to form strong networks and associations to support farmers, ethnic groups and community organizations...
b. Lawyers need to develop new skills to participate in policy advocacy, including collecting data about current practices, and engage in a national debate about land rights...
c. Lawyers working on land rights cases need to use all available tools to strengthen their case work (see annex 2 for a list of practical actions lawyers can take).....
(2) TO CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS:

The government has promised to secure ethnic rights and the rights of original landowners in setting a new national land use policy...A national forum to discuss a draft national land use policy, which will create a framework for a new national land law, was held on June 29 and 30 in Nay Pyi Taw. Discussion was dominated by the question of the rights of ethnic community organisations and other rights groups.

Over the last decade, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) has engaged in reforming the land sector through formulation and enactment of an enabling legal framework, establishment of land administration institutions, and land tenure regularization. In 2008, the GoR initiated the Land Tenure Regularization Program (LTRP) with two main objectives: (1) to ensure secure forms of land tenure for citizens and (2) to ensure efficient management and administration of land.

Flexibility in dwelling units allows for easy and economical physical change and adaptation of spaces for the changing circumstances and needs of the dwellers over the life of the dwelling. However, the knowledge on how dwelling units in multi-family housing respond physically and programmatically to the changing spatial needs of dwellers is still limited.

Securing women land rights through land titling programs is viewed as a potential means for enhancing their tenure security. The expectation is that women may gain greater influence on how to use the land, if they are registered as joint owners. Women are more likely to make decisions that improve food and nutrition needs at farm level than men. Increased level of women decision making through secured tenure rights is expected to have a positive impact on food security.

Review of the advantages and disadvantages of the current Tanzania Tide Gauge (TG) vertical Datum (VD) has revealed that some of the problems cannot be solved to conform to the Satellite geodesy era timely and cost effectively. The current VD is costly and uneconomic. By changing to a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) compatible VD, most of the problems of the current Tide Gauge-Vertical Datum (TG-VD will disappear and thus boost greatly economic and social prosperity.

Proceedings of 7th Eastern Africa Land Administration Network (EALAN) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Workshop Theme:The State of Land Administration in Eastern African Countries: Comparative Overview Venue: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia Date: 21st – 22nd July 2015