Documents - Land Rights

The Right to Self-Determination and Development of Indigenous Peoples

The world is becoming crowded, and there is a scramble for resources in the name of "sustainable development”. Pressure is being put upon indigenous peoples and on their land and resources that they have inherited from their ancestors and are obliged to pass it on to the next generation for their collective survival. This comic provides a simplified overview of the problems faced by indigenous peoples, their rights and their contributions to sustainable development based on their distinct lifestyles and values (AIPP, 2014).

Securing Rights, Combating Climate Change

Securing Rights, Combating Climate Change analyzes the growing body of evidence linking community forest rights with healthier forests and lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. This report makes a strong case for strengthening the rights of indigenous and local communities over their forests as a policy tool for mitigating climate change. (Rights and Resources Initiative, 2014)

Know Your Rights Related to REDD+

Know Your Rights Related to REDD+ provides fundamental information about human rights that you can use to defend the rights of communities and indigenous peoples in confronting issues related to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives. It is also relevant in the context of other forest governance initiatives, such as the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan. (Center for International Environmental Law, 2014)

The Great Land Heist

Over recent years, a global land rush has resulted in a massive rise in the number of people in developing countries being evicted or denied access to their own land – sometimes in violent confrontation with the authorities – as big business moves in. . Offered little in the way of compensation or alternative livelihoods, millions are being forced into increased poverty, hunger and dispossession. (ActionAid, 2014)

Surrendering Our Future

A new report released by the Oakland Institute reveals how the lives and livelihoods of more than 9,000 pastoralists and a protected ecosystem in northwestern Senegal are directly threatened by a foreign-controlled 20,000-hectare plantation. Owned by an international conglomerate with hidden investors and suspicious connections, Senhuile SA is a joint venture controlled by Italy's Tampieri Financial Group, Senegalese investors, and Agro Bioethanol International, a shell company registered in New York. (Oakland Institute, 2014)