Community Land Rights

Vast swathes of the world’s land – nearly 5 billion hectares – are unprotected and vulnerable to land grabs and destruction. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, we work for the full involvement of local communities in the ownership and management of this land to protect it for generations to come.
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Global campaign

Up to 2.5 billion people depend on indigenous and community lands for survival.

Moreover, secure community land rights are the source of food, medicines and construction materials, as well as wealth, welfare, culture, identity, community cohesion.

These lands make up over 50% of the land on the planet, yet only 11% of it is secured. A disastrous gap given the role Indigenous Peoples and local communities play in preserving cultural diversity and combating the climate crisis. More importantly, these lands are rightfully theirs.

Historically, governments, mining companies, speculators, agribusinesses and powerful local elites have been appropriating forests, pastures, shores and other community-owned resources from their rightful owners.

These include the women and men, usually farmers, pastoralists, hunter-gatherers, fisher-folk and others using resources such as forests, water bodies and pastures as a common resource.

Communal land rights - often referred to as “the commons” - are lands that communities maintain as their shared property. As such, they can be considered the heart of indigenous and community lands. Some Indigenous Peoples and local communities use all their land as shared property. Others allocate lands to individuals and families within the community; however, the community exercises jurisdiction over the entire lands, which are held and managed collectively. Lands for grazing and wildlife, forests and woodlands, mountaintops, sacred sites, lakes and rivers are usually retained as shared property. These lands are the most vulnerable to land grabbing. (A Common Ground: Securing land rights and safeguarding the earth, 2016)

Our members stand in solidarity with the ongoing struggles of these communities seeking to secure their collective land rights once and for all.

The case for recognising, securing and strengthening the land rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities is fundamentally a matter of human rights. It is their land.

A Common Ground Report, 2016

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A Common Ground in Scotland

In 1997, the Isle of Eigg made history, when Island residences came together to purchase the island in partnership with the Highland Council and the Scottish Wildlife Trust after decades of absentee landlords

Meet the residents of Eigg

#Mission Possible

With the support of the Land Rights Now Campaign, activists and community members in Montenegro were able to prevent the government from building a military training ground on traditional pastureland.

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LAND RIGHTS NOW CAMPAIGN

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Global and regional initiatives

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Land Rights Now Campaign

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Community Land Protection Initiative

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ILC

#6. Locally managed ecosystems #Togo #ADHD

Photo Essay

Boundaries for Peace in Togo

18 September 2023

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ILC

#Latin America & the Caribbean #Community Land Rights #Indigenous Peoples #3. Diverse tenure systems #5. Secure territorial rights for indigenous peoples #Nicaragua #CADPI

Photo Essay

A Common Right in Nicaragua

16 March 2016

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ILC

#Africa #Community Land Rights #Indigenous Peoples #3. Diverse tenure systems #5. Secure territorial rights for indigenous peoples #ULA

Photo Essay

A Common Right in Uganda

1 June 2015

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ILC

#Europe, Middle East & North Africa #Community Land Rights #3. Diverse tenure systems #CLS

Photo Essay

A Common Right in Scotland

23 April 2016

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ILC

#Asia #Community Land Rights #Indigenous Peoples #3. Diverse tenure systems #5. Secure territorial rights for indigenous peoples #India #FES

Photo Essay

A Common Right in India

16 March 2016

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ILC Asia

#Asia #Kyrgyzstan #Water management #NUWUA #2. Strong small-scale farming systems #6. Locally managed ecosystems #Family farming #Climate change #Ecosystems

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ILC Learning Hub

#Research #Global #Indigenous Peoples #Community empowerment #Community Land Rights

Maasai Pastoralists in Ole Ngapa Villages, Kiteto - Tanzania_Israel/ILC
ILC Learning Hub

#Briefs #6. Locally managed ecosystems #Global #3. Diverse tenure systems #Rangelands

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ILC Learning Hub

#Global #Rangelands #Land policy and multi-stakeholder dialogue #Legal assistance, legal empowerment and access to justice #Advocacy & campaigning #Mapping and land registration #Establishment and strengthening of local institutions #Toolkits #Ecosystems #Argentina #Bolivia #Cameroon #India #Kyrgyzstan #South Africa #MARAG #Indigenous Peoples #FUNDAPAZ #KYRGYZ JAYITY #MBOSCUDA #PRAYATNA SAMITI #NKUZI #CED #FTIERRA #resource

Tools and Manuals

ILC Toolkit #3 : Diverse Tenure Systems

4 December 2019

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ILC Learning Hub

#Global #Land conflict resolution #Land policy and multi-stakeholder dialogue #Mapping and land registration #5. Secure territorial rights for indigenous peoples #AIPP #Indigenous Peoples #FUNDAPAZ #JASIL #NAMATI #JKPP #XSF #FTIERRA #CADPI #CISEPA-PUCP #ILRI

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ILC Learning Hub

#Africa #Human Rights #Land conflict resolution #Legal assistance, legal empowerment and access to justice #3. Diverse tenure systems #7. Inclusive decision-making #8. Transparent and accessible information #Establishment and strengthening of local institutions #Legal empowerment #Legal action #Land rights #Campaigning #Advocacy #Youth #South Africa #Community Land Rights #Community empowerment #NKUZI

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ILC Learning Hub

#Land conflict resolution #Legal assistance, legal empowerment and access to justice #1. Secure tenure rights #3. Diverse tenure systems #9. Effective actions against land grabbing #Establishment and strengthening of local institutions #Asia #Land rights #Conflict resolution #Civil society #Bangladesh #National partnerships #CDA