Pillars of the community:
Research Report
Pillars of the community:: how trained volunteers defend land rights in Tanzania
Godfrey Massay
Copyright Date: Dec. 1, 2016
Published by: International Institute for Environment and Development
Pages: 20
OPEN ACCESS
https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep02690
Table of Contents
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. None)
  2. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. i-i)
  3. Acronyms
    Acronyms (pp. ii-ii)
  4. Abstract
    Abstract (pp. iii-iii)
  5. 1. Introduction
    1. Introduction (pp. 1-1)

    In Tanzania, land conflicts are becoming more frequent. These are often due to intra-community disputes over boundaries or tenure rights, but they also increasingly reflect the growing pressures exerted by large-scale land acquisitions for agricultural investments. Many factors can make it difficult for villages to protect their rights, or seek redress: a lack of awareness about laws, regulations and legal proceedings; gaps in the legislative framework; poor accountability in the governance of village land; a lack of monitoring and reporting of land rights violations; and limited access to justice.

    To address these challenges, Hakiardhi – a research institute specialising in...

  6. 2. The approach: the Land Rights Monitors
    2. The approach: the Land Rights Monitors (pp. 2-5)

    LRMs are democratically elected volunteers who support their communities on a wide range of issues related to land governance and conflict. Their role ranges from carrying out community training on land rights and governance, to advising villagers and members of village-level land administration institutions on matters pertaining to land rights and administration. Such issues typically include land acquisition procedures, land use planning, contract negotiation with investors, and dispute settlement procedures. LRMs report to Hakiardhi on village-level land rights issues and conflicts, so as to inform programme implementation on an iterative basis.

    LRMs are elected by members of their community at...

  7. 3. Outcomes
    3. Outcomes (pp. 6-9)

    This section focuses on some of the key success stories and challenges that LRMs have faced, particularly when working in areas affected by large-scale land-based investments. In several cases, community members contested the investments or their terms, and LRMs have championed advocacy for land rights. Examples are drawn from the following districts: Rufiji, Kilombero, Kisarawe, Mufindi, Morogoro Rural and Kahama. Kahama District has experienced pressures on land due to mining, while the other districts host plantation and outgrower-based agribusiness investments.

    There are several examples of LRMs successfully supporting their communities, including in dealing with large-scale land-based investments. In Kilombero, Kisarawe...

  8. 4. Lessons for effectiveness, sustainability and replication
    4. Lessons for effectiveness, sustainability and replication (pp. 10-12)

    There are currently 600 LRMs in 300 villages in Tanzania, and demand is growing for LRMs to be trained in many more villages, especially in areas attracting particularly strong private sector interest. The effectiveness of the programme has prompted other organisations, such as the Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF), to start using a similar approach.

    There are several ways implementation of the scheme could be improved. The first would involve creating a central fund capable of rapidly responding to a LRM’s urgent request for financial support. Similarly, providing LRMs with bicycles would ease many of their transport problems.

    Providing a...

  9. Back Matter
    Back Matter (pp. 13-13)