All over the U.S., citizens are beginning to stand up in support of refugee resettlement for those fleeing violence across the globe.
In Montana, it has been no different. On Mar. 1, rallies supporting refugees swept through the state in response to anti-refugee and anti-Muslim activity in the area.
The ‘Stand Together Against Violence, Fear and Hate’ event was hosted by the Montana Human Rights Network, along with a coalition of local organizations and churches who partnered together to host rallies in Bozeman, Missoula, Helena, Kalispell and Billings to “take a stand against hate, intimidation and violence.”
“So many people were emailing and calling and reaching out and saying we feel like we need to do more,” Rachel Carroll Rivas, co-director of the Montana Human Rights Network said to the Independent Record. “There are times when you can’t be quiet. This is a time to not be silent in our opposition to hate.”
Community groups in Missoula and Helena have been working to develop a refugee resettlement field office in Montana, in the hopes of bringing refugees fleeing from global conflicts to the area. One of these groups, Soft Landing Missoula, has been heavily involved in hosting the rallies.
Mary Poole, founder of the organization, hopes that the rally will be a positive response to the anti-refugee, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment that has swirled throughout the Missoula community.
“We also want to make sure that we are really standing up for the values that Missoula believes in and we believe that those are values of compassion, love and opportunity for others. Having a strong showing of support for those values is why we are rallying tonight,” Poole said while preparing for the statewide rally against hate.
The Missoula County Board of Commissioners sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Population in January, formally supporting Soft Landing Missoula’s aim to resettle 100 refugees per year in the area through the International Committee’s Reception and Placement program, which spurred recent anti-refugee rallies across the state.
Anti-refugee activists have hosted their own rallies in recent weeks, with a handful showing up to protest the ‘March Against Hate’ event. Poole believes that many of the negative attitudes toward refugees are due to misinformation and a lack of education that people have on the topic.
“I think it’s a real challenge because it’s really hard right now to sift through what is true,” Poole said. “You know we aren’t claiming there aren’t going to be challenges and difficulties that refugees will face here in America, but educating ourselves to not just give into fear based on opinion is important.”
Missoula had a refugee resettlement office until its closure in 2008. The agency welcomed a large number of Vietnamese Hmong refugees into the area following the Vietnam War.
Global conflicts drove unprecedented numbers of people out of their homes in 2015. The number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide surpassed 60 million people last year, including 20 million refugees fleeing war and persecution, according to the United Nations.
“Never has there been a greater need for tolerance, compassion and solidarity with people who have lost everything,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said in a statement on the UNHCR website. “Forced displacement is now profoundly affecting our times. It touches the lives of millions of our fellow human beings — both those forced to flee and those who provide them with shelter and protection.”
Before admission to the U.S., refugees must undergo extensive interviewing, screening and security clearance processes conducted by coordinators across the nation, as well as overseas, according to the American Immigration Council. If a refugee meets the strict requirements for entering the U.S., they must also pass medical examinations and thorough security checks. The entire process can take an average of 18 to 24 months or more to complete, according to the U.S. Department of State.
The processing times of U.S. refugee resettlement programs “can be quite prolonged, leaving some refugees stranded in dangerous locations or in difficult circumstances,” according to a report by Human Rights First, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, international human rights organization that accepts no government funding.
“All of these kinds of people, who through no fault of their own, have been displaced from their home, have lost their family members and their livelihoods,” Poole said. “We have so much to offer and so much to give to someone who has lost everything. Being a part of that is really important.”
– Lauren Lewis
Sources: American Immigration Council, Human Rights First, Independent Record, Interview, Mary Poole, March 1, 2016, KITV, Montana Public Radio, Missoulian, UNHCR, United Nations News Centre
55th Anniversary Since JFK Established Peace Corps
According to Politico, Kennedy wrote a message to Congress stating that the people of underdeveloped nations were “struggling for economic and social progress.” He also went on to say, “Our own freedom and the future of freedom around the world, depend, in a very real sense, on their ability to build growing and independent nations where men can live in dignity, liberated from the bonds of hunger, ignorance and poverty.”
Congress, at first, was skeptical. In response, Representative Marguerite Sitt Church, who had traveled to sub-Saharan Africa, defended the bill by speaking about the importance of on-the-ground work in underdeveloped areas.
Representative Catherine May noted the impact of Church’s words: “You quite literally could see people who had been uncertain or perhaps who had already decided to vote against the Peace Corps sit there, listen to her very quietly and start to rethink.”
The House then approved the bill for the volunteer organization in a 288-97 vote and Kennedy issued the executive order to establish it.
Since its launch, the Peace Corps has done incredible work. Currently, the organization has 6,919 volunteers and trainees, with over 220,000 Americans serving since it was created.
Volunteers carry out work such as helping build sewer and water systems, constructing and teaching in schools, helping develop crops and teaching effective agricultural methods. A majority of the work is done in Africa but volunteers also assist nations in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands.
The Peace Corps celebrated its 55th anniversary at Georgia Gwinnett College, which was selected in 2014 as one of the six universities and colleges for the Peace Corps Prep Program, based on their demonstrated interest in promoting international learning and providing service opportunities to their students.
Students were invited to attend the event to celebrate the anniversary and learn about becoming Peace Corps volunteers, marking the next generation of Americans that will serve with the program and make a difference in countries in need around the world.
– Kerri Whelan
Sources: Politico, Peace Corps 1, Peace Corps 2, Peace Corps 3, Peace Corps 4, GGC
Local Montana Groups Support Refugee Resettlement
In Montana, it has been no different. On Mar. 1, rallies supporting refugees swept through the state in response to anti-refugee and anti-Muslim activity in the area.
The ‘Stand Together Against Violence, Fear and Hate’ event was hosted by the Montana Human Rights Network, along with a coalition of local organizations and churches who partnered together to host rallies in Bozeman, Missoula, Helena, Kalispell and Billings to “take a stand against hate, intimidation and violence.”
“So many people were emailing and calling and reaching out and saying we feel like we need to do more,” Rachel Carroll Rivas, co-director of the Montana Human Rights Network said to the Independent Record. “There are times when you can’t be quiet. This is a time to not be silent in our opposition to hate.”
Community groups in Missoula and Helena have been working to develop a refugee resettlement field office in Montana, in the hopes of bringing refugees fleeing from global conflicts to the area. One of these groups, Soft Landing Missoula, has been heavily involved in hosting the rallies.
Mary Poole, founder of the organization, hopes that the rally will be a positive response to the anti-refugee, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment that has swirled throughout the Missoula community.
“We also want to make sure that we are really standing up for the values that Missoula believes in and we believe that those are values of compassion, love and opportunity for others. Having a strong showing of support for those values is why we are rallying tonight,” Poole said while preparing for the statewide rally against hate.
The Missoula County Board of Commissioners sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Population in January, formally supporting Soft Landing Missoula’s aim to resettle 100 refugees per year in the area through the International Committee’s Reception and Placement program, which spurred recent anti-refugee rallies across the state.
Anti-refugee activists have hosted their own rallies in recent weeks, with a handful showing up to protest the ‘March Against Hate’ event. Poole believes that many of the negative attitudes toward refugees are due to misinformation and a lack of education that people have on the topic.
“I think it’s a real challenge because it’s really hard right now to sift through what is true,” Poole said. “You know we aren’t claiming there aren’t going to be challenges and difficulties that refugees will face here in America, but educating ourselves to not just give into fear based on opinion is important.”
Missoula had a refugee resettlement office until its closure in 2008. The agency welcomed a large number of Vietnamese Hmong refugees into the area following the Vietnam War.
Global conflicts drove unprecedented numbers of people out of their homes in 2015. The number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide surpassed 60 million people last year, including 20 million refugees fleeing war and persecution, according to the United Nations.
“Never has there been a greater need for tolerance, compassion and solidarity with people who have lost everything,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said in a statement on the UNHCR website. “Forced displacement is now profoundly affecting our times. It touches the lives of millions of our fellow human beings — both those forced to flee and those who provide them with shelter and protection.”
Before admission to the U.S., refugees must undergo extensive interviewing, screening and security clearance processes conducted by coordinators across the nation, as well as overseas, according to the American Immigration Council. If a refugee meets the strict requirements for entering the U.S., they must also pass medical examinations and thorough security checks. The entire process can take an average of 18 to 24 months or more to complete, according to the U.S. Department of State.
The processing times of U.S. refugee resettlement programs “can be quite prolonged, leaving some refugees stranded in dangerous locations or in difficult circumstances,” according to a report by Human Rights First, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, international human rights organization that accepts no government funding.
“All of these kinds of people, who through no fault of their own, have been displaced from their home, have lost their family members and their livelihoods,” Poole said. “We have so much to offer and so much to give to someone who has lost everything. Being a part of that is really important.”
– Lauren Lewis
Sources: American Immigration Council, Human Rights First, Independent Record, Interview, Mary Poole, March 1, 2016, KITV, Montana Public Radio, Missoulian, UNHCR, United Nations News Centre
The Bottom Billion: Causes and Solutions
Countries and their citizens in the bottom billion find their conditions getting worse, not better. For instance, during the 90s, while globalization lifted millions out of poverty in China and India, the income of the bottom billion “actually fell by 5 percent.”
Most of the bottom billion live in 58 countries, 70 percent of which are in Africa and most of the rest, in Central Asia. These countries are among the poorest in the category of “developing countries or Third World countries.” Some of the countries in the bottom billion include Rwanda, Congo, Sudan, Chad, Somalia and Ethiopia.
So how does a country fall within the bottom billion group? The answer to this is multidimensional and lies in what Collier terms as “poverty traps.” According to Collier, these poverty traps include conflict, being landlocked, abundant natural resources and bad governance.
When it comes to war-torn countries, Rwanda, Congo, Somalia and Sudan are some examples that fall into this category. As a result of the conflict, the economy is destroyed, lives of innocent civilians are damaged and the political unrest also causes isolation and a lack of foreign investment.
Being landlocked with bad neighbors is also a disadvantage for developing countries. When we consider a country like Switzerland, a landlocked country in the developed world, its proximity to its surrounding countries does not compromise its security and it has the ability to trade with powerful and wealthy neighboring countries. This is not the case for developing countries, which are often surrounded by poor or unstable countries.
Having abundant resources may sound like a benefit rather than a disadvantage. However, with countries like Sudan and Somalia, even though natural resources such as copper and diamonds are abundant, corrupt politicians and other leading authorities within the country are able to seize power and divide the spoils, making their economies more vulnerable.
With the levels of corruption in developing countries, it is impossible for there to be sustainable growth. Accountability, transparency, monitoring and evaluation are needed to advance these countries and lift their citizens out of poverty.
To address these issues, Collier believes that aid should be increasingly concentrated in the most difficult environments and military intervention should be focused on “protecting democratic governments.” For instance, the British helping Sierra Leone is an example of productive military intervention.
Laws and charters have also been put forward as possible solutions. Collier suggests that international charters should be adopted for natural resources, budget transparency, post-conflict situations and investment.
Finally, Collier highlights that the bottom billion need to diversify their exports and are in need of temporary protection from Asia.
The situation faced by people in the bottom billion, though dire, can be addressed. While outside intervention may be necessary in some cases, change ultimately must come from within, with the end goal being for countries to prosper autonomously and independently.
– Vanessa Awanyo
Sources: The Guardian, The Economist, GSDRC
Photo: Flickr
Obama’s Visit to Cuba: An Opportunity for Development
The trip is part of a series of efforts by Cuba and the U.S., begun in December 2014, to ease restrictions and pave the way for greater cultural and economic exchange.
After announcing his plans, President Obama drew criticism from some American politicians who believe that his administration’s Cuba policy is not sufficiently punitive, according to the New York Times. Others, however, have applauded the president, arguing his diplomacy could spur a period of progress with regard to human rights improvements and poverty alleviation.
Though Cuba’s communist government has long been censured by the international community for human rights violations, the country has made some notable achievements in the past half-century.
According to the Guardian, Cuba has had 100 percent literacy for a long time, and “its health statistics are the envy of many far richer countries.”
Devex, a media platform for the global development community, has also applauded Cuba for its success in lifting many of its poorer citizens out of poverty.
The island’s state-run economy, however, does not seem capable of solving all its problems, according to Devex. Inequality runs rampant despite decades of socialist programming.
This disparity of wealth, along with a growing older population, closed markets and limited availability of advanced technologies and quality food for farmers and other low-income people has begun to overwhelm Cuba’s social protection programs.
Some see Obama’s visit to Cuba as an opportunity to influence President Raul Castro to make necessary changes in addressing these problems.
The New York Times Editorial Board has called on the president to push Castro to “set the stage for a political transition in which all Cubans are given a voice and a vote” as a pretext for liberalizing the economy and respecting human rights.
The editorial adds that the U.S.’s failed efforts to bring about regime change have only hurt Cuba and that more peaceful gestures geared toward self-determination would be more helpful.
Specifically, Obama could negotiate the lifting of trade embargoes as a way of easing the burden on Cuba to supply its citizens with adequate food and other resources.
The United Nations already has a development action framework for the island, which focuses on food security, energy, social services, climate change and disaster response, according to Devex.
These efforts, along with those of big players in the development community, like the World Food Program, would be significantly bolstered by the normalizing of relations between Cuba and the U.S., since freer trade would make the island less dependent on essential goods from more distant nations.
The exact program of President Obama’s visit to Cuba is still open to speculation but the topics most likely to be discussed are trade and tourism. Opening up relations with regard to these areas could be mutually beneficial to both nations.
– Joe D’Amore
Sources: BNA, Devex, NY Times 1, NY Times 2, The Guardian
The Powerful KenGen
Last August, KenGen won two awards at the prestigious East African Power Industry Awards gala in Nairobi when the company was voted best in East Africa in the category of Excellence in Power Generation and was given the Outstanding Clean Power Project Award. Both awards are in recognition of the 280MW Olkaria Geothermal Expansion Project, according to the Aug. 28, 2015 KenGen press release.
“The project has helped the country save billions each month by displacing an equivalent amount of thermal electricity generation that use costly fossil fuels in favor of the much cheaper electricity from geothermal,” the press release states.
The judges who gave the award to KenGen said the geothermal power project was one of the largest in the world, with Kenya among the top 10 world leaders in geothermal energy. KenGen has contributed significantly to bringing down the cost of power in Kenya by directly offsetting thermal-based generation.
Geothermal energy comes from heat at the core of the earth. According to Clean Energy Ideas, “The earth’s core temperature is believed to be anywhere between 6000°C and 6500°C based on new research that came to light in 2013.” Previously, scientists believed the earth’s core to be somewhere around 5000°C.
“This intense heat is absorbed by the different layers of the earth, helping to heat our planet,” the website says. Geothermal power then refers to the electricity that can be generated from geothermal energy.
According to Conserve Energy Future, a website focused on climate change and alternative energy sources, geothermal power has advantages over other forms of energy. There can be significant cost savings, a reduced reliance on fossil fuels, no pollution and the potential for job creation.
In 2015, Kenya was rated by Forbes magazine as the third fastest growing economy in the developing world. With that, the demand for energy grew by about 5.5 percent in the last year and is predicted to continue growing.
The Africa Report claims that Kenya alone plans to increase its power generating capacity from about 2,500 MW to about 6,700 MW by 2017.
KenGen says that geothermal has surpassed hydro as the main source of electricity since December 2014, removing the need for rationing electricity in times of drought. KenGen’s push toward geothermal power is one important step toward solving Africa’s energy challenges.
– Megan Hadley
Sources: The African Report, KenGen 1, KenGen 2, Conserve Energy Future, Clean Energy Ideas
Photo: Liberation
What is Happening with Haiti’s Delayed Presidential Elections?
The eight Haitian presidential candidates refused to participate because of the irregularities that occurred in the first round of elections. An official audit including 78 tally sheets from the first round of presidential elections found irregularities in all sheets, the Hill reports. Haiti’s electoral council, the CEP, did not conduct a further investigation.
The irregularities in the electoral process include Jovenel Moise, President Michel Martelly’s chosen successor, being reported to the CEP as being in first place in the election but an exit poll found that only six percent of respondents voted for him, according to the Hill. This, along with many other examples of government-backed fraud has instigated Haitians to respond with violence.
In a poll executed in October 2015 by an independent research group in Brazil, 82 percent of Haitians agreed with the statement: “As far as I can see, this election is fair, there is no fraud,” the Hill reports. However, when the same poll was conducted after the irregularities came out, almost 90 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement.
According to the Hill, the United States, the U.N. and the Organization of American States are pushing for presidential elections to take place as soon as possible so that Haiti can reestablish order. Though filling the presidential position is desired, it could also be perceived as a positive that Haiti now has more time for the election. More time to select a proper candidate would allow Haiti to restore faith in the electoral process.
Fortunately, lawmakers chose the country’s Senate leader, Jocelerme Privert, as provisional President of Haiti on Feb. 14, 2016, as reported by the New York Times. Privert’s chief task will be to smooth political divisions that have left the people of Haiti without an elected president properly chosen by the voters themselves.
Privert is also working on how and when to go about the formal presidential election and has said they will be held as soon as possible. Former President Martelly departed from office as well, as he was barred from a consecutive term. Privert’s leadership and Martelly’s departure will hopefully help in easing violent outbreaks and tensions.
– Kerri Whelan
Sources: The Hill, NY Times
Photo: Flickr
A Brief History of US Foreign Aid Initiatives
U.S. distribution of foreign aid began at the onset of World War I, when in 1914, President Hoover created the Commission for the Relief of Belgium (CRB) to combat a severe food shortage in German-occupied Belgium and Northern France.
In 1917, the U.S. Food Administration provided food for the United States Army and to the millions of people affected by World War I.
International development as a tool for foreign policy began following World War II. The Marshall Plan, diverting $13 billion in aid, allowed Europe to rebuild its infrastructure and strengthen its economy.
In 1949, President Harry S. Truman proposed an international development assistance program. This Cold War initiative sought to reduce poverty, increase production in developing countries and combat communism by helping countries thrive under capitalism.
In 1961, President Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act, which created USAID. The president also introduced the Peace Corps the same year, which was intended to spread America’s goodwill and positive image across the globe.
In the 1970s, the Foreign Assistance Act underwent substantial changes that gave food, nutrition and healthcare aid priority when assisting a foreign nation.
In the 1980s, we saw the introduction of a new method of aid giving: using celebrities to gain support for a cause. In 1985, the Live Aid concert, featuring stars like Led Zepplin, Queen, Tina Turner and Madonna, raised $140 million toward fighting poverty and hunger in Africa. This was at a particularly urgent time due to a major drought in Ethiopia that caused widespread famine.
In the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, USAID’s top priority of U.S. foreign aid became sustainable development, focusing on aid that would help nations become self-sufficient.
One of the major U.S. foreign missions was in Somalia in 1992. Famine and ongoing civil war in Somalia led to a humanitarian relief effort by sending troops and delivering basic supplies. Although the military intervention was largely unsuccessful, it served as a learning point for how both U.S. and U.N. interventions should be conducted.
The 2000s created an extra urgency around foreign aid as a means of creating stability. Development is included as one of three pillars of U.S. national security.
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief was created in 2003 and President George W. Bush created the Millennium Challenge Corporation in 2004.
Some politicians argue that the U.S. should solve its own humanitarian issues before getting involved in other countries. However, America’s role as a world power makes it impossible for the country to turn a blind eye to the plights of other nations.
History has shown that U.S. foreign aid, if monitored and updated correctly, can do great things to fight poverty and ensure security.
– Taylor Resteghini
Sources: Oxfam America, PBS, USAID
Photo: Flickr
What Does Goat Poop Have to Do With Global Poverty?
Anyone who has ever seen a goat knows that these animals are professionals at consuming and digesting almost anything they can manage to get inside their mouths, whether it be straw, corn cobs or even a shirt. The reason these animals are so successful at digesting non-food items is, in part, thanks to the fungi that live in their digestive tracts, which can attack and break down fibrous materials.
Researchers are now looking to these fungi as a way to transform certain plants into alternative energy sources.
According to an article in Forbes Magazine, new research shows that the fungi found in goats’ stomachs – and eventually their excrement – are adaptable enough to stop breaking down goat food and start attacking something new. In this case, plant material for renewable biofuel.
The results are potentially beneficial for addressing global poverty in developing countries.
For a long time, coal has been a popular fuel source in “energy impoverished” nations. The low price tag on the substance makes it a popular energy source for countries like India and China, which are experiencing extreme poverty and rapidly increasing energy demands.
But while cheap, coal is also a major producer of dangerous fossil fuels. According to Rachel Kyte, climate envoy for the World Bank, coal has a powerful negative impact on global poverty, not only through health costs for the world’s poor but through long-term social disadvantages as well.
A Standard & Poor’s assessment found that the more impoverished a country is, the more negatively climate change affects its residents. Floods and agricultural shocks, which come as a result of climate change, often hit low-income people the hardest. This population has no option to migrate, insulate themselves from harm or recoup losses.
The goat poop solution might be just what developing countries need to access a low cost, low impact energy source. It is an unlikely but viable option to lower fossil fuel emissions and move toward clean energy solutions.
– Jen Diamond
Sources: Forbes, The Guardian, Think Progress
Photo: Scoopnest
Katchi Abadis and Koliwadas: Plans for South Asian Slums
Now imagine that instead of Arthur Dent, an entire community faces such a predicament.
This was the case for the low-income community of Afghan Basti in Pakistan. On May 21, 2014, government-backed workers armed with bulldozers came to commence with roadworks. The Central Development Authority (CDA), which holds municipal responsibilities for Islamabad, had already demolished 25 stalls and five rooms nearby as part of the work.
According to Tribune journalist Maha Musaddiq, the bulldozing team was met with outcries as elders and children came out in protest of their forced eviction.
Enter July 2015. Despite protests, the CDA demolished sector I-11 in Islamabad. The sector was a low-income community similar to Afghan Basti. Both communities are known as ‘katchi abadis’.
What has motivated these evictions are claims on the part of the CDA that katchi abadis house criminals and terrorists. Umer Gilani, a lawyer for the Foundation for Fundamental Rights, challenges these allegations, seeing them as unfounded. He is not alone.
Tasneem Ahmed Siddiqui, an urban planner, has called for a paradigm shift in urban planning, taking Islamabad’s katchi abadis as an unfortunate example of what happens when a city is planned for the rich and fails to account for those laborers who might work for them.
According to the Tribune, Siddiqui has since proposed a solution to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, in Karachi, a new city district called DHA City is being constructed. But to some, the plan has committed the mistake Siddiqui outlined: there are no residences marked for drivers, housemaids or other staff.
A proposal has been submitted to the prime minister for a low-cost housing scheme.
Where protests in Pakistan have occurred over urgent circumstances — forced eviction with bulldozers at-the-ready — Indian koliwadas, or fishing villages, have protested their classification as slums.
Specifically, it is Mumbai’s Worli Koliwada, a historical fishing village, home to the Koli people who make up the city’s oldest residents.
Times of India journalist Priyanka Kakodkar reports that the land in question has been seen as valuable by property surveyors — and classifying the koliwada as a slum would open up the historical area to development.
The plan, however, was abandoned after locals vehemently objected to it.
It has instead been suggested that the local community try to develop and rehabilitate the area.
– The Borgen Project
Sources: Times of India, Tribune 1, DNAIndia, Tribune 2, Pakistan Today, Tribune 3
Photo: Wikipedia
Sharing the Land in the DRC
Sharing the Land uses GIS and GPS mapping technology to compile land claim and conflict data as well as road names, neighborhood boundaries, geographic features and points of interest. Data comes from household surveys and government records. The maps are already being used to settle land disputes between individuals, families and large companies in Beni.
Archip Lobo, Sharing the Land’s project leader, grew up in eastern Congo amidst violence and severe abuse of human rights, much of which revolved around land disputes. Though the country has a tragic and ongoing history of violence, Lobo felt that land disputes were preventable and not a grounds for continued, unhindered violence.
Rampant conflicts over land began when King Leopold of Belgium usurped much of the land from Congolese chiefs and initiated a tyrannous rule over eastern Congo in the late 1800s. With a new form of governance entangled in the traditional ways of land management, violence became prevalent.
In the years since Congo gained its independence from Belgium on Jun. 30, 1960, the country has endured great instability, insecurity, corruption and pervasive violation of human rights. Removing land disputes as a cause for violence is a step in the right direction for bringing Congo towards a peaceful future.
Sharing the Land provides Beni with data-driven land management practices instead of relying on differing traditions or interpretations of inheritance rights. While the project aims to bring peace through nonviolent land dispute resolutions, it is also reducing disputes in the first place by making the information publicly available and educating all those involved in urban planning.
According to Texas A&M, 85 percent of court cases in Beni relate to land disputes. The Sharing the Land initiative is already making progress to reduce this statistic in Beni.
This project has two immediate benefits. First, official maps using government data help to standardize the land purchasing process. It also enables land managers to continue to add and update data on the stable ArcGIS platform so that land ownership can be accurately and reliably documented.
Aside from using GIS software to map the land, the Sharing the Land project is encouraging community leaders, government professionals, civil society organization representatives, lawyers and the greater community to collaborate in understanding the origins and consequences of land conflict and together engineer viable solutions.
To date, with the help of ConDev and USAID, Sharing the Land has mapped 531 land parcels and documented 29 conflicts. This year, the organization will collaborate with UN-Habitat to provide land management training to government officials in several Congo provinces in an effort to strengthen and standardize urban planning.
Sharing the Land envisions that this new aspect of the project will position a new generation of government officials to enforce and continue to develop peaceful and sustainable land management practices.
– Mary Furth
Sources: IRIUCBC, Codev Center 1, USAID, Codev Center 2, USAID, Eastern Congo