Forum to discuss land reform, agrarian crisis
JAIPUR : Issues of land reforms, the agrarian crisis and the need to build collaborations to ensure people centered land governance in India and across Asia will dominate the 2019 edition of Asia Land Forum that begins in Udaipur from Monday.
The conclave, to be held from September 30 to October 4, has been organised by the International Land Coalition (ILC) Asia in partnership with its regional members Maldhari Rural Action Group (MARAG) and Land Forum India.
The Asia Land Forum is an opportunity to raise some pertinent areas of land governance that India and Asian countries are facing, such as the comprehensive land reform agenda including first generational land reforms, land governance of forests, commons land and agrarian crisis, Dinesh Rabari, programme director and ILC global council member, said in a press release.
This year, forum aims at developing a common ground of the political, economic, environmental and social linkages between land governance, food security, poverty and democracy, he said.
The Asia Land Forum is an annual event and will bring together participants from Asian countries from grassroots organisations, activists, local and international NGOS, and researchers to intergovernmental organisations, and government agencies from the region.
The first and second day will be dedicated to unite the voices of land struggles across the Asia and build regional solidarity. The forum’s side events include an internal governance meeting called the regional assembly (RA) on October 2, followed by field visits on October 3, said Rabari.
Local communities at the field will have the chance to tell their stories and share their struggles to obtain land rights.
ILC Asia’s 54 members will also adopt a declaration with a common action plan during the Regional Assembly.
On the basis of the experiential learning and lived experienc e s o f people ar ound l and reform, land based livelihoods, a collective people’s land manifesto will be evolved, said Rabari.