The concept: what is a LFI?
In recent years, equitable access to land, particularly in rural areas, has been high on the international policy agenda and is recognized as a crucial element attributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction. Innovative and progressive land policies and laws, particularly at the national level, are key to determining equitable access to, use of, and control over land and other natural resources.
The Land Forum India (LFI) is the first step of an approach being promoted by the International Land Coalition at country level, in order to create conditions for inclusive and people-centered land-related policy change. Jointly formulated and co-owned by ILC members and other relevant actors at national level, the LFI itself is a framework for identifying key priority areas on which land-concerned actors see opportunities for catalyzing change, either at the level of policy formulation or at the level of implementing existing progressive policies. The LFI process also involves the establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform that accompanies the implementation of the LFI, and makes necessary adjustments on the basis of lessons learned. A LFI process is therefore aimed at facilitating collaborative and coordinated action amongst different stakeholders involved with land at the national level to promote people-centered land governance. Through these LFI processes, opportunities are increasingly made available to national civil society actors to collaborate among themselves and with international actors, both governmental and non-governmental, and to engage with local and national governments.
Why a LFI?
Political will is a fundamental prerequisite for addressing inequalities in land access and fighting poverty. However, the effective development and implementation of policies, laws and institutional frameworks requires the inclusion of a wide range of actors working together and sharing different perspectives and expertise.
A LFI arises in recognition of this reality; that corrections in land inequalities, in favor of poor and marginalized groups, are more effectively achieved through the collaborative and coordinated efforts of multiple actors, rather than adopting overlapping or even confrontational approaches.
Experience has proven that LFI processes have strengthened partnerships and the mutual recognition of diverse actors, producing a momentum for improved land rights. By fundamentally changing the quality of interaction between CSOs and Governments, LFI processes have helped increase the political weight of civil society and vulnerable groups, shifting perspectives of Governments to see CSOs as credible sources of knowledge and experts on land related matters. National use of international instruments, such as the VGGTs and F&Gs have also fostered improvements in collaborations, as well as promoting a stronger focus on women’s land rights and gender justice.
How?
A LFI is developed in two phases, the first being formulation, and the second being actual implementation of the strategy.
The formulation phase of the LFI is carried out through regional and national multi-stakeholder consultations and workshops, where participants – identified amongst the key national players – identify priorities, potential synergies and agree on joint actions to be undertaken resulting in an action plan that will guide the implementation phase of the LFI for the following years.
Who?
While national civil society members of ILC represent the starting point and main promoters of LFI during their initial stages, LFI are to be considered open and living processes for knowledge production and sharing, policy dialogue and coordinated action, and are therefore open to any civil society, public or private land actor willing to participate and contribute to working towards a united goal, that is: the realization of people-centered land governance.