Awoko | 20 March 2013
By Abibatu Kamara
Action Aid International Sierra Leone (AAISL) and its partners have successfully ended a four day strategic conference and campaign planning meeting on ‘Land-Grabbing’ in Freetown.
The four-day consultation brought together over 30 participants, who extensively discussed the extent of land- grabbing in the country and how it can be minimized.
AAISL Executive Director, Mohamed Sillah implored participants to take the training seriously and to clearly understand issues dealing with land-grabbing.
He said Land-grabbing is more prevalent in rural areas and lack of legislation and the absence of accountability by the Chiefs, remain one of the major challenges in reversing the deals.
Sillah said, ignorant of the laws in communities and traditional practices limits and excludes women’s access and control over land and other natural resources were also attributed to the causes of large scale land-grabbing in Sierra Leone, adding that this leaves women most affected because they work on the farmlands.
However, participants agreed to mobilize and launch the platform by calling for action around three thematic issues, firstly to stop 50 % of all large scale land grabs that undermines food security and destroys the environment by 2017; guarantee the ownership and control of land by women through the registration of the 2007 Customary and Divorce Act among others.
AAISL is an international organization that builds development through a Human Rights-Based Approach that seeks to give universal human rights and access to resources to all citizens, especially those living in poverty.
By Abibatu Kamara
Action Aid International Sierra Leone (AAISL) and its partners have successfully ended a four day strategic conference and campaign planning meeting on ‘Land-Grabbing’ in Freetown.
The four-day consultation brought together over 30 participants, who extensively discussed the extent of land- grabbing in the country and how it can be minimized.
AAISL Executive Director, Mohamed Sillah implored participants to take the training seriously and to clearly understand issues dealing with land-grabbing.
He said Land-grabbing is more prevalent in rural areas and lack of legislation and the absence of accountability by the Chiefs, remain one of the major challenges in reversing the deals.
Sillah said, ignorant of the laws in communities and traditional practices limits and excludes women’s access and control over land and other natural resources were also attributed to the causes of large scale land-grabbing in Sierra Leone, adding that this leaves women most affected because they work on the farmlands.
However, participants agreed to mobilize and launch the platform by calling for action around three thematic issues, firstly to stop 50 % of all large scale land grabs that undermines food security and destroys the environment by 2017; guarantee the ownership and control of land by women through the registration of the 2007 Customary and Divorce Act among others.
AAISL is an international organization that builds development through a Human Rights-Based Approach that seeks to give universal human rights and access to resources to all citizens, especially those living in poverty.
