Land and Post-conflict Peacebuilding

Description

Land rights are one of the most difficult problems in peacebuilding. Land, homeland, and territory are often a cause of conflict, and the reconstitution of a viable land rights system following war must address those issues. It must also consider land problems that emerged during conflict as populations were dislocated, land-based resources exploited, property rights and institutions disintegrated, and battlefield gains and losses translated into new land claims. An effective land policy can also foster national economic recovery. But post-conflict re-establishment of land ownership, use, and access rights for individuals, communities, and peoples is often complicated and problematic; poor land policy can lead to renewed confrontation. This volume considers post-conflict land rights in a wide variety of countries and in varied human and geographical settings. It highlights problems and successes, describing the primary features important to understanding the complex issues involved in land rights following armed conflict. This book provides a concise theoretical and practical framework for policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and students. Land and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding is part of a global initiative to identify and analyze lessons in post-conflict peacebuilding and natural resource management. The project has generated six volumes of case studies and analyses, with contributions by practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. Other volumes address high-value resources; water; livelihoods; restoration, remediation, and reconstruction; and governance.

Jon Unruh is an Associate Professor of Geography at McGill University in Montreal. Rhodri Williams is a lawyer who specializes in human rights and forced-migration issues.