PROTEC TING CO M M U N ITY LA N DS A N D RE SO U RCE S
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munity governance (encompassing by-laws/constitution drafting and the election of governing councils); 3) Conservation and sustainable natural resources management (encompassing land and natural resource management plan drafting) and 4) Administrative procedures. The report then outlines the findings relative to the two central questions: 1) What type and level of support do communities require to successfully complete community land documentation processes? and 2) How best to leverage the community land documentation process to facilitate intra-community protections for the land rights of women and other vulnerable groups? The report concludes by setting out the main findings and making recommendations for policy and practice.
1.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PREVENTION: BOUNDARY HARMONIZATION
The community land documentation process is an important opportunity to address local land disputes, harmonize contested boundaries, and resolve intra- and inter- community land conflicts. Because boundary harmonization efforts necessarily expose all existing land conflicts and may instigate new disputes, facilitators should provide conflict-resolution training and mediation support throughout.
The community land documentation process is an important opportunity to address local land disputes, harmonize contested boundaries, and resolve intra- and inter- community land conflicts. However, because boundary harmonization efforts expose all existing land conflicts and tend to instigate new disputes, facilitators should provide conflict-resolution training and mediation support throughout.
After spending months introducing the community land documentation process and supporting communities to elect intermediary groups and paralegals (as necessary according to treatment group), the work turned to the complex process of boundary harmonization. The boundary harmonization process comprised the following activities, each of which is briefly explained below: community mapping; boundary negotiation and conflict resolution with neighbors; and boundary demarcation (tree planting, GPS mapping, and MOU-signing ceremonies).