Civil Society Engagement

We support civil society land-related agendas and work towards increased voice for affected populations on land issues.

What is our aim? Our aim in this program is for civil society actors to enable greater voice and more secure tenure of men and women smallholders and indigenous communities over land and land-related resources through initiatives that take their direction from these affected populations.

This program includes listening to civil society organizations, working in partnership with them, and contributing to collective efforts of civil society.

How do we do it?

Delivering Land Rights and Land Law Awareness Trainings through community partners: Through this program, trainers trained by LCG help farmers improve their understanding of key land and rights issues under the existing legal framework and strengthen their ability to advocate for, and claim, their rights.
Supporting civil society agendas: We listen to civil society organizations working at different levels and join in collective civil society processes on land issues and contribute in ways that fit our strengths.
Organizing LCG seminars: We organize seminars on topics of interest to civil society as well as important topics that receive inadequate attention from civil society.

Developing leaders and empowering communities through training

One of our longest-running initiatives is the Training of Trainers (ToT) land rights and land laws awareness program. We have delivered our ToT training to groups including CSOs, community groups and Farmland Administrative Bodies in Bago, Mandalay, Sagaing, Kachin, Magway, Shan, Tanintharyi, Kayin, Nay Pyi Taw, Kayah and Yangon. These groups have gone on to deliver trainings to tens of thousands of people in local communities.

In some cases, these trainings have led to individuals becoming leaders in their communities. In Sagaing, a graduate of our ToT program shared his knowledge in his local farmers’ network and in his village community, providing them with evidence to inform their decision to apply for Farmland Use Certificates (Form 7). The community successfully secured the certificates and now have legal documents to help protect their rights to access hundreds of acres of their land. While applying for a Farmland Use Certificate may not always be the right choice, having knowledge on land laws and rights empowers individuals and communities to make informed decisions.