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Civil society actors trained to protect Community Land Rights

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The Liberia Law Society has completed a training program for over 45 civil society actors and policy makers on the Inheritance Law of Liberia and the Proposed Land Rights Act currently before the Legislature.

There have been calls for the proposed Land Rights Bill to be enacted into law.

The Liberia Law Society recently ended a two-day capacity building training for stakeholders and policy makers.

Mr. J. Laveli Tarpeh, Senior Program Coordinator of the Liberia Law Society said the training provided basic education.

He said the European Union funded program through the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAF OD).

The training program is being implemented by the Liberia Law Society (LLS) and the Development Education Network Liberia (DEN-L).

According to Mr. Tarpeh, the Land Rights for Liberia Project seeks to Promote and Protect Community Land Rights for National Development.

“The Project focuses on efforts to encourage the passage of the Land Rights Act, by raising awareness at national, county and community level, and improving the advocacy and organizational capacities of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at different levels, with a special focus on the Civil Society Organization Working Group on Land Rights,” Mr. Tarpeh said.

He said after the passage of the law, the project will support communities to self-identify and manage their land in line with the new law and provide legal assistance, where needed.

The Liberia Law Society official said this will be done in collaboration with the Liberia Land Authority, after the passage of the law.

“Stakeholders at different levels shall be linked to ensure the documentation of challenges and lessons learnt in the execution of the Land Rights Act in Liberia,” Mr. Tarpeh said.

He also said that the Passage of Liberia’s land rights Act will increase women’s decision making power and improve family livelihoods and stressed that “such women empowerment will further contribute to the eradication of poverty”.

According to him, the promotion and protection of customary land rights is essential to Liberia’s national development.

“One of the greatest legacies will be the enactment of this Land Rights Act’’ he mentioned.

Participating civil society actors and policy makers described the two-day training as an eye opener for them.

When passed into law, they said the Land Rights Act will contribute to the consolidation of peace and democracy and provide opportunity for economic growth with protection for investors to invest in Liberia.

According to them, farmers will benefit from the Land Rights Law and will be enabled to focus on sustainable food and nutrition by increasing their production to feed the growing Liberian population.

The two-day capacity building training is part of a five year Land Rights for Liberia Project and it brought together members of Alternative Dispute Resolutions Committees in Lofa County. Report by By Tokpa Tarnue in Voinjama, Liberia

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