Regional seminar: Land and sustainable development in Latin America

Cali, Colombia
17-20 June 2003

The Land Tenure Service and the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) of Montpellier, France, in collaboration with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) of Colombia, have organized a "Regional seminar: Land and sustainable development in Latin America" to be held in Cali, Colombia 17-20 June 2003. The seminar is expected to promote the exchange of information and experiences between civil society organizations, scientists, international organizations and institutions working in the region. Emphasis will be placed on methods for building local capacity and encouraging the participatory sustainable development of land resources.

The workshop will build upon the experiences of the Land Tenure Service regarding access, regulation and land use; those of IRD pertaining to the impacts of public policy on the management of natural resources; and of CIAT for participative approaches and planning for rural development. All three themes will address the need for capacity building and the organization of stakeholders, particularly the most vulnerable, in order to formulate collective land projects.

While almost all research efforts and development programs share the objectives of improving productivity, technological innovation or access to markets, it is often overlooked that, at the local level, development is primarily based on relations and the social participation which can create the successful foundation for development projects. This seminar will address ways in which to open dialogues with stakeholders in order to encourage greater participation and knowledge sharing among the local populations and to improve the sustainability of projects.

(Only available in Spanish)

Click here to go to the seminar information.