New America’s Future of Property Rights Program (FPR) is looking for a ‘Frontier Fellow’! Deadline for application: 10th January 2020. More information below.
About the Future of Property Rights Program:
New America’s Future of Property Rights Program (FPR) was founded to answer the following question: Why is a quarter of the world’s population unable to exercise their fundamental right to property, despite advances in technology and human development?
They believe a disconnect between policymakers and technologists is hindering progress in the global fight for land and property rights.
FPR aims to help solve global property rights challenges by shrinking the gulf between technologists and policymakers. Through research, writing, and convening, we strive to bring these two constituents into the same room. Our goal is to act as a translator between the world of drones, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, and the world of politics, laws, and institutions.
At the same time, we aim to preempt emerging property rights challenges by thinking critically about the paradigms that govern new spaces, from cyberspace to outer space.
About the Position:
The ideal candidate is a self-motivated thought leader with experience in both technology and policy or international development. The candidate should be a good multi-tasker, capable of managing day-to-day project operations and contributing to the long-term goals of FPR through coordination with New America and external colleagues, writing short articles and white papers, and speaking at events.
The fellow will primarily research and write on the intersection of land policy and technology, with a focus on ICT and the emerging power of digital data trails to prove land and property rights. As part of this role, FPR expects the fellow to stay abreast of emerging tech trends and developments that may be applicable to property rights; write short articles and research papers; liaise with stakeholders in both the property rights and tech communities; and possibly to help pilot the introduction of a new technology to solve a property rights challenge in a developing country context. Should resources materialize for a pilot, the fellow would be expected to help manage the project. Finally, the fellow must be an engaging speaker and networker, able to represent FPR to new audiences in new geographies.
Experience with innovative tech, grounding in policy and/or international development, intellectual agility, and strong organizational, research, writing and communication skills are essential for this role. This is an ideal position for someone who is familiar with international development and technology, and is able to translate that experience into a dynamic role that is part project manager, part technologist, part ambassador, and part journalist.
It is expected that the fellow will work remotely, with 1-2 trips to Washington D.C. during the course of the fellowship. The fellow may need to maintain a flexible work schedule to facilitate participation in cross-timezone meetings, within reason.
Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with FPR, research and write on the intersection of land and technology. The fellow will be expected to produce blogs or articles monthly, as well as one to two longer research products.
- Network with stakeholders in the property rights and technology sectors to stay abreast of new developments and flag opportunities for FPR engagement.
- Possibly help develop and explore resources for a pilot; should resources materialize, the fellow would help manage the project.
- Work closely with FPR to take advantage of media opportunities –print, social, broadcast, or otherwise.
- Serve as an ambassador and advocate for the Future of Property Rights Program.
Qualifications:
- A bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Minimum 10 years experience in international development or technology, with preference for experience in both disciplines.
- Experience working in a developing country context.
- Strong research, writing and editing skills in English. Preference for experience with both short-form journalistic writing, and longer-form research.
- High attention to detail.
- Excellent organizational skills and the ability to prioritize work and manage time in order to meet deadlines.
- Strong interest in the mission of the Future of Property Rights Program.
- Familiarity with new and emerging technology, project design, and project management.
- Ability to complete assignments and problem solve with minimal supervision.
- Interest in working on a team and with a diverse group of stakeholders.
Application Process:
Please submit a resume, a professionally written one-page cover letter, and a short writing sample (2-5 pages). Fellowship compensation is commensurate with experience and is competitive.
The position will be open until January 10, with an anticipated start date of mid-February 2020
For more information, vist New America’s website here.
Last Updated: 24th January 2020 by Coordinator
Journal of Peasant Studies | 2nd Writeshop-Workshop in Critical Agrarian Studies and Scholar-Activism 2020. Call for Applications!
The Journal of Peasant Studies (JPS), College of Humanities and Development Studies (COHD) of China Agricultural University (Beijing), Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies at the University of the Western Cape (PLAAS), Young African Researchers in Agriculture (YARA), Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC), and the Global South Young Critical Agrarian Studies Scholars (the emerging association of graduates of this annual writeshop) are jointly organising the Second JPS Annual Summer Writeshop-Workshop in Critical Agrarian Studies and Scholar-Activism for PhD students and young researchers (up to 5 years from PhD completion) who are based in, or are originally from, the Global South.
The JPS-COHD-PLAAS-YARA-FAC Writeshop aims to improve young researchers’ strategic knowledge about and practical skills on matters related to international journal publication and impact (including choosing journals; building ideas about and framing/writing journal manuscripts, and overall preparation and submission of journal manuscripts; dealing with peer review reports, and so on). It will include sessions on key debates and literature in critical agrarian studies, and concepts in and practice of scholar-activism. The 7-day Writeshop-Workshop will include peer review discussions on participants’ draft journal manuscripts.
After the workshop, participants will be in a better position to frame their work in relation to critical agrarian studies and to think about international journal publications in the long-term, and finalise journal manuscripts in the short term. They will also benefit from being part of an emerging community of young researchers working in critical agrarian studies from a scholar-activist tradition. Several participants would be be invited to submit manuscripts to JPS, and encouraged to submit to other major international journals.
We are looking at a maximum of 30-40 workshop participants. We will provide full fellowships (travel and accommodation financial support) for up to 20 researchers. We also encourage externally funded participants. Successful applicants must circulate a draft manuscript (based on their accepted abstract) of 8,000-10,000 words in advance of the Writeshop-Workshop.
For applications, please submit the following in one Word file:
(1) An abstract of 500 words, related to critical agrarian studies (see JPS aims and scope)
(2) A short bio of 250 words
(3) Names and contact information of 2 academic references
Please send your application to: jpeasantstudieswriteshop@gmail.com
Deadline: 1 March 2020
Application results to be announced on 15 March 2020.
Those selected are invited to submit a full draft manuscript of 8,000–10,000 words. This is due on 31 May 2020.
Writeshop-Workshop date: 25-31 July 2020
Venue: COHD, China Agricultural University, Beijing
After last year’s writeshop, the attendees formed the Global South Young Critical Agrarian Scholars and drafted “Towards a solidarity-based network of agrarian studies global-south scholars: A manifesto”.
Here is what some of last year’s participants thought of the Writeshop:
See also the JPS Resource Centre
For further queries, please contact:
Jun Borras, JPS Editor: junborras5@gmail.com
Ruth Hall, JPS Editorial Collective member: rhall@plaas.org.za
Chunyu Wang, COHD, Beijing: wangchunyu1978@yahoo.com
Cyriaque Hakizimana, YARA (Young African Researchers in Agriculture): chakizimana@plaas.org.za
For regular updates on this, follow JPS on: Twitter and Facebook
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
IDDR | Vacancy Research Fellow Biodiversity and Land-use Change
Download the job description here:Download
or visit the website.
Last Updated: 21st January 2020 by Coordinator
Chiang Mai University | Call for Applicants MA Social Science (Development Studies). Scholarships Available!
Please pass this on to any parties who might be interested in Masters-level training on land:
For more information, and to receive the full brochure, please contact Daniel Hayward at: mekonglandforum@gmail.com
Want to work in Development?
Looking for a career as a sustainability professional, social researcher, development specialist, humanitarian worker or policy maker? Interested in Land Relations? Start the journey down your career path with a Master of Arts in Social Science (Development Studies) from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University.
Since 2017, a focus in land relations has connected students with academic institutions, NGOs and researchers from around the Mekong Region. Chiang Mai University has become a centre for training benefitting a new generation of researchers and administrators working in the field of land governance.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
For those from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, full scholarships are available, covering both study, travel and living costs.
Deadline for Application: 31 March 2020
Programme start: June 2020
For questions on the International Master’s Program and Chiang Mai University, please contact Ann at: rungthiwa.hacker@gmail.com
For specific questions about the focus on land relations, please contact Daniel at: mekonglandforum@gmail.com
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
Women’s Land Rights | Call for Proposals 2020 (deadline 31-1-2020)
The Research Consortium on Women’s Land Rights is a community of learning and practice that works to increase the quantity and strengthen the quality of research on interventions to advance women’s land and resource rights. With this RFP, the Research Consortium seeks to address gaps in knowledge and evidence on what works and what does not work to improve land and resource rights for women in practice.
Objectives
The objectives of the research grants are to:
Types of projects that will be eligible for research grants
Grants will be awarded for research projects that address one or more of the following topics:
Eligibility criteria
Key Dates
All dates/times are Australian Eastern Standard Time UTC +10
Total grant amount
The total budget for grant proposals must not exceed $20,000.
How to apply
Further information
A webinar will be held (and recorded) on Wednesday 22nd January, 2020 at 5pm (AEST +10 UTC) where the Research Consortium representatives will explain the grant criteria.
Register to attend the webinar by clicking the link to zoom below.
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Rv0pNRgXT-mqWh7PL48SSQ
Questions can be asked during the webinar (online) or can be submitted by Thursday 23rd January 2020 by emailing rc@resourceequity.org .
If you cannot attend the webinar but would like a copy of the webinar recording, please email rc@resourceequity.org.
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
UU, CIFOR & LANDac | PhD Defense Federico Brandão
Dear colleagues,
You are cordially invited Frederico’ public defence of its PhD thesis titled:
OIL PALM EXPANSION IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON
The challenge of reconciling conservation and development
January 17, 2020 at 14.00
Summary
The recent Amazon fire crises and the emerging anti-environmental governmental rhetoric across some important countries have brought to the fore the need to develop viable models that both protect forests and stimulate socioeconomic development as intertwined goals in tropical landscapes. This dissertation focuses on one of the proposals to address that aim: sustainable agricultural production. More precisely, it discusses the extent to which sustainable oil palm expansion can be a viable option to reconcile conservation and development in the Brazilian Amazon. The book’s eight chapters analyse in great detail an expansion process shaped by a unique governance context characterized by robust measures to prevent the deforestation of primary forests and to use degraded lands, and to support the inclusion of smallholder farmers in the business through contract farming schemes. It does so grounded in extensive fieldwork activities carried out between 2014 and 2015 in the Amazonian state of Pará, where the bulk of Brazil’s agricultural investments are located. Brazil has achieved remarkable outcomes in terms of preventing deforestation and stimulating a fairer and more equitable distribution of benefits. This shows that oil palm expansion is not necessarily associated with devastating consequences, such as those observed in Southeast Asia. Yet, the Brazilian model does have some important limitations in terms of inclusivity and viability, which questions its socio-environmental orientation in the long run. By discussing the observed merits and failures, the case study presented here provides an interesting example of the existing challenges and dilemmas encountered when attempting to align agricultural development, poverty alleviation, and forest conservation.
This defense is part of the LIFFE program with CIFOR, and is a partnership with LANDac.
Address: Academiegebouw, Domplein 29, Utrecht
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
LANDac 2020 Conference | Call for Sessions Extended!
Land Governance Challenges
and Climate Change:
Handling Pressures, Upholding Rights
2-3 July 2020
Muntgebouw Utrecht, The Netherlands
The LANDac Annual International Conference offers a podium for researchers, practitioners and private sector representatives interested in land governance for equitable and sustainable development. The 2020 Conference looks at the challenges that climate change poses for land governance systems, processes and actors and at relevant lessons that can be drawn from experiences with land governance to date.
Last Updated: 12th December 2019 by Coordinator
New America | Future of Property Rights Program: Call for “Frontier Fellows”
About the Future of Property Rights Program:
New America’s Future of Property Rights Program (FPR) was founded to answer the following question: Why is a quarter of the world’s population unable to exercise their fundamental right to property, despite advances in technology and human development?
They believe a disconnect between policymakers and technologists is hindering progress in the global fight for land and property rights.
FPR aims to help solve global property rights challenges by shrinking the gulf between technologists and policymakers. Through research, writing, and convening, we strive to bring these two constituents into the same room. Our goal is to act as a translator between the world of drones, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, and the world of politics, laws, and institutions.
At the same time, we aim to preempt emerging property rights challenges by thinking critically about the paradigms that govern new spaces, from cyberspace to outer space.
About the Position:
The ideal candidate is a self-motivated thought leader with experience in both technology and policy or international development. The candidate should be a good multi-tasker, capable of managing day-to-day project operations and contributing to the long-term goals of FPR through coordination with New America and external colleagues, writing short articles and white papers, and speaking at events.
The fellow will primarily research and write on the intersection of land policy and technology, with a focus on ICT and the emerging power of digital data trails to prove land and property rights. As part of this role, FPR expects the fellow to stay abreast of emerging tech trends and developments that may be applicable to property rights; write short articles and research papers; liaise with stakeholders in both the property rights and tech communities; and possibly to help pilot the introduction of a new technology to solve a property rights challenge in a developing country context. Should resources materialize for a pilot, the fellow would be expected to help manage the project. Finally, the fellow must be an engaging speaker and networker, able to represent FPR to new audiences in new geographies.
Experience with innovative tech, grounding in policy and/or international development, intellectual agility, and strong organizational, research, writing and communication skills are essential for this role. This is an ideal position for someone who is familiar with international development and technology, and is able to translate that experience into a dynamic role that is part project manager, part technologist, part ambassador, and part journalist.
It is expected that the fellow will work remotely, with 1-2 trips to Washington D.C. during the course of the fellowship. The fellow may need to maintain a flexible work schedule to facilitate participation in cross-timezone meetings, within reason.
Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
Application Process:
Please submit a resume, a professionally written one-page cover letter, and a short writing sample (2-5 pages). Fellowship compensation is commensurate with experience and is competitive.
The position will be open until January 10, with an anticipated start date of mid-February 2020
For more information, vist New America’s website here.
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
WUR | Public Lecture An Ansoms: Land Lost – Land Regained in Transforming Rural Landscapes?
Public Lecture Prof An Ansoms: Land lost – land regained in transforming rural landscapes? Smallholder farmers navigating Rwanda’s agrarian land reforms.
Date: December 18th 2019
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Location: room C62, Leeuwenborch, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
In her lecture, An Ansoms will reflect on how different discourses on land reform -centred on rights, conflictuality or efficiency- have played a role in the reorganisation of Rwanda’s rural economy. Since 2007-2008, Rwandan authorities embarked upon an ambitious project to reorganise the entire agrarian sector. Instead of counting on subsistence-based family farming, the Rwandan government elaborated a Green Revolution strategy, aiming to promote productive farming through the modernisation and professionalization of the entire agrarian sector. This involved the creation of a centrally-organised land registration system, a Crop Intensification Policy and a system of performance contracts. Professor Ansoms will reflect on how the various land governance discourses were mobilised by authorities at all levels, and how they culminated in a concrete reconfiguration of the rural landscape. She will also point to how other actors involved (civil society, farmer organisations, private sector), and in particular smallholder farmers have navigated and continue to navigate within Rwanda’s agrarian and land reforms. Interestingly, the space for criticism towards the ‘modernising’ orientation of the reforms is opening up. Forms of contestation by smallholder farmers are being picked up by Rwandan policy makers, and ten years after the introduction of the New Green Revolution, this is resulting in renewed opportunities for smallholder farming.
An Ansoms is professor in development studies at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). She coordinates an interdisciplinary action-research project, titled ‘Land Rush’ (www.land-rush.org), on natural resource conflicts in conflict-prone settings in Central Africa. The interdisciplinary team is composed of African and European scholars who engage in in-depth prolonged field research in Eastern DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. They actively engage in generating scientific knowledge, but also participate in societal debates, and in reflections around the ethical and emotional challenges of research in conflict settings.
Find An on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AFiJ_5YG_U
All welcome. Registration is not necessary. This event is organised by the Conflict@WUR cluster of the CSPS.
PhD students are invited to join a Masterclass with An Ansoms in the morning of December 18th. For further information (or registration for the Masterclass) please contact Lotje.devries@wur.nl.
Posted: 9th December 2019 by Coordinator
LAND-at-scale | Vacature Programma-adviseur
Vacancy in Dutch
RVO’s LAND-at-scale is op zoek naar een nieuwe programma-adviseur.
Functieomschrijving
Betere landrechten zijn cruciaal voor resultaten op verschillende ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsthema’s. Denk maar eens aan voedselzekerheid, integraal waterbeheer, klimaatadaptatie en duurzaam bos- en grondstoffenbeheer. Maar ook aan het bevorderen van inclusieve economische groei en betere vrouwenrechten. Als programma-adviseur help je mee om veel ontwikkelingsdoelen van de Verenigde Naties te behalen.
Je zet je als programma-adviseur in voor het team Mondiale Vraagstukken Voedselzekerheid, Energie en Klimaat. Dat team is onderdeel van de afdeling Internationale Ontwikkeling binnen de Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland. Jouw inzet spitst zich toe op het programma LAND-at-scale. Dit programma versterkt essentiële land-governance-componenten die bijdragen aan structurele veranderingen in focus- en partnerlanden.
Het LAND-at-scale-programma biedt essentiële handvatten voor landbestuur aan mannen, vrouwen en jongeren die kunnen bijdragen aan structurele, rechtvaardige en inclusieve veranderingen in ontwikkelingslanden. Wij werken programmatisch en ondersteunen gevalideerde aanvragen voor technische assistentie en strategische investeringen.
Jouw taken
Voor deze taken onderhoud je intensieve contacten met overheidsinstanties in de betrokken landen, de ambassades en de bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en/of ngo’s die de projecten uitvoeren. Ook bezoek je regelmatig deze landen en zie je daar toe op de uitvoering van de projecten.
Het team Mondiale Vraagstukken Voedselzekerheid, Energie en Klimaat is ontstaan uit een splitsing van het team Mondiale Vraagstukken in twee teams: één met focus op water en één met focus op voedselzekerheid, energie en klimaat. De afdeling Internationale Ontwikkeling voert diverse programma’s uit voor het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken en het ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat. Deze zijn gericht op armoedebestrijding, onder meer door de toegang tot energie te verbeteren en de voedselzekerheid te vergroten. Bekende programma’s zijn:
Deadline: 13 december 2020
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
EADI/ISS Series | Solidarity for People Displaced by Large-Scale Investment Projects
LANDac and UU colleagues Kei Otsuki and Griet Steel recently posted a blog for the EADI/ISS Series on Solidarity for People Displaces by Large-Scale Investment Projects.
Read the blog here!
You can still join the panel by submitting an abstract before the 15th of December.