Author: Roger Plant

Publisher: Minority Rights Group

Published: 1994-07-01

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13: 1897693354

LAND: A QUESTION OF SURVIVAL? The process of territorial seizure and loss began centuries ago and continues today. Foreign occupation, colonisation, resettlement, nationalisation, large-scale infrastructural development and wider economic forces have undermined – and in some cases obliterated – the land security of the world’s vulnerable minorities. Land is now a key issue in minority claims for protection. While some minorities seek restoration of lands lost in the past, others struggle to avert future dispossession, or demand equality of rights with dominant majorities. LAND RIGHTS AND MINORITIES, written by the specialist author and consultant Roger Plant, addresses the current predicament of the world’s minorities with regard to access to and use of land and other natural resources. It emphasises the law and policy framework for the recognition of minority land rights, and the available procedures through which minorities may formulate their claims. Drawing on examples from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Middle East, the report demonstrates that the legacy of past discrimination must be addressed through affirmative action, and that newly evolving policies should take into account the security of currently or potentially disadvantaged groups. Some minorities are in danger of imminent extinction; others pursue their demands with vigour. Accepting the global imperative of environmentally sustainable land use and management, this authoritative Minority Rights Group report shows how vulnerable minorities will require a range of strategies and responses to ensure their territorial security and, ultimately, their survival. Please note that the terminology in the fields of minority rights and indigenous peoples’ rights has changed over time. MRG strives to reflect these changes as well as respect the right to self-identification on the part of minorities and indigenous peoples. At the same time, after over 50 years’ work, we know that our archive is of considerable interest to activists and researchers. Therefore, we make available as much of our back catalogue as possible, while being aware that the language used may not reflect current thinking on these issues.