Advocate for the passage of the Land Rights Act (LRA) by raising aware ness about its pro-community provisions among rural populations, diversifying the pool of advocates supporting the law, conducting a national media campaign, and engaging high-level national and international stakeholders - Rights + Resources - Supporting Forest Tenure, Policy, and Market Reforms

Country:

Liberia

Date:

2016

Implementor:

SDI

Funding Amount:

46,570

Details:

Although the (LRA) did not pass during the SRM period, the advocacy strategy of the CSO Working Group on Land Rights (CSO WG) allowed for maximum impact with minimal resources, broadening the network of CSOs and bringing the LRA back to the national legislative agenda. The CSO WG released a position statement on passing the 2014 version of the LRA, garnering widespread national and international media coverage. Mobilizing large numbers of community members, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders was central to the CSO WG’s advocacy efforts. A People’s Forum on the LRA convened 120 individuals (and led to direct meetings with President Johnson Sirleaf, the Pro Temp, and the Speaker of the Parliament); a sit-in at the country’s capitol building brought 500 participants to push for the law’s passage; and a petition garnered over 10,000 signatures from 13 of Liberia’s counties. Following a series of bilateral meetings with the CSO WG, the EU, AU, ECOWAS, and the UNMIL all committed to leverage their power and influence to push for the LRA. Also, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General held meetings with both the House and the Senate to urge them to prioritize the bill’s passage prior to the UN’s departure from Liberia in fall 2017. Since the LRA did not pass in 2016, the CSO WG began to develop follow-up advocacy strategies, including directly engaging legislators about the law’s importance and emphasizing the LRA as an electoral issue, in light of Liberia’s 2017 elections.