Access to land

Around the world, millions of people have been displaced from their homes, farms and forests to make way for private foreign investment and development projects such as dams, plantations, mines and new buildings. Sometimes the projects are for the benefit of the country, but often the main benefits go to the powerful individuals and companies that take the land.

Frequently, the people living on and using the land are not given an opportunity to participate in the decisions about whether the development takes place and how they will be affected. Instead, intimidation and violence are often used to force people from their homes and land. People may be left homeless or landless and without access to shelter, livelihoods, education and healthcare.

Some countries have even seen the rise of private militias (often backed by the state) that commit violence against poor and marginalized communities (often indigenous, Afro-descendant, or minority ethnic groups), to force them off land coveted by private developers.