12 March 2024
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Story VALENTINO NDABA
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Photo SUPPLIED
Diving deep into the intricacies of land tenure in rural communities at the International Interdisciplinary Security of Land Tenure Conference.
The University of the Free State (UFS), in collaboration with esteemed research partners, announces the International Interdisciplinary Security of Land Tenure (IISLT) Conference scheduled for 6-8 May 2024. The conference aims to address the pervasive issue of insecure land rights plaguing rural communities in South Africa, despite constitutional safeguards and landmark legal decisions. Organised by the UFS Faculty of Law, the event will be held on the university's Bloemfontein Campus.
Under the theme Transforming the rural land economy: the creation of secure land rights for the enhancement of rural livelihoods and sustainable development, the conference seeks to explore solutions to the complex challenges surrounding land tenure security.
Dr Anthea-Lee September-Van Huffel, Lecturer in the UFS Department of Private Law and a member of the IISLT Planning Committee, emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to address land tenure security issues. She stated, "Security of land tenure requires an interdisciplinary approach that is conscious of the intersectionalities between property, environmental law and conservation, customary law and succession, gender and traditional practices, natural resources and socio-economic rights, agriculture and land reform, poverty, politics and governance."
Conference details:
- Date: 6-8 May 2024
- Venue: UFS Bloemfontein Campus
- Registration fee: R2 600
- Gala dinner: 6 May 2024
- Cocktail function: 8 May 2024
- Papers are to be presented in person. Register here.
- The event will be livestreamed, with limited online participation.
Call for papers:
The Planning Committee invites abstracts addressing interdisciplinary research on the security of land tenure rights. Interested participants are encouraged to submit abstracts by 10 April 2024, with registration closing on 15 April 2024. Abstracts should not exceed 500 words and must include the author's full name, institutional affiliation, and email address. Dr September-Van Huffel (SeptemberVanHuffelA@ufs.ac.za) will handle abstract submissions.
Click here for more information about the call for papers.
Publication opportunity:
Selected papers will be considered for publication in the special edition of the Journal of Law, Society and Development. Full papers are due by 31 July 2024.
The conference proudly collaborates with esteemed institutions such as Anglia Ruskin University in London, Imo State University in Owerri, Nigeria, the National University of Lesotho's United Nations Development Programme Human Rights Chair, the Human Rights Chair Institute for Legislative Studies at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, the Department of Jurisprudence and Internationalisation – also at the University of Ilorin, Stellenbosch University's Department of Private Law, as well as the UFS Centre for Development Studies and the Free State Centre for Human Rights.
The International Interdisciplinary Security of Land Tenure Conference presents a unique platform for stakeholders to engage in critical discussions, share insights, and propose innovative solutions towards securing land rights for rural communities and fostering sustainable development. Join us for this pivotal event aimed at transforming the rural land economy for the betterment of society. The conference is strongly aligned with Vision 130 and the Sustainable Development Goals (8) Economic growth, (10) Reduced inequalities, (11) Sustainable communities, and (15) Life on land.
Contact information: