How can progress be achieved in countries where Governments do not recognize the role of civil society?
This is a very delicate area. One thing the Coalition is trying to do by working with FAO and other members is to establish a common political position on land to be used as a way to lead by example. A lot of the work of the Coalition is to directly support civil society groups in each country to develop networks, to adopt common positions for advocacy and to help to improve their power, their collective power, so they can influence land policies. We are speaking about participation by poor people, who may not have previously had the chance to participate in the formation of national positions. Through the Coalition, rural people can learn about strategies that have worked in other countries. This is a way to strengthen rural peoples’ networks, so they are in a position to represent or defend their resource rights and to further their struggle from an informed standpoint. At the same time, the Coalition is trying to engage support from international donors who can also do international
