Land Justice Network(LJN) Background
In Uganda, land disputes are an impediment to development and social stability, affecting around 33% to 50% of Ugandans,with the most affected land tenure being the customary land tenure system. The Ugandan economy greatly depends on agriculture forming the major portion of Uganda’s foreign exchange earnings, with 60% of the farmers being women having user rights as opposed to ownership rights. Northern Uganda is the most disadvantaged region with land disputes mainly because of the discoveries of several minerals in the area. The productivity of land and the social advancement of people depend on strong and effective land laws and policies that deter land disputes.

There are several laws and policies in place purposed to handle land dealings. The Constitution of Uganda under Article 237(1), the land belongs to every citizen of Uganda, and Article 26 provides that no one shall be deprived of the opportunity to own land individually or in association with others. However, this right is notabsolute as the government has the mandate to acquire any piece of land compulsorily. The compulsory acquisition of land is governed by a number of policies to minimize violation of people’s human rights. In addition to disputes created by the government, there is subject vs. subject dispute which arises between individual persons living in a community over boundaries.

Regardless of the several guidelines established, compulsory acquisition of land by the government, and large-scale land-based investments have continued to rise to the detriment of the project-affected persons.

Rational for the proposed project
Land is an unlimited resource that has attracted the attention of the government, individuals, and private sectors causing land disputes.  Economic interests of private sectors and government, boundary confusion, and discrepancies within the land registry, laws, and policies on land. Discriminative cultural practices among women and men are still highly practiced in various parts of the country. Most of these happen as a result of limited land awareness and capacity building in transformational leadership of the communities. These have accelerated several livelihood concerns among the project-affected persons which calls for continuous awareness and sensitization of people on their land rights, and advocacy for review and passinginto law the Land Acquisition Bill.

Loss of livelihood and food insecurity: Uganda’s economy is greatly agricultural-oriented, employing about 80% of the rural population and about 64.3% of the working population  ((UBOS), 2020). Most of the project-affected persons as a result of large-scale land-based investment have lost their only source of livelihood which was agriculture thus increasing cases of food insecurity that has led to malnutrition and violent land disputes. A case in study is the Apaa Land which is currently under dispute leading to the deaths of several people in the area. This has drastically reduced people’s livelihoods who have desisted from cultivating within the area in fear for their lives. A recently concluded fact-finding mission conducted by Oxfam shows that the Karamoja region, Busia District, Kiryandongo District, and Gulu District have been greatly affected.

The inability of womento own, adequately utilize, and develop land in Uganda: In Uganda, most of the land is not titled and is owned customarily. The land is male-dominated and patriarchal impeding women from ownership of land yet, they are the biggest percentage involved in agriculture. Although women are allowed in some cases to attend meetings, as a result of discriminative cultural practices are barred from speaking in meetings neither are they allowed to make decisions that directly affect them. Their views are representedby the men. Thishas led to food insecurity with regions like Karamoja having poverty rates of 66%   section of the population cannot own and utilize land has led to food insecurity, increased poverty levels, negative climate impacts, and dependence on the male gender. The overgrazing practice within the region has greatly contributed to climate change negatively. This financial dependence is the reason we have many issues of gender-based violence to start with. Many injustices have arisen from the inability of women to access and utilizeland. With the ongoing registration of customary land, the majority of the women are still left out mainly because they are not aware of their land rights. With cases of widow inheritance in existence, women prefer to abandon the lands acquired from their previous marriages.

Project strategy

For the efficient delivery of the project, Land Justice Network will use a multifaceted approach including social norms transformation, advocacy, collaboration, stakeholder engagements, awareness creation, capacity building, documentation, gender and conflict sensitive approaches, male engagement among others.

Project Goals and Objectives
Goal: To improve tenure security, promote dispute resolution as a means of improving food security and combating climate change.

Overall objective
The overall objective of the proposed intervention is to end the numerous land disputes across the nation to harness the problem of food insecurity and climate change.

Specific Objectives
In order to achieve the overall objective, the proposed intervention aims at specific objectives of;

1. Advocacy on the impacts of climate change and food insecurity on security of tenure.

2. Amplify the voices of grassroots and urban grassroots women to bridge the existing gender inequality in land ownership that has accelerated drastic climate change and food insecurity.

3. Influence policymakers, and cultural and religious leaders, to formulate new land laws and amend the existing laws to protect the land rights of the vulnerable people.
Expected outcomes
• Advocacy on the impacts of climate change and food insecurity on security of tenure.
• Amplify the voices of grassroots and urban grassroots women to bridge the existing gender inequality in land ownership that has accelerated drastic climate change and food insecurity.

• Influence policymakers, and cultural and religious leaders, to formulate new land laws and amend the existing laws to protect the land rights of the vulnerable people.

Expected impact
• The communities are well informed of their land rights and obligations and the relevant duty bearers are sustainably responsive and accountable to the community demands in land governance, management, administration and services delivery.

• Reduction of land conflicts as a result of improved tenure security; creating an enabling socio-economic environment for the community to proactively engage in strategic agricultural production for improving household wellbeing hence reducing poverty and food insecurity.

• Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is embraced by the community as a viable approach in resolving disputes or conflicts.

• Improved agricultural productivity through secure and equal access to land and other productive resources

Target activities
1. Inception meeting with community/local leaders on project implementation.
2. Training communities on tenure security using the community engagement tool.

3. Conduct awareness on the importance of alternative dispute resolution on land-related cases to promote food security and climate change.

4. Organize capacity building workshops for women on land use, using a climate-smart agriculture strategy to counteract the negative impacts of climate change and food insecurity.

5. Build the capacity of cultural and religious leaders, to advocate for food security through the promotion of women's land rights.

6. Conduct radio talk shows on land securityto promote food security.

7. Develop and air spot messages.
The project period:
The proposed interventions are planned to run for a period of six (6) months.

Description of Key project activities
Activity 1.1 Inception meeting with community/local leaders on project implementation.
Land Justice Network will conduct a District level inception meeting that will bring District leaders, political leaders, traditional leaders, religious leaders, NGOs and CBOs in the target region in order that the project is introduced to them and being well versed with their communities, they are able to pass on the information to proactively kick-start mobilization andorganizing of their respective communities for the intervention.

Activity 1.2 Training communities on tenure security using the community engagement
          Tool.

Community-based trainings will be organized comprising of stakeholders who shall include community leaders, clan and religious leaders and community members. The focus of the community training shall be land tenure systems with an emphasis on customary and communal land rights which is the most predominant in the District of operation, women’s land rights, land management institutions, climate change adaptation, sustainable land management practices, food security, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, the formal court systems, wetland management and conservation, government land acquisition mechanisms and procedures, land mapping and registration procedures and human rights. The training sessions will enable community members to articulate and understand key issues on land rights, food security, climate change, alternative dispute resolution aimed at making communities familiar and accountable for their rights.

Activity 1.3 Conduct awareness on the importance of alternative dispute resolution on land-related cases to promote food security and climate change.

The Land Justice Network shall provide training to the community on land rights protection, alternative dispute resolution, food security, climate change and human rights, customary norms and practicesvis-à-vis state laws, protection of natural resources and the role of various stakeholders in conflict resolution and management among others. This will help to equip them with knowledge so that they are able to lead and guide their community. The awareness raising sessions will equip them with more skills and knowledge to be able to resolve disputes in the community, provide relevant information in promotion of food security and climate change.

Activity 1.4 Organize capacity-building workshops for women on land use, using a climate-smart agriculture strategy to counteract the negative impacts of climate change and food insecurity.
To consolidate itsawareness raising session, Land justice network shall engage women on gender equality, women land rights, food security and climatechange since land tenure significantly and positively impacts both household food security and welfare with women playing a major role. Climate change such as drought negatively affects food security and household welfare and thus the need for women to adopt sustainable land use practices to avert the negative effect of climate change in order to ensure food security and sustainable livelihood.
Activity 1.5 Build the capacity of cultural andreligious leaders, to advocate for food security through the promotion of women's land rights.
LJN shall provide training to cultural leaders and religious leaders. The training will equip them with the knowledge to lead and guide their community. The training will cover land rights protection with emphasis on women land rights, alternative dispute resolution, food security and climate change. After the training, the cultural leaders and religious leaders shall relay the message to the community therebycontributing to the strategic results of the project.
The trained leaders will thereafter support the community in awareness creation, dispute resolution, in the community and offer referral pathway. After project closure, these leaders will remain in the community to continue offering services to their people.
Activity 1.5 Conduct radio talk shows on land security to promote food security.

Two radio talk shows will be conducted during the period of intervention. These talk shows will be one of the core mechanisms through which dissemination of information to the rural population will be done. Through this means, information is disseminated not only to the project area but beyond thereby creating a multiplier effect. Talk shows will be conducted on a local radio station with wide coverage and listenership of both the intervention area and neighboring areas as well. The talk show will cover topical issues on land, alternative dispute resolution, food security and climate change.  The talk show will be facilitated by LJN staff and three other stakeholders involved in the project to be selected during the intervention. The radio talk show will complement the training and awareness creation efforts since they have the potential of reaching a wider spectrum of the communityand the community members shall be allowed to participate in the talk shows through incoming calls and the questions and /or concerns shall be addressed by the experts during the show.
The radio talk shows are very important because most of the community members listen to radios and they tend to take what is aired on the radio more seriously and this makes radio talk shows very relevant in information dissemination.
Activity 1.6 Develop and air spot messages.
In addition to the radio talk show, one spot message will be developed and aired on the local radio station. The spot message will enable the community to have a continued reminder on key areas within land rights protection, food security and climate change.  The community members will be involved and shall contribute to the development of the spot message so that they can be able to express issues that affect their livelihoods hence enabling wider redress of the issues.