Our Land, Our Future: Melanesian Land Speaking Tour
Throughout Melanesia, customary land tenure is under pressure from aid agencies such as AusAID, which want to instigate land reforms as a means to accelerate economic growth in the region. Join us to hear from two leading campaigners for land rights in Melanesia about the impacts of land reforms on Melanesian peoples, their cultures, economies and livelihoods. Joel Simo is the Director of the Land Desk at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre. Joel has published numerous works on Land in Vanuatu and has extensive experience leading grassroots community education and organising at a national level. Steven Sukot is the Campaigns Manager for the Bismarck Ramu Group (BRG), Papua New Guinea. Protecting Melanesian customary land is a major focus of BRG’s campaigns at present. Steven has been instrumental in facilitating the formation of the Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance (MILDA).
For more information contact Gary Lee at AID/WATCH
02 9557 8944; 0416 373 621 or gary@aidwatch.org.au
