Since its launch in 2017, LandCam‘s mission has been to work with all land stakeholders in Cameroon to improve land and natural resource rights. An important part of our activities is based on a collaborative approach, which involves direct interaction and travel in the field from our teams: supporting the implementation of innovative initiatives tested on pilot sites to improve land governance; creating spaces for meetings and dialogue between stakeholders; organising workshops to strengthen the capacities of the different actors; etc.
The scale of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis that has hit our planet since the beginning of the year is unprecedented and continues to grow. Despite the preventive measures adopted last month by the Government of Cameroon, the evolution of reported cases of infection in the country raises fears of a significant spread of the epidemic, similar to what has been observed in recent weeks in many other countries. Moreover, the majority of international observers agree that it is the African continent as a whole that is at particularly high risk of a health disaster.
In this context, our priority is to safeguard the health not only of our teams, but of all the actors taking part in LandCam activities. This is why we closed on March 13th, 2020 the offices in Yaoundé of the Centre for Environment and Development (CED) and the Network for the Fight against Hunger (RELUFA). We have also suspended all activities involving travel inside and outside Cameroon. These decisions have been taken in light of the high level of danger threatening our population, and in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
This does not mean that LandCam is stopping! Land rights issues continue to be our priority, and we are determined to carry on working with you in different ways. Our team members are working from home, and have temporarily refocused on tasks that can be carried out under strict confinement. They will thereby maintain throughout this period a diligent follow-up of the activities that have been “paused”:
• Capacity building of communities, civil society organisations and local administrations in the pilot sites ;
• Support and preparation of dialogues between communities and investors;
• Follow-up on complaints regarding violations of communities’ land rights;
• Participatory mapping exercises and restitution of maps in the villages;
• Follow-up of actions carried out by women living in the vicinity of agro-industries;
• Preparation of draft proposals for the land reform;
• Organisation of the Parliament-Government dialogue 2020;
• Organisation of Land Tenure Week 2020.
Nothing has been cancelled, nothing has been forgotten! This follow-up will allow us to continue our work with you once the epidemic has been eradicated and the danger has definitely been removed from Cameroon.
In the meantime, we will actively pursue our research, dialogue, advocacy and communication activities remotely, with an increased online presence on social networks (Facebook and Twitter) and on our website www.landcam.org, where you can find all our publications and latest updates.
We remain available to answer any questions you may have.
