Engaging One of the Roots of Human Problems: Land Justice
By Dr. Viv Grigg & MATUL students
At the roots of Capitalism and Communism are theologies and practices of Land Rights - for good or ill!!! In the last decades 1.4 billion have been dispossessed of their land twice - once in the village and then finding no place moving to a little plot of land in one of the global slums. In our search for solutions to the roots of human problems, these end results of industrialization and Capitalism stand out as one of the deepest human problems we face. 1.4 billion deep.
In Nov 2023, 30 leaders from Cameroon, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, India, California, South Africa, and elsewhere were hosted by the William Carey International University MA in Transformational Urban Leadership class on Advocacy and Land Rights for two half-days online. This course and consultation are an extension of the Faith & Land Justice Network initiative begun at a Micah Network gathering some years ago.
The intensity of the struggles for each of us was evident in this impassioned gathering of activist-thinkers!!! That began with Benvictor sharing how his village had been invaded by a militia that morning, 50 people murdered houses burned.
We began globally. Bert Newton in his understated humility modeled 15 years of engagement in alliances in Pasadena, CA working for low-cost housing. Caroline Powell from South Africa, did a rapid review of the historical dynamics of land grabbing, land reform in South Africa and current implications. Grace Dyness, urban professor, shared progress through an open door in engaging UNHabitat gatherings with a faith-based initiative.
We then focussed on African realities, as we had the privilege of input from three African jurists engaged in the struggles for land justice, Ngassa Francis of the Cameroon Apostolic church, Nyumnioh David of the Cameroon Baptists, Ibrahim Buba Ahmed and Nuhu Yakubu Chayi from Nigeria. Their exercise of excellent laws, in contexts subverted by excellence in greed and excellence in corruption, surfaced again and again.
These upper-level considerations were complemented by a description of a grassroots housing project by Pr Emmanuel Temoindorof Freetown, Sierra Leone, Pr Mendi Bong, of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, responded from the MATUL student perspective with a passionate determination to see a local Cameroonian Land Justice network across the churches and with other allies take root. Ishaya Inuwa Durkwa, Nigerian social activist leader, integrated the themes of the day.
This was one small step in seeking a global evangelical response to the roots of one of the world's deepest problems. (We continue the search for a volunteer administrator to enable expansion of the next steps).
Justice-making is the work of the anointing of the Spirit of God on his servants (Isa 43:1-4).
The contents of the consultation are being edited but will be accessible here.
You may join the global Faith & Land Justice Network here.
For more information on the MA in Transformational Urban Leadership at WCIU, click here.
Dr. Viv Grigg is the Director of WCIU’s MA in Transformational Urban Leadership and the director of the Institute for Urban Leadership. He has pioneered churches, development, and advocacy agencies among the urban poor since the 1970’s in Manila, Calcutta, São Paulo, and Los Angeles. He is the author of 7 books on urban issues, numerous published articles, and is a pioneer of global urban networks. In addition to teaching, he leads the Encarnação Alliance, a global network of urban poor movement leaders.
Some books: Companion to the Poor, Cry of the Urban Poor, Spirit of Christ and the Postmodern City, Kiwinomics, SlumDwellers' Pedagogy