Tenure Issues Research Articles

The politics of participation: Negotiating relationships through community forestry in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala

Abstract Since the 1970s, Community forestry (CF) initiatives have sought to combine sustainable forestry, community participation and poverty alleviation. Like other community-based forms of natural resource management (CBNRM), CF has been lauded for its potential to involve local people in conservation while opening new opportunities for economic development. However, CF programmes are not always successful, economically or ecologically, and, by devolving new powers and responsibilities to an abstractly defined “community,” they risk exacerbating existing patterns of social exclusion, and creating new conflicts. In this paper we mobilise a relational concept of negotiation within a political ecology framework to explore how the power relations of CF are addressed and transformed in a region where issues of conflict and tenure security have long shaped the social forest. Specifically, we focus on the emergence and consolidation of ACOFOP [Asociacion de Comunidades Forestales de Peten], a Forest Based Association in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in the Peten region of Guatemala, where CF has been practised for 25 years. Emphasising the importance of longer histories of social movements and organisations to local capacities for CF, we explore the conditions of possibility that enabled ACOFOP to emerge, as well as the strategies it has adopted to make national regulatory frameworks work for local communities. Through qualitative analysis derived from participatory research, interviews and ethnographic data, we trace four key areas of ACOFOP’s model of accompaniment (participatory decision-making; conflict resolution; advocacy and capacity-building) that have been developed in response to the negotiation of political issues pertaining to, and stemming from, the practice of CF. Highlighting ongoing challenges, and key strategies for CBNRM in other contexts, we conclude by emphasising that systems of community management cannot be “equitable,” or indeed sustainable, if political issues of access and tenure are not kept central to questions of participation.

Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Urban Farming in South African Low-Income Settlements: A Case Study in Durban

Growing urban centres have been attracting ever higher numbers of rural migrants, including small-scale farmers, looking for better opportunities due to the rise of large-scale farming, loss of land and climate change. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of spontaneous and informal settlements being constructed as cities do not keep up with the planning and infrastructure development for new arrivals. Urban dwellers in informal, unplanned settlements where issues of land tenure and access to services are prevalent have, consequently, been exposed to precarious living conditions with limited access to food and water scarcity. Urban agriculture (UA) strategies have been adopted by those residents to alleviate poverty and food insecurity, and have been seen to perform other functions, such as environmental, social, cultural and developmental. This study explores challenges and opportunities for sustainable urban farming as an integrated environmental management strategy for the upgrading of informal settlements in three case studies in Durban. This paper demonstrates the need for municipalities to support community driven processes to ensure sustainability of UA initiatives and sustained investment for maintenance. Policy makers need to create an enabling environment for academics, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector to co-develop water efficient solutions to manage the food-water nexus and capitalise on localised community structures and groups, such as co-operatives and women groups.

Reflections on How State–Civil Society Collaborations Play out in the Context of Land Grabbing in Argentina

We examine collaborations between the state and civil society in the context of land grabbing in Argentina. Land grabbing provokes many governance challenges, which generate new social arrangements. The incentives for, limitations to, and contradictions inherent in these collaborations are examined. We particularly explore how the collaborations between the provincial government of Santiago del Estero and non-government organizations (NGOs) played out. This province has experienced many land grabs, especially for agriculture and livestock production. In response to protest and political pressure, two provincial agencies were established to assist communities in relation to land tenure issues (at different stages). Even though many scholars consider state–civil society collaborations to be introduced by nation states only to gain and maintain political power, we show how rural communities are actually supported by these initiatives. By empowering rural populations, active NGOs can make a difference to how the negative implications of land grabbing are addressed. However, NGOs and government agencies are constrained by global forces, local political power plays, and stakeholder struggles.

Certification of tropical forests: A private instrument of public interest? A focus on the Congo Basin

Forest management certification seems to be stagnating or even receding in the Congo basin. This is attributable to the financial difficulties of some European companies, but might also be a consequence of unexpected interactions with the FLEGT process, which is lagging behind in the Congo Basin. Although this process and private certifications are expected to be complementary, the reluctance of EU authorities to give certified timber a “green lane” for entering the European market may discourage concessionaires from seeking a stringent certificate, while the demand for timber is increasingly shifting towards markets in China and other emerging countries that are not ready to pay a “price premium”. An underlying issue is the difficulty in qualifying the added value of certified timber over legal timber, although some research has shown how certification has closed loopholes in public regulations. Recognition of the public interest of certification could be achieved through fully trusting private certificates for due diligence procedures and, eventually, for obtaining FLEGT licences. Public verification and traceability efforts would be re-centred on non-certified timber and the informal sector, which intersects with forest tenure issues. While some countries wish to make certification compulsory, this article prefers to propose the use of financial incentives through differentiated forest taxes, in order to preserve the credibility of standards, and it details potential mechanisms that could reinforce the independence of auditors.

Building resilience through ecosystem restoration and community participation: Post-disaster recovery in coastal island communities

In post-disaster recovery phases, many communities reduce their vulnerabilities to future disasters by implementing community-based approaches. However, since these processes impact resource allocation, access to natural resources, and benefit distributions, these efforts have changed the environment and altered social relations. Therefore, this research explores how disaster empowers or disempowers stakeholders by investigating the interdependence of social relations in post-disaster natural resource management. After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the island of Koh Klang demonstrated resilience in restoring its ecosystem. Koh Klang island was used as a case study in this research, and this island experienced a community-based project in its recovery effects. Interviews and participant observations were conducted in the field in 2014 to collect firsthand information from local residents, NGOs, and the public sector. Text and discourse analyses were conducted based on interview data, government documents, and field notes. The findings show that after a disaster, natural resources and embedded social norms form the basis for a resilient community. Using community- and ecosystem-based methods fosters a community's environmental and social resilience and prepares it to respond to future disasters. However, such methods can also transform local politics, especially when residents' inequitable vulnerabilities and access to power are coupled with jurisdictional and land tenure issues. This research recommends that disaster recovery and mitigation policies are scaled to local levels.

Principals’ conceptions of teachers’ power basis: a phenomenographic study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the various ways in which a group of principals conceptualize the power basis of teachers within teacher–principal interactions.Design/methodology/approachThe present study takes power as a potential to influence people as it was conceptualized in the taxonomy developed by French and Raven (1959/1968) and Raven (1993). This taxonomy was also used to discuss the conceptions emerged in the interview data. A total of 16 principals, 8 from public schools and 8 from private schools, were interviewed.FindingsThe phenomenographic analysis of the interviews with the 16 principals revealed five ways of understanding teachers’ power basis. These conceptions (in the form of categories of description) were: (a) the principal’s sense of reciprocity, (b) teachers’ field-specific knowledge, (c) teachers’ administrative experience, (d) teachers’ union affiliation and (e) teachers’ legal rights. Categories (a) and (b) were common to all the study’s participants. Category (c) was unique to participants from private schools, while categories (d) and (e) were unique to participants from public schools.Research limitations/implicationsThree topics – the subtler forms of legitimate power, the issue of teacher tenure and the influence of unions on the educational system – appeared to have potential for interesting future studies in the field of educational management.Practical implicationsThere is an apparent need to include social power as a course component in preparatory programs for educational administrators. The revised power taxonomy, which took its final form after the revisions made by Raven (1993), appeared to be an adequate explanatory theory to understand the teachers’ bases of power, and as such, it can be used to structure the content of the course about power interactions in school settings. In addition, the Turkish Ministry of National Education should handle the issue of unions’ improper influence over the educational system and take necessary measures in order to maintain the effective functioning of public schools.Originality/valueTo date, subordinates’ bases of power as a research subject has apparently been ignored. The present study is the first to reveal variations in the ways that school principals conceptualize teachers’ basis of power. Although the study data were collected in one city in Turkey, the research implications drawn from its findings can inspire interest in this neglected field of study all around the world.

Land Tenure and Challenges of Tenure Security: The Case of Dedo District, South Western Ethiopia

This study examined rural land tenure issues using mixed research approach. Survey data were collected from 203 randomly selected respondents and qualitative data were generated from focus group discussions, in-depth and key informant interviews. Informal means of land access predominates in the area though some mechanisms such as renting for long period and purchasing deviates from the Federal and regional rural land administration proclamations. Women access to land is not a norm; it is possibility. Established customs held about women victimse their land right mainly post-divorce. Attributed to land fragmentation, competition overland is soaring mainly between natives and illegal settlers. Competition over forestland and land reserved for grazing negatively affected land tenure security. Land expropriation for mining industries also invoked tenure insecurity as it affects not only current holding but also erodes the readiness of farmers to cultivate fearing that they will be dispossessed. Land certification was perceived to enhance tenure security among those who were issued but manipulation by local elites and fraud compromised land rights of rural poor. Conflicts arising from traditional boundary surveying and false certification were found to affect sustainable land utilisation. Land tenure system in the area also affects the environmental resources and livelihood security of the people. This calls for robust land management strategies, which integrates customary land tenure to emerging land administration technologies to assure sustainable utilisation of environmental resources.

The Effectiveness of Policy Implementation of Sultan Syarif Hasyim Forest Park in Riau Province

Since it was established as the Sultan Syarif Hasyim Forest Park in 1999, the implementation of policies management has not been effective due to increase of land tenure issue which has caused deforestation to become oil palm planation. The objective of this study was to formulate a strategy to increase the effectiveness of SSH Forest Park policies management. The SSH Forest Park policy management incapability of facts and implementation were influenced by high political and economic interests, participation and low level of community empowerment, human resources competencies and the low responsiveness of target groups. Those are due to the ineffectiveness of the policy content and policy environment implementation so to improve the implementation of the policy the government needs to streamline the contents of the policy and policy environment implementation. This also needs to be supported by reforms and governance arrangements to address policy gaps and implementation in the field such as strengthening and optimizing protection, agroforestry and ecotourism partnerships, zoning integration, improving communication for targeted groups in terms of implementation effectiveness of SSH management policies. Keywords: effectiveness, forest park SSH, implementation, land tenure, policy

Three phases of Danish cohousing: tenure and the development of an alternative housing form

Broadly understood as a housing form that combines individual dwellings with substantial common facilities and activities aimed at everyday living, Danish cohousing communities (bofællesskaber) are often seen as pioneering and comparatively successful. Yet, in spite of frequently being mentioned or addressed as case studies in the growing literature on cohousing and, more generally, alternative forms of housing, Danish cohousing experiences have not been systematically analysed since the 1980s. Emphasizing broader trends and evolving societal contexts, this article investigates the development of Danish cohousing over the past five decades. Through this historical analysis, the article also draws attention to the largely neglected issue of tenure structures in the evolution of cohousing. The multifaceted phenomenon of cohousing cannot and should not be reduced to issues of tenure. But if cohousing is to spread and contribute affordable alternatives to mainstream housing, tenure structures should be a key concern.

Pakistan's Law for Removal of Superior Courts Judges: Safeguards to Independence of Judiciary v/s Duty of Executive to Probe into Conduct of Judges

The story of independence of judiciary starts with the exit of King James II from England consequent to the “Glorious Revolution” of 1688. The subsequent regime of William and Mary was accepted by the people of England with one of the condition, amongst other, that they would respect the tenure of the judges because it was essential to their true independence of mind and of action. This revolutionary achievement, it is said, eliminated the intimidation of the judiciary by the Crown in England for all times to come. In Pakistan, the mandatory age for retirement of Judges is provided in its Constitution. A Supreme Court Judge can serve up to the age of 68 years, and a High Court Judge can serve up to the age of 62 years. Otherwise they can only be removed from office in accordance with the provisions of Constitution. The retirement age for Supreme Court and High Court judges can only be altered by passing of a Constitution Amendment Act (under its Articles 238 and 239) by the parliament by the two-third majority of its both houses respectively. However, things do not end just by concluding that a Constitution Amendment Act is sufficient to alter the tenure of Judges of Superior Courts. There are other important provisions affecting this subject matter, which merit studying. Those are Articles 175 (3) and 209 of Pakistan's Constitution that are discussed in this article. For convenient reading the body of this article has been arranged into seven parts as below. The first part serves as an introduction to concept of independence of judiciary and its nexus to the issue of tenure of judges. The second part identifies the international declarations as to independence of judiciary and tenure of judges that Pakistan has subscribed to. The third part comments on the constitutional scheme for separation of judiciary from executive in Pakistan. The fourth part highlights substantive thresholds, under Pakistan’s law, as to proceedings before the Supreme Judicial Council, when it is called upon (by the President) to provide its opinion on the misconduct of a Supreme Court or High Court Judge. The fifth part analyses procedural thresholds, under Pakistan’s law, as to handling of a complaint alleging misconduct by a Judge as aforesaid. The sixth reviews the definition and scope of misconduct allegation that can be entertained against a sitting Judge as aforesaid, and the seventh part serves as the conclusion to this article. Pakistan must not allow the executive branch to interfere in tenure of the offices of Judges at Superior Courts! … because such interference damages independence of judiciary! … because such interference creates the risk of reducing public confidence in judiciary! … because such interference creates chilling effects on the constitutional guarantee for fundamental right of citizens’ access to justice!

Free Speech on Campus by Sigal R. Ben-Porath

Reviewed by: Free Speech on Campus by Sigal R. Ben-Porath Ashenafi Alemu Aboye, Ph.D, Sessional Lecturer Sigal R. Ben-Porath. Free Speech on Campus. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017. 128 pp. Hardcover: $16.49 (List price on amazon). ISBN 978–0–8122–5007–7 Sigal R. Ben-Porath, a professor of philosophy and education and a former chair of the university's Committee on Open Expression at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote Free Speech on Campus, a detailed documentation of controversial issues surrounding academic freedom. The book is organized into a preface, four chapters, and a conclusion and practical guideline section that spans over 128 pages including the notes and acknowledgments. In the preface, Ben-Porath offers readers the context in which she experienced the issue of free speech on campus, the sit-in incident staged by students at the University of Pennsylvania that was later resolved through negotiation after the students' staged the protest for about two days. From there, Ben-Porath proceeds further to a brief introduction of the forthcoming chapters to her readers. In Chapter 1, entitled "The State of the Debate," the writer presents the different perspectives of the argument along with concrete examples from real-life incidents across the universities in the United States. In this section, Ben-Porath mentions a number of crucial incidents on campus including controversial issues such as the Halloween Costumes and Safe space at Yale, Struggling for Racial Equality in Missouri, Rejecting Trigger Warning in Chicago, and Chasing Away Controversial Speakers at Berkley and Middleburg, among others. What is most important about this chapter is the fact that the writer traced the different views that are challenging, controversial, as well as limiting and surrounding free expression on campus. After critically reflecting on the misconceptions and barriers to free speech on campus, Ben-Porath proceeds to Chapter 2, entitled "Inclusive freedom", where she develops this notion of inclusive freedom as a framework that can operate in all contexts. In advancing the argument for freedom of expression on campus, Ben-Porath develops the notion of inclusive freedom and makes recommendations in response to the polarizing views of the intellectual left and right wing advocates. In the chapter, BenPorath presents why it is essential to allow free speech for all stakeholders, simultaneously recognizing the demands of vulnerable groups, the issue of diversity on campus, avoiding harm as well as diversifying curricula. The major foundation of the argument for inclusive freedom is also fortified in her re-affirmation of the fact that "free speech and inquiry are central tenets of the university or college life and its mission, and that diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be respected" (pp. 42–43). In Chapter 3, entitled "Identity and Free Speech on the Quad," and Chapter 4, entitled "Putting Civility in its Place," the writer suggests the ways to implement inclusive freedom in the public context and in classrooms, respectively. In the third chapter, the writer specifically advocates for inclusive freedom while challenging the complexities in the notion of safe space, identity, harmful speech, and civility, among others. An interesting read in the chapter comes where the writer discusses two types of safety: Intellectual and dignitary safety. On the one hand, the writer advocates for dignitary safety, which refers to "the sense of being an equal member of the community and of being invited to contribute to a discussion as valued participant" (p. 62). On the other hand, she states that intellectual safety, the refusal to listen to difference and as a [End Page E-1] denial of opposing viewpoints, is harmful to free inquiry (p. 62). Similarly, in "Putting Civility in its Place," the writer raises crucial issues that curtail free expression in the classroom, ranging from the issue of tenure to campus student groups and their leaders in the light of identity. In this section, the writer states the need to distinguish between speech inside and outside the classroom, the notion of safety in these two contexts, and how these can be dealt with in the light of inclusive freedom as a framework. The writer argues that intellectual safety should be rejected in the classroom and that students and instructors should...

Toward a tenure-responsive approach to forest landscape restoration: A proposed tenure diagnostic for assessing restoration opportunities

The Bonn Challenge, a voluntary global initiative launched in 2011, aims to bring up to 350 million hectares of degraded land into some level of restorative state by 2030. Pilot forest landscape restoration (FLR) efforts indicate that enhancing community and smallholder tenure rights is critical for achieving FLR’s desired joint environmental and social well-being objectives. The Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) is a decision support tool that has become widely used in national and subnational FLR planning. Although ROAM is structured so as to encourage inclusion of tenure rights and governance analyses, the extent to which ROAM reports actually incorporate tenure issues is undocumented. To address this gap, we report the results of an analysis of the currently publicly accessible ROAM reports from eight countries in Africa and Latin America. We found that the ROAM reports superficially covered tenure and governance considerations. We recommend design elements for a tenure diagnostic that should facilitate more robust tenure and land governance analyses – to complement ROAM and other FLR planning approaches. We suggest the adoption of a rights-enhanced FLR approach so as to capitalize on the motivating force that strong and secure tenure rights provide for landholders to engage in forest restoration design and practice. Although developed in the context of FLR, the proposed tenure diagnostic should have broad utility for other land use initiatives where tenure rights and security are at stake.

Faculty Advising: Roles, Rewards, and Requisites

AbstractIn this chapter, the challenges and controversies of faculty advising are addressed in a panel‐discussion format, from the various lenses of academic leadership, faculty, and faculty development. The panel discusses issues of workload, promotion and tenure, and accountability related to academic advising roles and responsibilities.

Farmers’ Participation in Agroforestry System in Northwestern Nigeria

The aim of this study is to assess agroforestry practices in Northwestern Nigeria with a view to bringing to light some salient features of the system for maximising benefits and improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the study area. A total of one hundred and sixty six smallholder farmers were sampled using random technique from five hundred and fifty farmers’ listed by the contact forum in the study area. Questionnaire was administered to the one hundred and sixty six smallholder farmers with a view to examining the level of farmers’ participation in agroforestry in six villages namely Kabobi and Garki in Katsina State, Bulangu and Abonabo in Jigawa State, Bobo in Zamfara State and Gulma in Kebbi State. Interview was also conducted with ten farmers in Bulangu, Kabobi and Gulma to provide explanations on the limitation to acceptance of agroforestry innovations in the study area. Data collected with the questionnaire was analysed using simple percentage and frequency in order to measure dispersion among sampled farmers. Data collected from the interview was coded, transcribed and presented in textual form in the paper. Result of the study revealed that seven agroforestry systems (alley cropping, boarder line planting, scattered planting, woodlot, apiculture, orchard and home garden) were practiced in the area. Orchard and home garden were not practiced in Kabobi, the northern most of the villages. It also indicated farmers’ level of participation for the seven identified technologies as follows: Alley cropping (25.63%), boarder line planting (16.25%), scattered trees on farmland (36.25%), woodlot (1.25%), orchard (1.88%), apiculture (8.75%) and home gardens (10.00%). The key factors limiting acceptance of innovations include: l) lack of tree seedling (25.00%), land tenure issues (17.50%), long tree gestation period of indigenous species (50.63%) and insect attack (06.88%). This study recommended that farmers should be educated more on agroforestry technologies through mass media programmes and ICT.

Promotion & Tenure Procedures: A Study of U.S. Academic Libraries

This article reports on the results of a study of tenure and promotion procedures at U.S. institutions where academic librarians are faculty. The author surveyed librarians from 200 institutions of higher education on promotion and tenure issues, and received 104 responses. Topics covered include: who performs reviews, whether organizations use library committees and/or university wide ones, how many external reviewers are used and what they are asked to review, and what documentation guides these processes. The results were compared for (1) institutional control (public/private), (2) small, medium, and large institutions, and (3) simplified basic Carnegie classification. The statistical results are presented.

Collateral: The Sword of Damocles of the Small-scale Farmers; Land Tenure Issues in Africa

Introduction:Numerous studies have been conducted on tenure and how it affects agricultural productivity. However, in Africa, its complexity emanates from the existence of various types of land tenure systems. This study examined hypotheses derived from the economic theory of property rights.Problem Statement:It is difficult to comprehend the manner in which land tenure issues influences farmer incentives. A perception is held regarding the complexity of instituting policy reforms to ‘fix’ tenure problems.Methodology:Thе еconomic rеѕеarch rеѕultѕ rеlatеd to land tеnurе, tеnurе ѕеcurity and thеir impact on land invеѕtmеntѕ and agricultural productivity, and how thеѕе rеlatе to hypothеѕеѕ gеnеratеd from thе еconomic thеory of propеrty rightѕ in Africa were evaluated. The study is essentially a qualitative approach and is based on literature review and secondary data sources.Results:There is an intimate link between Land tenure development and various constructs of political economic issues such as governance, democracy, empowerment, social justice, equity and development. Consequently, until the recognition of historical issues and political challenges associated with resource redistribution, any solutions to land and tenure questions will lack context and will fail to fulfil the crucial aim of transforming property relations and creating social change. There are convergence and divergence of economic research on land tenure.Conclusion:Land tenure reform is a time-consuming process requiring thorough public consultation and careful preparation. Recently, many international organisations and governments have embarked on land purchases/grabs in Africa exposing smallholder farmers to the arbitrary land acquisition and hence, exacerbating food insecurity in Africa.

To What Extent Is Addressing Property Rights an Effective Strategic Tool for Supporting the Rural Poor in Colombia?

Considering former FARC members’ re-integration into society as well as farmers longing for a return to their lands, it is clear that Colombia must devise a plan for inclusive rural economic development and economic growth that helps lift people out of poverty. Such a plan must address land tenure issues and help integrate Colombia’s farmers and rural workers into the formal economy. Yet, there is no simple, seemingly magical, solution to the complex challenge of rural poverty in Colombia. This essay discusses how property rights can serve as an effective strategic tool for supporting the rural poor. Moreover, property rights combined with an effective land reform process can help improve the lives of thousands of Colombians as long as these efforts are supported by other complementary policy prescriptions.

Letter From the Editor

Letter From the Editor Christopher Gaffney Colegas e camaradas, As many of you know, this is my last issue as editor of JLAG. It has been a rewarding and intense four years and I have been fortunate to work with a talented and dedicated team of associate editors, book review editors, guest editors, copy editors, International Board members, graphic designers, authors, reviewers, and collaborators. Before going any further, I would like to thank the core members of the JLAG team: Jörn Seemann, Johnny Finn, Eric Carter, Martha Bell, Jim Freeman, Andrew Sluyter, Kendra McSweeney, Brad Jockish, and the CLAG board. Your heavy lifting, conversations, and teamwork in bringing the 12 issues of my tenure to fruition were of vital importance to our collective success. As I have moved the editorship from the Universidade Federal Fluminense, to the University of Zürich, to New York University, JLAG’s form and content has been enriched through the conversas, inspiration, and support from colleagues in each of those institutions. In taking over the editorship from David Robinson, my team and I were faced with persistent questions about how to open JLAG more explicitly to new contributors while maintaining the journal as a traditional and accessible outlet for CLAG members. In this project, I feel we have been successful as our full-text downloads have increased by around 10,000 per year, with more than 28,000 downloads in 2017. We are on pace to top this in 2018. A felicitous outcome of this readership increase is that we have a steady pipeline of articles and are publishing thicker volumes with extremely good content. Our rankings in citation indices have crept up steadily and we are attracting a broader, more diverse range of scholars to our pages. Increased readership has brought more money to CLAG and JLAG, allowing us to take longer working with authors and reviewers and to invest in copy editing. This extra revenue will result in more grants for students which will hopefully create a virtuous feedback loop with JLAG for years to come. These gains might not have been possible without a number of other critical interventions that we undertook over the past four years. We instituted an online submission and review platform, created a new website for the journal and for CLAG (with thanks to Tim Norris). We introduced a JLAG forum section, JLAG Perspectives, JLAG Retrospective, and a series of special issues. We have started ad swaps with prominent Latin American academic publications, actively promote our articles on Twitter @JLatAm-Geog, and will be hosting the second JLAG Annual Lecture at the 2019 AAG in Washington D.C. This year we published abstracts in Mandarin for the first time and have created significant momentum for the incoming editorial team, led by Johnny Finn, to pick up and run with. As the Americas move deeper into turbulent political waters, maintaining JLAG as a site of sustained, critical engagement will [End Page 6] become ever more necessary. The unfolding traumas of the “border” between the United States and Latin America have never been more poignant; we have sought to publish authors who speak to the need for academics to engage public policy debates and to become more deeply involved in the lived realities of the regions most vulnerable populations. While I understand that there are some concerns about the “overt politicization” of academic debates, I hold that the academy is not a politically neutral site of intellectual production but rather an active political field. The need for critical scholarship that reaches beyond the academy has never been more urgent. While this is not, of course, the only form of political engagement that is open to us, it is one to which I hope these four years of my editorship have given some impetus for this to occur in the pages of JLAG. This last issue of my tenure is the product of a classic CLAG interaction. Matt Fry and Elvin Delgado approached me back in 2016 with an idea for a special issue on the petroleum industry in Latin America. We met over pints at the AAG in Boston in 2017 and hashed out the broad outlines of a...

Польське землеволодіння правобережної України у працях дореволюційних дослідників.

The article deals with the analysis of the pre-revolutionary works on the issue of Polish land tenure in the provinces of Right-Bank Ukraine. Presented are the views of the researchers of the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries on the origin of the Polish land tenure and its development. The incorporation of Right-Bank Ukraine into the Russian Empire changed the position of Polish landowners, which contributed to the increased interest of the pre-revolutionary researchers. The achievements of those authors are of great interest because they present a deep research into the phenomenon they could witness. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the works created in the second half of the ХІХ – early ХХ centuries on the problem of Polish land tenure in Ukrainian provinces. The paper is based on the principles of scientific objectivity and historicism; in the research, analytical-synthetic, statistical, historical-typological methods were applied. The paper presents a study of the pre-revolutionary authors’ (mostly historians’ and economists’) works. In general, pre-revolutionary researchers were focused on Russia’s landlord's economy, with Poland being mentioned only in its context, namely in the legislative system of the autocracy to weaken the Polish influence and reduce their land tenure. A characteristic feature of pre-revolutionary studies is that they provide us with a vast array of statistical material concerning the land tenure of RightBank Ukraine.

IDENTIFIKASI PERUBAHAN TUTUPAN DAN PENGGUNAAN LAHAN SEBAGAI DASAR PENENTUAN STRATEGI PENGELOLAAN KPHP WAY TERUSAN

Encroachment on forest areas in Indonesia occurs due to various factors mainly related to tenure issues and economic interests. That encroachment occurred in all regions of Indonesia with vary in intensity and amount. Register 47 Way Terusan which has been designated as a KPHP model Way Terusan also being occupied by squatters since the 1990s. The communities within and around the KPHP Way Terusan area has highly dependency on forest resources. The data collection is done in several ways, namely: interviews, literature searches, downloads Landsat satellite imagery and field verification activities. Landsat images Scene: Path 123 and Row 063 for the year 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Data analysis was conducted using NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and supervised classification. The results of the analysis of land cover in 1994 until 2014 shows the intensity of dynamics of land cover change in the region KPHP Way Terusan. Land cover changes caused as a result of choice of the type of vegetation that has higher economic value. In 2014, the use of cassava cultivation was the highest (55.24%) because of its high economic value, convenient cultivation and market demand. Partnership with agroforestry pattern most likely applied as management strategy policies to accommodate the interests of various stakeholders in KPHP Way Terusan.