Outreach Project II: Landesa Rural Development Institute

The Landesa Rural Development Institute was founded in 1967 as a result of the hardship
caused by the Vietnam War. Roy Prosterman, a Harvard educated professor of law, created the
non-profit for the purpose of protecting land rights for the rural poor. At the time of this first
operation, the rural poor in Vietnam who lost their land were often forced to join the Viet Cong
to avoid extreme poverty. The program Prosterman developed eventually led to great success in
rice yields and a major decrease in Viet Cong recruitment.
Within the last fifty years, Landesa has expanded its outreach beyond Vietnam to the
countries of China, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, and Uganda. Although Landesa has
evolved over time, its website reflects that its mission has remained the same: to help poor
countries develop and implement land laws, policies, and programs that provide ladders out of
poverty for their citizens and promote long-term economic growth. Landesa addresses the issue
of poverty by tackling it in desperate rural communities, where 75% of the worlds poorest
individuals struggle to protect their legal rights to their land. Through a variety of short-term and
long-term initiatives, Landesa creates tailor-made approaches to countries where their help is
requested and collaborates with local officials to best suit the needs of the communities.
In recognition of the fact that the demographic most harshly affected by land rights
disputes are women, Landesa created the Global Center for Womens Land Rights to specifically
research programs and develop sustainable plans to better meet the needs of these communities.
According to Landesas website, women who have security to land rights are more likely to
enjoy a number of benefits, including but not limited to: healthier lifestyles, less vulnerability to
HIV/AIDS, less likely to be victims of domestic violence, better access to micro-credit, and so
much more. The policymaking aspect of the securing of land rights is particularly critical to the

rights of women, as the status quo in many rural communities relegates women to positions of
dependence and ensures that without a husband or father, they will have no access to land rights
in any capacity.
My decision to choose Landesa was not random; despite that few of the issues plaguing
the worlds rural poor are particularly pertinent to my experiences, I feel driven to concentrate on
rural development because I come from a rural area myself. The economic development in
America ensures that few are subjected to the atrocities seen abroad, but all the same I can
identify with the consequences of geographic isolation, poor education and limited upward
mobility. The way that the rural poor are oftentimes rendered voiceless in systems of inequality
is deplorable, but individual efforts can help construct the road to a better future. By visiting
Landesas website at http://landesa.org, one can choose from a variety of activities from
hosting a gathering to raise awareness to developing fundraisers in communities to ensure that
Landesa continues to have the funding to help those who are suffering in rural communities.

Works Cited
"Landesa Landesa Partners with Governments and Local NGOs to Ensure the World's Poorest
Families Have Secure Land Rights, Which Develops Sustainable Economic Growth
and Improves Education, Nutrition, and Conservation." Landesa. Landesa, n.d. Web.
02 Apr. 2015.
"Landesa Landesa Partners with Governments and Local NGOs to Ensure the World's Poorest
Families Have Secure Land Rights, Which Develops Sustainable Economic Growth
and Improves Education, Nutrition, and Conservation." Landesa. Landesa, n.d. Web.
02 Apr. 2015.
"LandesaLandesa Partners with Governments and Local NGOs to Ensure the World's Poorest
Families Have Secure Land Rights, Which Develops Sustainable Economic Growth
and Improves Education, Nutrition, and Conservation." Landesa. Landesa, n.d. Web.
02 Apr. 2015.