Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Social Sustainability
This two-week practical training course, which is delivered in English, promotes understanding about and develops skills in managing the social risks and impacts associated with the development of public and private investment projects (e.g. mines, dams, highways, industry parks, electricity transmission corridors, agricultural developments, etc), and particularly issues related to land acquisition and resettlement. The course is a designated summer/winter school of the University of Groningen, is managed by Community Insights Group, and is taught in conjunction with Intersocial Consulting and Frederic Giovannetti. There have been over 10 previous offerings of this course, all of which have been highly regarded by course participants, with each course being evaluated with a mean score of around 9.0 (out of 10).
Rationale for the course
Research into the displacement of people required for large projects generally shows that they are made worse off unless the process is properly planned and managed. With an increasing number of international standards (e.g. World Bank environmental and social standards, IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights), there are established international standards and good practices that are expected to be met in the development of investment projects. However, the varying cultural and developmental contexts of different countries present significant challenges to fully implementing these standards. This training course is based on the international standards and good practice, as well as on lessons learned from practical case studies on the ground. The course is delivered by some of the world’s leading social assessment and resettlement practitioners. It seeks to provide capacity building in the practice of managing the social issues of investment projects, focusing especially on land acquisition and resettlement. It is targeted to an international audience of current and intending social performance and resettlement practitioners, and people involved in the governance of projects from public and private institutions or from international financial institutions. It is also open to advanced students interested in the practical management of social issues associated with development. For course participants who complete the optional assessment, 5 ECTS credits (at Masters level) are available.
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| Last modified: | 28 November 2023 4.01 p.m. |