Admission requirements
Admission to the Master’s programme Law and Society.
Description
This year, this elective course focuses specifically on forced migration or displacement and the land-related challenges it raises. It is the result of a close collaboration between the Van Vollenhoven Institute (VVI) and the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), aiming to combine academic knowledge with practitioner experiences.
While forced migration is not a new phenomenon, the recent decades of intensifying globalization, conflicts, natural disasters, and the effects of climate change have made it more prominent. In 2023, more than 120 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide due to persecution, conflict, violence, climate disasters, or human rights violations. Land-related issues are at the core of displacement, acting both as drivers and critical elements in facilitating durable solutions—local integration, relocation, or voluntary return. Conflicts over land underpin pressing crises around the world—from disputed lands in Palestine to indigenous land conflicts in the Amazon basin, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, and the Darfur conflict in Sudan. This course explores the intricate relationship between forced displacement, property rights, and humanitarian interventions within a global context. It adopts a broad socio-legal, multilevel, and multidisciplinary approach to understand the dynamics of migration, displacement, and settlement patterns across the globe, and their impacts on land rights as fundamental to the fabric of civilizations.
The course commences with an exploration of the causes and consequences of forced migration. It then examines property rights as a cornerstone of societal structures, tracing the evolution of these rights from historical times to their current complexities. Subsequently, the course delves into the implications of leaving behind immovable assets and the consequences of displacement—caused either by conflict or climate-related disasters—on vulnerable communities. Finally, the course examines how land disputes act as both a symptom and a catalyst of conflict and displacement, highlighting the dichotomy of land as territory versus land as an economic asset.
By examining real-life cases such as the post-Tsunami reconstruction efforts in Aceh, the barriers to land tenure security in post-earthquake Haiti, the implications of expropriation in post-civil war Sri Lanka, the recognition of indigenous territories in the Amazon, and land issues in post-crisis Mozambique, students will gain insights into the multifaceted nature of land rights and displacement. The course also addresses the role of humanitarian action in navigating and resolving land issues—from emergency response to long-term solutions—emphasizing the importance of security of tenure as a foundation for sustainable solutions to displacement.
Course objectives
Objectives of the course
At the end of this course, students are able to:
1. Understand the significance of property rights in the historical and contemporary contexts of migration, with a focus on the dynamics of forced displacement and its impact on communities.
2. Analyze the interplay between land rights, conflict, and natural disasters, and their collective influence on migration patterns and humanitarian responses.
3. Critically assess the challenges and opportunities in reconstructing land rights in post-disaster and post-conflict settings, drawing on international case studies.
4. Evaluate the role of humanitarian action in addressing land disputes, with an emphasis on security of tenure as a crucial element in displacement solutions.
5. Develop a nuanced understanding of the legal, social, and economic dimensions of land rights in the context of forced displacement.
6. Propose innovative, practical solutions to complex land rights and displacement challenges, considering the perspectives of displaced communities, host countries, and humanitarian organizations.
By bridging theoretical knowledge with practical case studies, this course aims to equip students with the tools to navigate the complex landscape of forced displacement and land rights. Students will emerge with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in humanitarian practice, ready to contribute thoughtfully to debates and solutions in this critical area. confronted with.
Timetable
Check MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Number of (2 hour) lectures: 10
Names of lecturers: Bernardo Almeida; Ibere Lopes.
Required preparation by students: reading assigned literature.
Assessment method
Examination form(s)
Evaluation is based on a written essay (70%) and three assignments (30%).
Students are expected to achieve a minimum grade of 5.5 for the written essay
Instructions on assignments will be available in the course syllabus.
A re-take of the written essay can be retaken if the overall grade is below 5.5.
There is no retake for assignments.
Submission procedures
Assingments have to be submitted through Brightspace 24 hours prior to the start of the class concerned.
_Areas to be tested within the esssay
The academic essay is on a topic of the student’s choice, though within the context of the course and after feedback on an essay proposal.
Reading list
Course materials
Most mandatory and recommended reading materials will be distributed via Brightspace. Students will have to puchase one book themselves. This will be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
Registration for courses and exams takes place via MyStudymap. If you do not have access to MyStudymap (guest students), look here (under the Law-tab) for more information on the registration procedure in your situation.
Contact
Coordinator: Bernardo Ribeiro de Almeida
Work address: Steenschuur 25, 2312 ES Leiden
Contact information: via e-mail
Telephone number: +31 (0) 71 527 8890
Institution/division
Institute: Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law
Department: Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance & Society
Room number secretary: B1.14
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday and Friday morning
Telephone number secretary: +31 (0) 71 527 7260