About Community Land Summit (CLS) 2025
About CLS 2025
The 5th Edition of the Community Land Summit builds on the deliverables of the previous summits to harmonize the voices of indigenous peoples across East Africa. This year’s summit will strategically be organized as a buildup activity to the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralism in Mongolia 2026, it’s an opportunity for the pastoralist communities to dialogue on key issues affecting pastoralism across East Africa, and collectively harmonizing their asks into declaration to be submitted to various government platforms and at the UNIYRP in 2026.
The focus of the deliberation will be centered around; Tenure rights as key pillar to pastoralism, Pastoralist mobility- intra and inter county, intercountry; Rangelands Restoration and Management, Culture and the role of ITK in ecosystem conservation and pastoralism.
The model of delivery will be plenary and side events to deliberate on the above topics targeting different audiences; government, IPLCs, youth, women, researchers and academia, CSOs and developmental partners, the summit will bring together approximately 200 indigenous peoples across East Africa. The summit is co-organized by IMPACT, its partners and the State Department for ASALs and Regional Development.
Summit Objectives
- To discuss the future of pastoralists, the common issues affecting them and possible solutions that will not undermine their diversity and revival of the traditional governance that has been weakened overtime by unfriendly policies.
- · To promote and strengthen indigenous knowledge and skills intergeneration transfer mechanism for continuity and preventive approach against cultural dilution and loss of historicity.
- To build a critical mass of pastoralists communities to amplify their voices against the emerging structural marginalization on land dispossession, carbon markets, natural resources benefit sharing and FPIC.
- To appreciate diversity and pastoralism as viable and sustainable livelihood which by no means should be promoted through resources allocation and mobility allowed.
- To develop mechanisms for natural resource-based conflict resolution through traditional dispute mechanism and capitalize on diversity.
Expected Outcomes
- A detailed community land summit report and communique developed -to be shared at the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralism in Mongolia, 2026 and other strategic spaces.
- Pastoralists amplified on common issues and their diversity strengthened to seeking solutions as a united front that promote their livelihood
- Pastoralists’ traditional governance structures recognized and appreciated at all levels by government and other actors in addressing development and natural resources challenges.
- Pastoralists’ solidarity strengthened and standing for each other against structural marginalization and abuse of indigenous people’s rights by government and business investments
- Deepened discourse on favorable and just resource sharing for communities, transparency and accountability, and protection of community rights.
- Deliberations and strategies to ensure gender inclusivity in carbon markets and benefit sharing at the community level.
- Encourage research on inclusive carbon rights in the region.
- Develop strategies for ensuring meaningful community participation and sensitization- understanding the concept of carbon credits and delivery to ordinary community members.
- Connecting communities with actors in the carbon markets ecosystem
The deliberations of CLS 2025 will be centered around four critical pillars essential for the future of mobile livelihoods:
Tenure Rights as a Key Pillar to Pastoralism: Discussing the legal frameworks and implementation bottlenecks of securing collective land titles.
Pastoralist Mobility (Intra & Inter-Country): Addressing policy gaps and mechanisms to secure mobility corridors and trans-boundary grazing rights.
Rangelands Restoration and Management: Sharing best practices for ecological health and sustainable use of communal lands.
Culture and the Role of ITK (Indigenous Technical Knowledge): Recognizing and integrating traditional knowledge systems in ecosystem conservation, climate coping, and contemporary land management strategies.
Community Land Summit 2025 Venue
The 2025 Community Land Summit conference is planned for November 24th to 27th 2025 at CBK Institute of Monetary Studies, Nairobi
