More than 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to be living without secure property rights, leaving them vulnerable to eviction and displacement. The lengthy legal processes and technical jargon surrounding anti-eviction procedures often prevent those who are outside the formal systems from attempting to change their status, therefore leaving them at risk.
Omidyar Network’s Peter Rabley says it’s about time we did something about that. In this interview with Devex, he discusses the need for institutional modernization, a factor identified by a new series of case studies developed by researchers at Princeton University’s Innovations for Successful Societies program.
Opinion: 5 innovations to tackle property rights
More than 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to live without secure property rights — partly because of broken systems and failing policies in their countries. Omidyar Network’s Peter Rabley highlights five stories of success in addressing the issue, and explains why now, more than ever, they need to be heard.
“A lot of the institutions around land, typically around the world, have been inherited from colonial structures that were designed for completely different purposes,” he said, explaining that while countries such as Jamaica have modernized their institutions and practices around property rights, there are many countries that have yet to do so, such as India, for instance. It is in this context that people are often exposed to possible eviction and displacement.
Watch the video above for more from Rabley about the importance of taking action, the similarities many countries face in tackling these problems, and the benefits that can come about as a result of changing some of the existing formal systems.
To read more about Omidyar Network’s work and the latest innovations they’ve helped to identify in property rights, click here.
