In the context of a drought that has put three million people in need of emergency food aid and killed millions of livestock, the second annual ‘International Dialogue on Land and Human Security in Kenya’ was held in an effort to mitigate conflict and reverse environmental degradation in the region.

A key tenet of Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace' (ILLP) is that care of the land and building peace are mutually enhancing. Dr Dennis Garrity, UN Drylands Ambassador and Chair of the Evergreen Agriculture Partnership, and Dr Alan Channer of ILLP, articulate this vision in a new, two minute video entitled 'Restoring Land, Lives and Peace'.

Humanity faces three enormous, inter-related challenges in the 21st century: mitigating the impact of climate change, feeding the world’s population and preserving the integrity of the planet’s ecosystems. These challenges are felt acutely in semi-arid Africa. In the search for solutions, the County Governments of Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet in Kenya have invited the IofC programme 'Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace' to partner with them in the organization of a 'Dialogue on Land and Security'.

Rainer Gude, Chargé de Mission of IofC for International Geneva recently spoke (remotely) at a Yale University Graduate level class entitled, 'Sustainable Development Goals & Implementation'.

The report of the 2014 Caux Dialogue on Land and Security is just out. It was an extraordinary Caux event, with the heads of two UN Agencies, 40 NGOs, the launch of a new film, and much more. The Caux Dialogue is building up a reputation as an incubator of new ideas and partnerships and as a place where individuals can find insights into their own calling.

Martin Frick, Chair of Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace, was recently invited to do a blog about land restoration and Caux for the Virgin Unite website. He states that 'The key to solving four of the most important crises facing us lies beneath our feet.'

The work of 'Initiatives for Land, Lives, Peace' in Kenya was highlighted in the quarterly Newsletter of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

The Initiatives for Land, Lives & Peace 2013 Caux Dialogue on Land and Security Report is out!

World peace. The expressed wish of everyone from small children to beauty pageant contestants to world leaders, the desire has become a truism. It is a goal made safe from disappointment by being unattainable. Or is it? Rachel Kohn wrote this article about the recent Caux Dialogue on Land and Security for Culture-ist.

On the morning of Thursday 11 July, the Caux dialogue on land and security conference came to an end, after five days of stimulating discussions and workshops on ways to improve the urgent environmental issues facing our planet, among which the crucially important one which is desertification, and particularly in the Sahel region of Africa. Martin Frick, Ambassador and German representative to the UN and international organizations closed the session by encouraging people to engage in local action, in the prospect of the future dialogues.