Lausanne Advanced Seminar in Political Ecology: From Attachment to the Politics of Recognition of Land Commons and ICCAs

29 et 30 octobre 2026

Mme Alys Crétier, UNIL

Dre Marta Villa, Università di Trento Dre Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend, ICCA Consortium

Pr Tobias Haller, UNIBE Dr Ali Razmkhah, ICCA Consortium

Many countries have diverse common property institutions, often with large associated territories. Worldwide, they are estimated to cover one-fifth of the land surface. In Switzerland they comprise more than one third of forests and almost half of all Alpine pastures. Rights holders of these commons are strongly attached to their lands and can be seen as custodians of their territories, with ancestral governance, cultural practices, and intergenerational transfer of knowledge and rights. However, these common properties, or 'commons', in Switzerland and in most European countries remain poorly recognised in policy; in many cases, their existence is threatened. There are diverse national initiatives in Europe (e.g. France's VALCOM research coalition, Spain's and Switzerland's national organisations, Italy's pro-commons laws) which focus on the defense and recognition of these territories, using a variety of methods from community-based restoration, to political engagement and legal change, to allying with international networks and translating the values of ancestral commons into policy-language to demonstrate their relevance to today's issues. On other continents, strong networks of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities gain increasing international recognition of their territories such as through the ICCA Consortium. This two-day Political Ecology Doctoral Seminar will bring together researchers, right-holders and students working on these issues to understand current challenges and emerging research questions in Europe and the Glob

University of Lausanne, Géopolis & Musée valaisan des Bisses, Maison Peinte, Rue du Pissieu 1, 1966 Ayent

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