Annual Report

An excerpt from RDI's most recent report:

This year I completed my ninth year and final term as RDI's Board Chair. During this time, I was privileged to witness firsthand the results of RDI's field work in India, China and Indonesia. It has been a fulfilling and extraordinary learning experience for me. At first, the focus of RDI's work was helping the USSR's central government create legislation that provided secure, private land rights to farm land that had previously been collectivized. While RDI still performs legal reform work, its efforts now extend far beyond crafting legislation to the critically important sphere of implementation and enforcement of private land rights. Strategies that are appropriate for particular cultures, traditions, technology and political environment are incorporated in developing countries around the world. As I witnessed RDI's field work, I was impressed with the organization's ability to provide a wide variety of skills as well as knowledge and flexibility to supply workable solutions to problems in a variety of countries.

One relatively recent, but important, aspect of RDI's work has been its appreciation of the central role that women play in the alleviation of extreme poverty. One of this year's highlights is the creation of the Global Center for Women's Land Rights at RDI headquarters in Seattle. Secure land rights for women not only increase food security but also lead to better nutrition and education for their children. During my service on the board, RDI has matured greatly – expanding in size, scope and capability. Its focus is to build stronger support for land rights within the overall international development community including partnering – where desirable and appropriate – to increase opportunities available to the world's poorest population. The recent, very generous grant from the Omidyar Network has been of material importance toward propelling RDI's strategy forward.

Over the past nine years, I have been impressed with the power that secure land rights have toward helping the world's poorest people rise from extreme poverty, giving them opportunities to improve the quality of their lives. I encourage you to add your support to this important work.

~ James C. Pigott, Chairman of the Board

View the complete report below in PDF format. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

	Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report