1. News from HIC
HIC GS participated to the WSF International Council meeting on January 24 and 25. The most important decisions: Sponsor regional WSF’s in 2006 simultaneously (during Davos EF) on different continents, to be followed by a global WSF in Africa in 2007. During its next session in The Netherlands at the end of March 2005, on base of the proposals presented by the members, the IC will decide the different places for WSF 2006 and the African one for 2007. During this same session, the IC will begin to define criteria to evaluate the impacts of centralised and decentralised versions of the Forum, to analyse its future.
2. Some Activities where HIC was prominent
Seminar on Charter for the Right to the City, with more than 600 representatives from local and national governments, social movements, NGOs, UN organizations (UNESCO and HABITAT) and professional entities and where the Brazilian National Government formally engaged in the Charter.
Workshop of Social Urban Movements, involved in housing/land rights issues, including an all-day strategic planning session to identify priorities and potentially build a global network; about 150 people participated, from very different organisations and networks, stressing the need for global coordination but not necessarily a new organization; with participation, besides HIC, of International Alliance of Inhabitants, IAI, FCOC, SELVIP, ALOP, REPPOL-CEAAL, Foro Nacional Reforma Urbão (Brazil) Grupo Iniciativas Urbanas (Perú) and Foro Urbano Ecuador.
Workshop on Globalisation’s Impacts in the Cities, as a collective analysis of urban social movements, under the umbrella of the National Urban Reform Forum (FNRU fro Brazil), 200 representatives of inter alia from Brazil MNLM, CMP, CONAM, UNMP and MOI from Argentina.
Workshop on Housing Cooperatives and Self-Management, called by SELVIP (Latin-American Secretary of Popular Housing), with 150 representatives of FUCVAM fro Uruguay, UNMP from Brazil, MOI and CTA from Argentina.
Workshop on Strategies to Struggle for the Right to Housing and Land in a National Perspective, called by COHRE, HLRN, Observatori DESC and Social Watch.
Launch of the Housing and Rights Toolkit, from HIC – MENA – HLRN, as common reference for human rights defenders to implement all the means available and practical ways toward strategic problem solving in the filed of human settlements.
Workshop on Women around the World stating about struggles to defend the right to housing and to land, called by HLRN, WAS, HIC-AL, Social Watch, Arab Women’s Habitat Network, Asian-Pacific Women in Law Development, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Good side meetings with HIC members and non-members, with re-encountered ld friends and allies.
3. HIC visibility
At the Opening March, HIC and “Save Our Homes” banners, marched with the “União Nacional por a Moradia Popular”.
HIC Booth, with banners, posters, lot of material from HIC members, especially from Middle-East, Asia and Latin-America; and, well staffed by HLRN and GS teams during the whole week.
HIC had a large contingent in the Street Parade “Escola de Samba March for Housing Rights” organized by the “Foro de Reforma Urbana” with several Brazilian groups, especially the “União”, certainly the most fun of all the activities.
4. Executive Committee (on January 26)
A three hours meeting was held with Enrique Ortiz, Joe Schechla, Michael Kane and Ana Sugranyes; with two invited persons: Evaniza Rodrigues and Davinder Lamba. Two points were tabled: HIC statement to the Commission on Sustainable Development, CSD-13, to be presented simultaneously to the Human Rights Commission, CHR-61. The other to define next HIC global events, with a workshop on People-centred production and management of housing and human settlements, with support of HIC-InWEnt project, with training for the Board members and a Board meeting, to be held in early September in Africa, preferably in Cairo, subject to consultation and agreement by HIC members there, with a fallback in Nairobi if they say no.
5. General Assembly (on January 29; see the Minutes at hic-net.org)
88 participants came to the Hotel Coral Tower. 30 of them were voting delegates from organizations that have paid updated dues (2004/2005). Were present inter alia, 6 Board members; representatives of 5 regions (Latin America, Anglophone Africa, Asia, North America and Europe) and of 2 networks (HLRN and WAS); and 9 NO-members. From the participants, 42 are from social movements, 36 of NGOs and 10 of global and regional staffs. The meeting went smoothly with an orderly participation from the members and with support of simultaneous translation.
Much work went into preparing for this outcome. GS and HLRN staff handled the registration table, collecting dues from about 25 groups on the spot, and distributed materials (voting tickets, detailed agenda, minutes of previous Assembly, form to update members’ data, etc). The agenda was structured with six thematic topics, each given 20 minutes, facilitated by a different HIC Board member, with each segment consisting of a short “report” outlining progress and immediate goals, followed by comments/interventions from the membership on each topic; intentionally structured to encourage participation of all in the discussion of each of HIC’s program areas.
The Assembly was facilitated collectively, assuming different members the moderation of another theme; members commented agenda topics in an orderly way, not bouncing all over the map as in Barcelona. Evaniza Rodrigues opened the meeting and verified the quorum. Joe Schechla established “ground rules” how to make motions and with Murielle Mignot acting as time keeper. Enrique Ortiz gave a brief Presidents Welcome and contributed to discussions at key points. Pedro Franco conducted the segments for approval of the previous Assembly minutes. Michael Kane handled the Housing Rights Day topic, with a final decision to go on with this worldwide campaign. Evaniza Rodrigues handled the discussion around HIC and the future of the Charter for the Right to the City. Joe Schechla reported the launch of the Housing and Land Rights “Toolkit” and other activities of the HLRN. Lorena Zárate and Ana Sugranyes presented the working plan around the Social Production of Habitat project 2005. Fighting the privatization of social housing and utilities was handled by Michael Kane, with the idea to enlarge the current Northern Task Force to the South. Davinder Lamba handled the upcoming representation of HIC at the Human Rights Commission, Geneva, the Commission on Sustainable Development, CSD–13 and Beijing+10, New York and the Mexico Water Conference.
This collective leadership worked to convey all present persons to participate in the debate; showed diversity; and worked to diffuse and depersonalise negativities. The contributions from Japan, India, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Kenya, Russia, Italy, France, USA, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Argentina and Brazil are detailed in the Assembly minutes, which will be loaded at HIC website in a couple of days.
At the end of the Assembly, a point brought by the table was asking for suggestions to enlarge the number of social movement representatives to HIC Board. A motion asked to postpone the point because of HIC limitation to work with social movements. For the nominations of two Board seats within the next two months, 23 members voted for; on the suggestion to postpone the action, 4 members voted for, and 1 abstained.
The meeting had started at 10 a.m. and concluded at 2, with a 20 minute break. We concluded the entire agenda, no segment was rushed, only 30 minutes over the planned time. The entire opening segment (Presidents report, minutes, rules, quorum) was concluded in less than 20 minutes. The “tone” and mood of the meeting throughout was positive, focused, and businesslike.
6. Follow-up Tasks
- Right to Land and Housing Now, as part of the International Campaign of Housing and Land Rights Day. This year on Monday, October the 3rd, same date as Habitat Day. See the information on HIC website hic-net.org ! Prepare your local, national Campaign, and let us know! Be part of our global press release!
- Right to the City, during March you’ll receive and see on the web hic-net.org the edited version of the proposed Charter in different languages. Be part of the process for the global issuance of adequate concepts in the diversity of the world for the right to live in peace and dignity in the cities.
- Global proposals document about People-centred production and management of housing and human settlements. In May, you’ll receive, or see on the website hic-net.org, a first version of a global document with proposals to international organisations and to governments about why and how to value people’s assets and processes building housing and human settlements. This as part of the HIC-InWEnt project on Social Production of Habitat. Up to August, you’ll have three months to coordinate your contributions to this document with HIC Regional Focal Points and Networks Coordination.
- Nomination of candidates to enlarge the number of social movements representatives at HIC Board. You have up to beginning of April to bring suggestions through HIC Regional Focal Points and Networks Coordination.
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This report was done on base of notes of Mike Kane and edited at HIC Secretariat. MK/AS/14 February 2005
