Shortly after I was appointed as Commissioner General for the World Urban Forum III (WUF3), Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Housing of South Africa cautioned me that if the WUF3 agenda was ‘all about everything, it would be about nothing’.
If you look at the final approved Program for WUF3 mounted on our web site over the weekend, you might think it was all about everything. But in fact, it is very much about something – namely urban sustainability in all its dimensions, social, economic and environmental.
The Program looks daunting, but it is highly structured and seamlessly integrated to engage everyone attending WUF3 in the search for solutions to the problems of urbanization - no matter where they occur in the world. Let me explain.
The daily Plenary Sessions set the tone for the Dialogues that follow thereafter. For example, on Tuesday June 20th the Plenary Session will be on Social Inclusion and Cohesion. It will address the issue of marginalization, social exclusion and urban poverty as key challenges facing cities in the urban millennium. Wednesday’s Plenary will deal with economic and governance issues, while the Thursday Plenary will deal with environmental issues.
The Dialogues that follow Tuesday’s Plenary will look at Inclusion and Cohesion in the context of key problem areas. The first will deal with Slum Upgrading and Affordable Housing. Participants will explore practical solutions for the provision of security of tenure and affordable land, the need for inclusive slum upgrading processes that empower the urban poor, as well as mechanisms for financing slum upgrading, affordable housing, and programs to avoid the formation of new slums.
The second will deal with Public Engagement: the Inclusive Approach. Here participants will examine inclusiveness and empowerment through involvement in local governance. They will address operational aspects to foster inclusion and cohesion by examining concrete experiences of engaging long-term residents, migrants, the poor, marginalized groups, national minorities and indigenous peoples.
It is in the selection of speakers that one finds the breadth of perspective that gives the World Urban Forum its singular genius.
In Tuesday’s Plenary Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, will deliver a developed country perspective on inclusiveness and engagement. Jockin Arputham, of the National Slum Dwellers Federation of India, will have a different perspective, and my friend Lindiwe Sisulu of South Africa will emind us all about making WUF3 count for something.
Those interested in what Jockin Arputham, a former shack dweller in a Mumbai slum might have to say, should read the Vancouver Sun article posted on this site. Lindiwe Sisulu undoubtedly will talk about how slums dwellers in the townships of South Africa were given a leg up when tenure rights were established. A New York Times article also posted on this site provides useful background in this regard.
Speaking during the Dialogue sessions will be experts from around the world, each building on ideas introduced during the morning Plenary. Commentators such as Rose Molokoane, South African Homeless People’s Federation, Luz Maria Sanchez Hurtado, Executive Director, Estrategia from Peru, Arif Hassan, Chairman, Urban Resource Centre (URC) in Pakistan, and Miloon Kothari, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right of Adequate Housing will kick off the first Dialogue dealing with Slum Upgrading and Affordable Housing.
Kay Andrews, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, United Kingdom, Jean-Pierre Mbassi, Secretary General, United Cities & Local Governments of Africa, Marcello Balbo, Professor, University of Venice, Italy and Mary Balikungeri, Rwanda Women’s Network will lead the second Dialogue Session on Public Engagement.
The breadth of these widely divergent perspectives is what makes the World Urban Forum so important. No matter where these speakers come from, they are bonded by a common desire to make a difference – to turn ideas into actions.
The entire WUF3 week will be structured to be integrated and inclusive. Plenary sessions will lead to Dialogues, which in turn will be supported by Networking Events, Roundtables, Town Hall Meetings, Training Sessions, Cultural gatherings and a very exciting Exposition, where country pavilions and technology displays will be on display.
It will appear that WUF3 is about everything, but I assure you it will count for something, and that something is Sustainability in all its dimensions. The Program is complex, but it brings everything together in a very meaningful way.
If you would like to talk further about this, don’t hesitate to call Deana Brynildsen (604-666-1293) to set something up.
Dear Commissioner Kelly,
Thank you for your guidance and response. As you can see on InternAfrica’s web page, Cape Town indeed has habitat problems…
InternAfrica’s solution is in line with trends that emerged from the habitat jam such as green buildings, agriculture, ecological footprints, renewable energy and in fact most of the 70 actionable ideas support Ubuntu, our core solution, and focus which can be downloaded from InternAfrica under Build a Home follow the link on the right.
Cape Town’s particular habitat crisis is born of the rural poverty suffered by our neighboring provinces. It is key that agriculture and sustainable development go hand in hand with urban development, or we face no solution at all.
It is unfortunate that the mayor of Cape Town is not at the WUF3, there is much out city needs to learn, however I applaud her staying at home to ‘pull up the socks’.
Thank you for the actionable ideas, We have much homework ahead of us, in particular how to action them, in our political climate. A daunting task, which through global collaboration is made much easier for me, my city and my fellow citizens of this very beautiful city. I look forward to it!
Sincerely
André du Plessis http://www.internafrica.org/
Posted by: Andre du Plessis | June 17, 2006 at 18:52
In respons to André du Plessis's message below
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Thanks for your posting. In a day or two, please check out the summary of the 70 ideas-to-action being presented to Forum participants. It will be available at www.habitatjam.com.
Posted by: wuf3fum3 | June 15, 2006 at 10:39
THE WORLD IS IN BIG TROUBLE
SYNOPSIS
Never before has the world had to face the massive problems it now does.The earth cannot sustain the current population with an acceptable lifestyle for all.
The following paper although only a few pages long sets out very clearly and simply why overpopulation greed and exploitation of resources (including labour) has led to these massive problems.It briefly outlines the causes of overpopulation and environmental degradation. More importantly it sets out clearly and succinctly the actions required both in the short and longer term, to effectively tackle overpopulation,environmental degradation and gross human suffering.
Please take a couple of minutes to read it
The contributor Stephen Morris is a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) and has been a Management Consultant specialising in company turnarounds for over 30 years.This work requires the ability to simplify very complex problems.
THE PROBLEM
Humanity now faces the greatest challenge to life on earth as we know it.
Overpopulation and industrialisation are leading to environmental degradation and human suffering on a scale never before experienced.
Up until the year 1900 the world’s population was about one billion and is believed to have been stable at that level for many centuries. Since then, in a little over 100 years this has grown to around 6 billion people.
The results of this growth are more than evident through environmental degradation. It has caused:
-deforestation around the world
-deserts expanding and more frequent droughts
-the greatest extinction of animal species since the dinosaurs
-shrinking of the arctic ice cap and massive depletion of the ozone layer in Antarctica
-receding glaciers around the world.
-over fishing and depletion of fishing grounds around the world
-coral bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures
.-increasing intensity of cyclones
-recurring famines and suffering in Africa and other developing nations.
Global warming is not science fiction-it is already underway while politicians debate what should be done about it.
WHAT HAS CAUSED THIS?
Surprisingly the very advances in industry and medicine that have made life so much better for people in industrialised countries have led to the situation the third world is now in.
The pollution from industry and motor vehicles is all to obvious in all our major cities. What is not obvious is the impact that industrialisation and medical science has had in causing overpopulation and environmental degradation in developing countries.
In the past Earth has always controlled its numbers through wars, famines,
plagues, infant mortality and short life spans.
People in developing countries have always had large families. Why? Because in the past with high infant mortality rates, from a family of 10 only two would be expected to make it through to adulthood. But in the last century two things have happened:
1) growing industrialisation has caused a major shift of populations into cities
2)this has facilitated access to western medicine. Well intentioned programs have resulted in declining infant mortality and unintentionally caused populations to explode as more children make it through to adulthood.
Globalisation was supposed to provide a level playing field and help the third world to achieve better living standards. It has not. Trade deals are rarely on an equal basis and the gap between the have’s and have not’s is widening. We now have dissent through Terrorism. All groups think they have God on their side.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
FIRSTLY:
What must be recognised is that women in developing countries don’t all want to have large families They actually look forward to the menopause so they can’t have more children.
What is needed in the SHORT TERM is education and access to birth control on a large scale .Condoms must be freely available as these help to contain the spread of AIDS, which is the least preferable means of population control. Additionally voluntary sterilisation programmes must be freely available for both men and women.
SECONDLY
Governments in developed countries must be lobbied to take control of globalisation rather than let large companies and their shareholders set biased agenda’s that are in their own selfish interests.
We must press for better labour conditions and environmentally sustainable development in the both industrialised countries and the third world.The sole pursuit of wealth generation by companies and their shareholders does not contribute to the well being of earth and its people.
THIRDLY
In the LONGER TERM a whole new approach to, “economic growth” and sustainable development must be adopted.
This will require a fundamental rethinking of the whole concept of “economic growth”
The whole theory of economics as taught in western countries involves ever growing markets and increasing market shares and exploiting whatever resources companies can lay their hands on.
But what if we have static or declining populations. Current economic theory goes out the window.
There is only one solution. We must go back to making quality products that last for many years and abandon the current fixation with constant new models and “planned obsolescence”.
We must make quality cars and build houses that last for many years so that work is created for people to repair them rather than scrap them and manufacture new products that use up the worlds resources and create more and more pollution and waste.This will require government legislation and incentives to steer manufacturers in this new direction and also to make them adopt clean manufacturing processes. Governments must again be lobbied for this to occur.
This will not only result in careful use of the worlds natural resources but create jobs for static or declining populations,rather than continually replacing men with machines in factories churning out more and more disposable goods.
But we the above must be short and longer term MAJOR OBJECTIVES.
THE FIRST STEPS
STEP 1.
Every great journey starts with one small step. The first step is to set up a non profit Organisation which I will call STEW “Save The Ecological World” in as many countries as possible to start lobbying our governments.
STEP 2.
Next, governments in industrialised countries must be lobbied and pressured to legislate that all companies with sales of more than $1 million pay an annual contribution to STEW of only1/2% of their sales.While this will be easily affordable to these companies it will result in contributions to STEW of around $U.S.250 billion per annum(from the 18 largest economies alone).More than enough to provide education and birth control in developing countries.
STEP 3.
Moneys received by STEW must be used as follows:
a) Set up distribution centres in countries worst affected with overpopulation/AIDS-mobile education and distribution to be utilised.
b) Lobby governments in developed countries to reduce use of fossil fuels, especially for power generation which accounts for 40% of fossil fuel pollution. Use safe nuclear power as a short term alternative and research new low polluting alternative energy sources.
c) Set up lobbying group to campaign against further destruction of rain forests, particularly the Amazon (the lungs of the world) and in S.E. Asian countries including Borneo etc.
d) Governments in all countries must also be lobbied to introduce legislation and incentives for manufacturers to produce quality products (starting with the major items of cars and houses) that have long life spans. The public must also be educated to make it unfashionable to buy new models all the time.
Posted by: Stephen Morris | June 15, 2006 at 02:28
The Strawjet looks interesting. I have forwarded the link to the leaders at the International Institute for Environment and Development in the UK. They are one of the more engaged international organizations working on slum upgrading. I also forwarded it to the International Association of Slum Dwellers, who we have been working with us in both the Habitat JAM and in the preparations for WUF3.
I found interesting the use of paper pulp, clay and cement as binders in construction, rather than plastic resins. When I was in China looking at the Great Wall, the massive construction was held together with rice porridge or “congee”!
Posted by: wuf3fum3 | June 14, 2006 at 10:06
Dear Commissioner Kelly,
We are a Non Governmental Organisation that is focused on bringing sustainable green-construction to the our troubled and failed human habitat environment.
The oppression of the past has created terrible living conditions, our new democracy has done little to improve it.
It is clear South Africa, and in Particular the Western Cape have no idea how to deal with this problem. The problem is greater than the skills available, can visualise or cooperate politically toward a solution.
InternAfrica participated in the Habitat-Jam, and work daily in educating citizens how to create their own sustainable green home.
Cape Town Needs all the input, advice, and working solutions that the World Urban Forum can offer. The models we are working from are failing, and what’s even more tragic we are creating slums of the future…
Please Help Cape Town South Africa.
André du Plessis - http://www.internafrica.org/
PS. L Lanes - I kiss YOU!!!
I've been looking for just that machine!!!!!! :) Thank you for that post.... WOW - I'm so chuffed for that!
That makes up for not being able to attend WUF3!
Posted by: Andre du Plessis | June 13, 2006 at 23:57
This is for Commissioner Charles Kelly and his office...it would be well worth your while to follow up on the latest winner of the history Channel's Inventor series. His invention would be perfect for the "slum upgrading and affordable housing" project. If you are really into sustainability...check this out!!http://www.historychannel.com/invent/?page=winner_ward
Posted by: L Lanes | June 13, 2006 at 05:59