Advocacy

Through advocating, independently or in co-operation, with other civil society entities, grassroots and popular organizations, social movements, independent institutions, academic networks, and activist platforms, HIC works to achieve social justice and improve living conditions across five strategic areas:

Housing & Land Rights

Social Production of Habitat

Habitat and Gender

Sustainable Enviroment

Housing & Land Rights

Know more

Social Production of Habitat

Know more

Habitat and Gender

Know more

Habitat and Sustainable enviroment

Know more

Our Strategic Priorities

Our Guiding Principles

Beyond these strategic areas, HIC’s advocacy work is guided by a set of guiding principles, committed to the defence of habitat-related human rights and to building a present and future based on social and environmental justice. These principles are outlined in the Habitat Voices Manifesto:

Profound economic redistribution

Recognition of differences and invisibilities

Parity in political participation

Human rights habitat, not war

Mutual care and solidarity

Profound economic redistribution

Structural transformation requires adopting a feminist perspective across the defense of all habitat rights, enforcing the social function of property and land; criminalizing forced eviction; reversing privatization of public and communal land, goods and services; more-progressive taxation of individuals and corporations, land and property; budget reallocation to socio-environmental protection and climate justice, investing in solidarity economies and demilitarization.

Recognition of differences and invisibilities

To be truly transformative, a profound economic redistribution relies on the recognition of differences, invisibilities and inequalities. It is urgent to protect everyone from discrimination, stigmatization and marginalization; actively combating racism, promoting gender equality, valuing multiple social identities, social production and management of habitat; cooperativism; care giving and social reproduction primarily performed by women, solidarity economies, bio/cultural diversity, and integrated rural/suburban/urban development.

Parity in political participation

Mechanisms, at various scales, are needed for universal and inclusive democratic participation that does not marginalize anyone on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, class, age, ethnicity, religion, physical or mental ability, or any other status.

Human rights habitat, not war

Like the UN Secretary-General, we urge a global ceasefire to prioritize together COVID-19 responses and recovery, prompt and meaningful reallocation of resources away from militarism, ending foreign and military occupations, and upholding extraterritorial human rights obligations

Mutual care and solidarity

As indeed we are all in this together, each of us bears both a personal and a social responsibility to take all measures possible to stop the spread of COVID-19. In addition we need to actively practice mutual care and solidarity, and avoid the gratuitous production of waste and release of toxins of any kind. This includes reducing consumption of fossil fuels and animal products.

Strategic processes and advocacy opportunities

Based on these focus areas and guiding principles, HIC has been committed to engaging in a set of strategic processes on the international level. Beloz you can find a summary of these process and the priorities that guide HIC’s advocacy for each one, as well as a list of advocacy spaces and opportunities related to each process. These are not a list of activities that HIC is developing; but a collective mapping of opportunities to support advocacy. This is an on-going exercise that is under construction and will be collectively built. We will update it ahead of each quarterly advocacy meeting, consulting members to share relevant opportunities. For detailed information on activities being developed by HIC and its members, don’t forget to consult our calendar and social media channels.