HIC has always had an important activity within WUF, for example as it did in Vancouver during the WUFIII 2006.
Below, you will be able to see the HIC members and allies who will participate at the WUF IV in Nanjing, China.
Davinder Lamba, President of HIC, Barry Pinsky Rooftops Canada, Priya Gopalan Rooftops Canada, Khady Diagne Enda RUP, Nick Volk HIC-NAM, Mary Mathenge NACHU, Des Busuru NACHU, Abu Rayhan Al-Beeroonee Shelter for the Poor, Pedro Vasquez Cleric, Nelson Saule POLIS, Benedito Barbosa UNMP, Jim Robinson BSHF, Silvia Guimarães BSHF, Suresh KT YUVA, Shivani Bhardwaj HIC-HLRN
The president of HIC, Davinder Lamba, will speak during the opening session of the Forum on Monday, November. 3, 2008.
To view the activities of HIC members and allies, click here.
The theme of this Forum IV, which is the same as that of World Habitat Day, and which was determined by UN-HABITAT is “Harmonious Cities”. This theme has been worked on by HIC, but in a slightly different way because, as we have already written in the World Habitat Day declaration, harmony can only occur in a city where there is inclusion of all of its inhabitants. It is not simply an issue of aesthetics where harmony is given by the shapes and colors of a city, but it is clearly an issue of rights: housing rights, the right to the city, and also a political issue in which housing policies must be reconsidered. Thus, HIC’s declaration on the theme of “harmonious cities,” affirms that “for HIC, the immense potential of a city lies first and foremost with the people. Behind every act of balanced development there has been and always will be a citizens’ initiative, and a claim for equity. ”
Here we want to reaffirm our ideas of fairness and inclusion in cities, in the defense of human rights as we have expressed in our letter to UN Habitat. HIC wants to re-state its concern that UN Habitat has chosen China to host the Forum, as this decision is not compatible with the obligations of states to respect, defend and promote human rights, particularly the right to housing. This choice represents an increasingly large gap between civil society and governments and is transforming the nature of this big and important event.
Next, we want to share with you HIC’s logo for WUF IV designed by the President of HIC, Davinder Lamba, who will speak during the opening session of the Forum.
HIC Emblem for WUF
It is based on the Ying-Yang principle, translated as “Harmony and Balance”. In other words–no harmony without balance of: well-being, wealth, power and so on, across gender, class, race, ethnicity and generations, in cities everywhere.
