Join us for online, cross-regional learning and advocacy sessions on Social Production of Habitat this November

HIC Co-Learning Spaces

HIC co-learning spaces are cross-regional, multi-session encounters open to all HIC Members, Friends and allies to generate and multiply emancipatory learning practices applied on the defense of human rights related to habitat. 

> What makes our co-learning spaces unique experience?

They are cross-regional

The pedagogic approach

A diverse team of facilitators

The learning models

They are cross-regional

The pedagogic approach

A diverse team of facilitators

The learning models

> Thematic focus of each Co-learning Space

Civil Society Action for climate justice and social production of habitat – phase 2023-24

This second phase will endeavor to support and enhance the efforts of HIC Members and allies to prioritize, strategize, learn and act together by building their  social force for mobilization, collective action and advocacy on climate justice and social production of habitat  across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East/North Africa.

Climate justice

Social production of Habitat

Civil Society Action for Gender and Land Policy Impact – phase 2021-2022

The first phase of the co-learning spaces emerged as a response to HIC Member priorities to strengthen the social force of HIC in key thematic areas that included Feminist Approaches to Habitat, Land Rights and Multi-Sphere Advocacy. Along these 3 tracks, the co-learning spaces aimed to uphold and defend human rights related to habitat bringing to the fore a  feminist habitat agenda while equipping Members and Allies for collaboration in policy-level engagements and advocacy toward human rights-based solutions to habitat problems as they manifest across the HIC regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and Latin America.

Feminist approaches to habitat

Multi-level advocacy

Land rights

> Reflections

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What did they enjoy the most…

“The aspect I most enjoy was the experiences of Brazil and South Africa on community activities (dialogue, various exchanges)”

Participant of the Co-learning Space on Multi-Level Advocacy

Feminist Approaches to Habitat

“I liked the diversity of cultures, experiences. The interpretation in several languages. Very good. In terms of content, it helped me to get to know other perspectives that I had not taken into account. The urban is very interesting. It helps to broaden the approach.”

Participant of the Co-learning Space on the Feminist Approaches

Land Rights

At the beginning of the program, I thought that “thinking differently” about another person means that you have different views of the world. The group work and class discussions made me realize that while you can basically agree with someone on the outcome, you can have really different processes for getting there. Only a careful planner and someone who gets along with everyone can come up with great ideas or put together great products, but it can be difficult for them to find common ground if they have to work together. It’s good to work with people who think differently than you do – you can usually choose something from them that makes you a better thinker.

Participant of the Co-learning Space on Land Rights

What did they learn... Multi-Level Advocacy

“I did learn that advocacy is all about addressing a particular social issue through a speech well elaborated either to influence the policies or to ameliorate people’s living conditions.”

This occurs through community communication, exchange of opinions and ideas, mutual listening and of course proper display for efficient communication. There it demands skills and ways adapted.”

Participant of the Co-learning Space on Multi-Level Advocacy

What did they learn... Feminist Approaches to Habitat

“Thank you very much for this co-learning space-thank you for making these conversations possible. without these spaces i could not have a more global vision-brilliant the colleagues who presented thank you for sharing the realities-simply brilliant-thank you very much HIC -and to everyone.”

Participant of the Co-learning Space on the Feminist Approaches

What did they learn... Land Rights

“The need to reflect on the type of legal protection we need to articulate to guarantee women’s right to land.”

Participant of the Co-learning Space on Land Rights

> Beyond the co-learning spaces:

Interregional working groups on Feminist Approaches to Habitat and Human Right to Land

The need for continuous engagement and further interregional collaborations on Feminist Approaches to Habitat and the human right to land, was evident upon the conclusion of the Co-Learning spaces. The participants and facilitators were highly motivated to keep the ties and extend the opportunity to continue the interregional conversation and work collectively on the identified common issues and strategies. This has informed the HIC-GS action towards supporting its members and allies into creating active working groups on feminist approaches to habitat that would build on the foundations set by the co-learning space and serve as space for joint work and collaboration between HIC members in global advocacy activities and initiatives related to gender, feminism and women’s rights and their intersection with habitat rights.

Focus of the working group

  • Cross-regional coordination and advocacy around key priorities and processes;
  • Supporting the mainstreaming of gender equality in HIC’s global advocacy;
  • Supporting cross-regional coordination between HIC members for global advocacy;
  • Deepening discussions and knowledge exchanges that started in the co-learning space:

 

Membership

Open to all HIC Members and Allies with an interest in the thematic focus. 

HIC regional working groups

Priority areas

Advocacy spaces

  • Universal Periodic Reviews (of human rights records in all 193 UN member states) 
  • UN Special Rapporteurs (March 2023 – Right to Housing in context of climate change) 
  • Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
    • General Comment on the Human Right to Land
  • UN Commissions (CSW, CSocD) 
  • UN Committees (CEDAW)  
  • Agenda 2030: SDGs and the VNRs 
    • HLPF – 6 (Water & Sanitation) ,7 (Affordable & Clean Energy) , 9 Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) ,17 (Partnerships to Achieve all SDGs) 
  • New Urban Agenda – UN Habitat (Executive Board, Habitat Assembly, Committee of Permanent Representatives, WUF) 
  • Habitat Assembly – Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism 
  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) + annual Conference of Parties (COP) – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)