The Barcelona Forum

In Barcelona, in the historic site of the libertarian union CGT, has taken place the International Forum Against Evictions, organised by the IAI, externally to the institutional World Urban Forum. More than 120 delegates of inhabitants’ associations and networks, coming from all continents, have participated to the event, contributing their experience of fights for right to a house.
15 % of the world’s population is threatened with eviction
Cesare Ottolini, co-ordinator of IAI and national president of the Unione Inquilini (Italian Tenants Union), has introduced the forum, proposing to confront the strategies enacted at different levels and build together an alarm system against evictions. He has begun immediately with the Report on Italy (download and read the document in Italian, in pdf) - a country where over 200,000 families are threatened with evictions - that will be presented in Geneva to the UN Committee on Rights next November 15th).
Father Daniele Moschetti, combonian missionary, has presented the Campaign W Nairobi W that, along with the local initiatives, has been able to block the demolitions and the forced evictions of over 300,000 slum dwellers. He has underlined that now is the time to request the cancellation of Kenya’s foreign debt in order to have the necessary resources for land distribution and public politics to restore the shanty-ville. Jean Baptiste Eyraud, spokesman for the DAL (France), followed, showing the initiatives carried out in Paris in favour of the evicted families who vindicated the requisitions of un-rented shelters. Anselmo Schwertner (MNLM, Brazil) has instead underlined the importance of consolidating the popular movement with self management and occupations, the reason being, that although the progressive Lula in charge of the government, the power is in the hands of the landowners. Maite (Assembly of the Resistances Against the Barcelona Forum) has explained the reasons why the inhabitants’ associations and the alternative world movements contest the Forum of “lies”: the latter Forum has to do more with real estate speculations that cause new exclusions and evictions, and less with cross-cultural dialogue. Roger Muro (GIU, Peru), underlining the importance of peoples control on the exchange between foreign debt and public politics, has presented the “Campaign for a Decent House for All”, that is leading to a concrete follow-up in the mission of the UN Special Rapporteur on Housing Right. Deanne Fowler (Huairou Commission, USA) has given voice to the New York City Public Housing Resident Alliance that represents the 175,335 families residing in the public welfare homes engaged fighting against privatisation of the sector, evictions, and creation of ghettos (download and read the document 'Fighting for Public Housing in NYC', USA, 2004). Pedro Franco (CUP, Dominican Republic) followed, denouncing the illegality of the forced evictions undertaken in his country - where over one million people are threatened - (download and read 'Informe desalojos Domenicana', agosto 2004), and announcing that he has requested the UN’s intervention to establish a round table for land reforms.

While in 1950 two thirds of the world’s population lived in the country, presently more than 3 billion persons, that is half of the world’s population, live in cities. Of these, over one billion are homeless or ill housed with a prospected worsening of the habitat conditions for another 700 million people within the year 2030, clamorously contradicting the 11th Target of the Millennium Development Goals, which proposes to improve these conditions for 100 million persons within the year 2020.
In the face of this catastrophic situation, UN Habitat has organised the second World Urban Forum on the theme of “Cities: Crossroads of cultures, inclusiveness and integration? ». About 3,000 delegates representing governments, local authorities, ong and world-wide experts will meet in Barcelona from September 13th to 17th, 2004 to furnish indications on how to favour the transition of the planet towards an urbanised world

Coherent with its founding premises, the International Alliance of Habitants has launched during the Mumbai FSM the campaign “Zero evictions”.

September 16, 3:00– 8:00 pm,
C/o CGT - Via Laietana, 18 (novena plana) – Barcelona

Presentation of the “Zero Evictions!” international campaign launched during the World Social Forum 2004 in Mumbai. The first results: Nairobi, Dominican Republic, France. An exchange of experiences and good practices for the inhabitants’ associations in various regions of the world in the struggle against forced evictions. Debate between associations and authorities supporting this campaign. Proposal to verify the violations to housing rights and to launch an international housing alert network.

* * * * * * * * *

Session one: The inhabitants have their say

Co-ordinator: Paul Maquet Makedonski, Cenca, Perù -

Cesare Ottolini, co-ordinator AIH
Zero evictions: Defending an unalienable right. The situation regarding threatened evictions and new strategies for obtaining the security of tenure.

P. Daniele Moschetti, Combonian missionary, Nairobi, Kenya
The W Nairobi W! Campaign: how unity and solidarity blocked more than 300,000 evictions. Now our aim is to obtain the security of tenure and improve the quality of the slums.

Jean Baptiste Eyraud, DAL spokesperson, France
The self-appropriation movement in France. The struggle for housing rights: resistance against the forced evictions, encampments, squats.

Representative of MNLM, Brazil
The occupation of land and dwellings in Lula’s Brazil: what prospects for the future?

Roger Muro, GIU, Peru
Campaign for decent housing in Peru: what has happened following the visit of the UN’s special assessor on housing rights?

Pedro Franco, Dominican Republic
The establishment of a network of inhabitants’ associations for a sovereign and selfless Caribbean.

Deanna Fowler, Public Housing Resident Alliance, New York, USA
Popular strategies for the security of tenure and against the privatizations of public housing sector in the United States.

Delegate from FAVB (Barcelona)

* * * Questions, comments, debate * * *

Session 2: Conflicts and alliances between social movements and the authorities

Coordinator: Giuseppe la Biunda, Coralli Cooperative, Italy

Leticia Osorio, Cohre Latin America
International and regional legislation and support of secure housing

Bernard Birsinger, Mayor of Bobigny, France
The “eviction-free zone” movement in our cities. Confrontation and alliances with the housing rights movement.

Vincenzo Simoni, Tenants’ Union, Italy
On the battle against evictions and the privatization of the public housing sector: a new front in the national and international struggle for housing rights. The role of Social Forums.

Cristina Almazan, UCISV-Pobladores, Mexico
From good local practice to the promotion of alternative policies for tenancy.

Valerio López, CONAM, Brazil
Social movements and urban policy: breaking the chains of foreign debt.

Sidiki Abdoul Daff, CERPAC, Senegal
The influence of NEPAD on eviction threats in Africa. Towards a new role for social movements and humanitarian organizations.

Delegate from inhabitants’ associations in Barcelona/Spain, to be confirmed,

Olivio Dutra, minister of the cities, Brazil, to be confirmed
Elements for a solidarity pact between social movements and progressive government for the development of innovative public housing policies

Yves Cabannes, coordinator of the UN Advisory Group on Forced Evictions
Proposals for an alliance between the United Nations, local authorities, progressive governments and social movements for secure housing rights.

* * * Questions, comments, debate * * *

Session three: Launching an international alert network against forced evictions

Co-ordinator: Guillermo Rodríguez, Co-ordinator FCOC, Mexico


Final declaration, pacts, allocation of responsibilities and tasks.


Forum organizers: (tentative list): FCOC-Continental Front of Municipal Organizations, (Latin America and Caribbean), Urban Space (Dominican Republic), UCISV-Pobladores (Mexico), FIEZ (Mexico), CENCA (Peru), GIU (Peru), CONAM (Brazil), CERPAC (Senegal), Tenants’ Union (Italy), DAL (France), Kutoka Parish network of the slum dwellers of Nairobi (Kenya), MNLM (Brazil), COHRE (Switzerland), AITEC (France), Coralli Cooperative (Italy).


Translations: French, Spanish, English.

For info contact: Cesare Ottolini cesare.ottolini@libero.it