Category Archives: Yves Cabannes

How People Face Evictions

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The UCL Institute for Human Rights invites you to

Forced Evictions and Human Rights: Launch of a Report & Discussion – how land and housing evictions violate economic and social rights

Thursday, 5 May 2011
Registration from 5:00pm Event starts at 5:30pm
Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens, WC1H 0EG London

The UCL Institute for Human Rights is delighted to host the launch of a new report written by UCL academics in collaboration with others working on the question of forced evictions

Participants:
Professor Yves Cabannes – UCL Development Planning Unit, co-author of report
Sylvia Guimaraes – Building & Social Housing Foundation, co-author
Cassidy Johnson – UCL Development Planning Unit, co-author
Malavika Vartak – Amnesty International
Cesare Ottolini – International Alliance of Inhabitants and Zero Eviction Campaign
Saladin Meckled-Garcia – UCL Institute for Human Rights
George Letsas – UCL Institute for Human Rights
Facilitated by Gautam Bhan – Indian Institute for Human Settlements

About the Event:

A new report examining how people and communities around the world face forced eviction has been published by a prominent group of activists and researchers. This event has been set up by the Institute for Human Rights to discuss the relationships of forced evictions to economic and social rights, and their status as violations.

We are planning for the format of the event to be a dynamic discussion with the panellists and audience (questions & answers) facilitated by Gautam Bhan. This will be preceded by a very short presentation of the report.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu/k_s/publications/how_ppl_face_evictions

How People Face Evictions

Development Planning Unit, University College of London (DPU/UCL)
34 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9EZ, United Kingdom
www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu

Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF)
Memorial Square, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3TU, United Kingdom
www.bshf.org
Research coordination and editing team

Research Coordinator: Prof. Yves Cabannes, Chair of Development Planning, DPU/UCL
Silvia Guimarães Yafai, Head of International Programmes, BSHF
Cassidy Johnson, Lecturer, MSc Building and Urban Design in Development, DPU/UCL

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD REPORT IN PDF FORMAT

Forced and market-driven evictions are increasing dramatically worldwide, with devastating effects on millions of children, women and men across the globe. Despite this negative trend, however, many people-led initiatives have been successful in addressing this issue and reducing the number of evictions, developing new policies and proving that alternatives to forced eviction can be found. This project aims to document, reflect upon and share people-based initiatives and experiences of struggles against evictions, including how groups are securing rights to adequate housing, legal security of tenure and freedom from arbitrary destruction and dispossession, giving voice to people who are active on the ground and providing an opportunity for exchange and mutual learning.

The research has been coordinated by the Development Planning Unit (DPU) of University College London, with the support of the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF), and carried out with a range of grassroots organisations, networks and activists in different parts of the world.

The project has been carried out in two stages, initially focussing on documenting the experiences and examples of good practice *by the preparation of narratives by *local groups who have faced or are currently facing forced evictions the cities of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Porto Alegre (Brazil), Durban (South Africa), Hangzhou (China), Istanbul (Turkey), Karachi (Pakistan) and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), as well as in the rural villages of Mirshaq and Sarandu in Egypt.

The second stage of the project has focused on sharing these experiences – both amongst the various groups involved and to other groups currently facing forced evictions – through an international exchange event held in Istanbul, one of the participating cities, in February 2010. Following the documentation of the individual cases and inputs from the exchange seminar, a cross-sectional analysis has been prepared with key lessons and themes drawn from the various cases, along with concluding remarks on issues that have emerged as part of the discussions and documentation process.

The central focus of this report is on the practical strategies and experiences of communities who have directly struggled against forced evictions. Many of these experiences offer valuable lessons for other groups facing similar issues and it is envisaged that the groups involved, as well as the many other groups around the world confronting similar issues, will benefit from the documentation of these diverse experiences and solutions and identify cross-cutting themes.

How People Face Evictions

How People Face Evictions

by Yves Cabannes, Silvia Guimarães Yafai and Cassidy Johnson

Forced and market-driven evictions are increasing dramatically worldwide, with devastating effects on millions of children, women and men across the globe. Despite this negative trend, however, many people-led initiatives have been successful in addressing this issue and reducing the number of evictions, developing new policies and proving that alternatives to forced eviction can be found. This project aims to document, reflect upon and share people-based initiatives and experiences of struggles against evictions, including how groups are securing rights to adequate housing, legal security of tenure and freedom from arbitrary destruction and dispossession, giving voice to people who are active on the ground and providing an opportunity for exchange and mutual learning.

The research has been coordinated by the Development Planning Unit (DPU) of University College London, with the support of the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF), and carried out with a range of grassroots organizations, networks and activists in different parts of the world.

The project has been carried out in two stages, initially focusing on documenting the experiences and examples of good practice by the preparation of narratives by local groups who have faced or are currently facing forced evictions the cities of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Porto Alegre (Brazil), Durban (South Africa), Hangzhou (China), Istanbul (Turkey), Karachi (Pakistan) and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), as well as in the rural villages of Mirshaq and Sarandu in Egypt.

The second stage of the project has focused on sharing these experiences – both amongst the various groups involved and to other groups currently facing forced evictions – through an international exchange event held in Istanbul, one of the participating cities, in February 2010. Following the documentation of the individual cases and inputs from the exchange seminar, a cross-sectional analysis has been prepared with key lessons and themes drawn from the various cases, along with concluding remarks on issues that have emerged as part of the discussions and documentation process.

The central focus of this report is on the practical strategies and experiences of communities who have directly struggled against forced evictions. Many of these experiences offer valuable lessons for other groups facing similar issues and it is envisaged that the groups involved, as well as the many other groups around the world confronting similar issues, will benefit from the documentation of these diverse experiences and solutions and identify cross-cutting themes.

To download the report free of charge, please click here http://www.bshf.org/published-information/publication.cfm?lang=00&thePubID=3C273379-15C5-F4C0-9923675FEF6ADEFB . The report is also available from the DPU website at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu/k_s/publications/how_ppl_face_evictions

A Place in the City – short reviews

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A Place in the City – short reviews

A Place in the City was filmed, produced and directed by Jenny Morgan, made with assistance from Fahamu and is distributed via JourneyMan Pictures.

The film can be purchased from Fahamu and there is a long excerpt on YouTube.

‘Compulsory viewing for government and the broader society’
— Sunday Tribune, Durban

‘The film is truly excellent, and for those of us involved daily with evictions, resistances and processes, I can tell you that it is very inspiring and well-documented. It brings to light the extraordinary capacity of simple people treated unfairly by an unjust system to keep faith in their future and their capacities and, despite their hardships, to think of a better and more humane world, not only for their neighbours or their brothers and sisters, but way beyond this. They are dreaming, and they are building a more just world, for all of us, and for our children.

‘This film, in its simplicity and respect, is an invaluable contribution for the hundreds of communities facing eviction, and to all of those who are still struggling for a better world. I hope that you can find the resources to have the voice of Abahlali heard in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese and more.’

–Professor Yves Cabannes
Chair of Development Planning, University College London
Chairperson, Advisory Group on Forced Evictions to the United Nations

‘A Place in the City is an extremely important film which shows that while Apartheid maybe over in South Africa, class and housing inequalities are still very evident. In some cases the current political regime’s treatment of the so-called “slum dwellers” around Durban is worse than that experienced at the height of the Apartheid era. The resilience of people who reside in these well-established but inadequately resourced communities is remarkable, and expertly captured in the film. All those in the film speak with clarity, dignity and commitment – they hold a strong sense of hope of achieving their goals and being able to maintain their “rightful” place in the city.

‘For anyone teaching geography, global, urban or development studies, or focusing on aspects of global social justice, this is an excellent resource. It represents insight without patronising, reality without pity, and demonstrates the strength of people who materially have so little and yet can articulate powerful and accurate politics.’

–Dr Tracey Skelton
Department of Geography, National University of Singapore

‘Anyone interested in contemporary South Africa should watch this film to learn more about the plight of South African civil society for equal rights, and the inspiring work of the Abahlali movement.’

– Dr Lindiwe Dovey
Lecturer in African Film at SOAS, University of London

‘A Place in the City offers some fascinating insights into the struggle for rights in South Africa’s informal settlements today. It captures Abahlali baseMjondolo’s work in mobilising shack-dwellers through activists’ own words, and presents this through footage that sensitively explores the harsh realities of people’s everyday lives. This is a thought-provoking film that will be of interest to anyone concerned with issues around urban development and grassroots social movements in contemporary Africa.’

—Dr Glyn Williams
Department of Town and Regional Planning
University of Sheffield

‘A Place in the City is one of those rare films that is both very well produced and insightful by virtue of its clarity and dispassionate documentary style. It is no less powerful for that. Moreover, it lends itself to use in different contexts: lectures and seminars, leadership training, general awareness raising, and policy advocacy. I have been looking for just such a resource to update my South African library for several years. This film deserves the widest possible exposure.’

–Professor David Simon
Head of Department
Professor of Development Geography
Department of Geography
Royal Holloway
University of London