In view of the current crisis situation of the CoVid-19 and the far-reaching measures announced by the States, Habitat International Coalition wishes to send a message of solidarity but also to call on Social Justice in the fight against the virus. Once again, we are facing a global challenge that must be faced from the perspective of social justice and Human Rights.
In the following weeks, many more states will implement measures that will impact all citizens. At stake is whether the measures taken rescue people rather than economic interests. In this context, we call for the recognition, defence and full implementation of the right of everyone to a secure place in which to live in peace and dignity with the following aspects:
- Social Justice – protection of the most vulnerable: homeless people and those living without adequate housing are a very affected group in this crisis. We call upon local and national governments and the international community to address the critical needs of people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic outbreak.
- Moratorium on the payment of rent. Again, the most vulnerable sectors of the population will not be able to pay the rent and for many others, this will become a major burden in a context where the economy is beginning to stagnate and income is decreasing.
- Moratorium on mortgage payments. The collection of debts and interest by financial institutions from individuals, families and small businesses must be stopped.
- Stop forced evictions. now more than ever any violations of habitat rights, often committed in the name of “development” and “improvement of the quality of life” must be stopped
- It’s time to call for the value of public services and commons, and to take advantage of this crisis to stop the privatization of these essential services. Now it’s time to Intervene all private health resources and put them at the service of the general interest.
HIC calls for this global health challenge to become an opportunity for social change, putting people at the centre, protecting the human rights of all people and addressing it through solidarity, justice, networking and global support.
HIC messages
All measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic require that we avoid violating the human rights of others and create and maintain a human rights habitat for human well-being to prevail.
HIC will continue to work for the human right to adequate housing, precisely because confinement is one of the fundamental measures to avoid contagion.
HIC Members, Friends and Allies in the face of COVID-19
HIC Members, Friends and Allies Statements:
Latin America and the Caribbean
ARGENTINA
CISCSA: Comunicado ante la situación de pandemia que vivimos (communicate in the face of the pandemic situation we are facing)
Article by Ana Falú: The pandemic: uncertainty, violence, care work and gender / La pandemia, incertidumbres, violencias, cuidados, y género
—
ACIJ launches a campaign : #LaViviendaEsUnDerecho (Housing is a Human right): States must ensure access to decent housing and adequate sanitation, which are now vital to protect against the pandemic.
—
Habitar Argentina: Propuestas urgentes de medidas para combatir el COVID desde una mirada integral del hábitat (Urgent proposals for measures to combat the COVID from a comprehensive view of the habitat)
—
Madre Tierra shares some proposals in the face of the current crisis: “In the framework of the crisis by #Covid19, we share the proposal of an emergency national policy on habitat”
CHILE
Corporación SUR – Segundo Foro Global Ciudades y Coronavirus: Los Impactos de las Políticas (Second Global Cities and Coronavirus Forum: The Impacts of Policy). Video of the presentation by Ana Sugranyes (HIC/Ciudad Común) y Alfredo Rodríguez (Corporación SUR): Video / Presentation: QuédateEnCasa, Graphic
—
MEXICO
HIC-AL together with others institutions and individuals launches a collective statement : urgen medidas para afrontar la pandemia del coronavirus desde una perspectiva del derecho a la vivienda adecuada (urgent measures to address the coronavirus pandemic from a right to adequate housing perspective)
Sub-Saharan Africa
ANGOLA
Development Workshop Angola – Summary of the Emergency Action of Development Workshop Angola:
At this time of the COVID-19 crisis, more than half of Angola’s populations do not have access to piped potable water for consumption or basic hygiene in their homes. Many of the most vulnerable families obtain water from community standposts and wells with handpumps or have to buy water from water vendors. The maintenance of the supply of water to Angola’s most vulnerable families, living in high-density slums (where the Corona-virus could spread rapidly) is of the utmost importance. Development Workshop has promoted community water committees and trained women caretakers as water managers in key provinces across the country. At this time of the COVID-19 pandemic the role of community water managers has become pivotal, but also a high-risk activity. Development Workshop is leading an emergency action to mitigate the transmission of the Corona-virus through the highly critical point of water-collection to Angola’s most vulnerable communities. The protection of front-line “water caretakers” is a main objective, as is the prevention of virus transmission at the water-collection point where people are obliged to meet. The action also uses the network of water committees to mount a public campaign on hygiene and anti-COVID-19 education.
CAMEROON
L’Association des Amoureux du Livre « ASSOAL » :
- Carographie des interventions (français) / Intervention-Map-Covid-ASSOAL (English)
- Commitment note in the face of the Covid crisis / Note d’engagement ASSOAL cris du COVID-19 version publique
- Civil society Appeal for COVID19 Better Management Cameroon final / Appel ONDESC Crise COOVID-19 version du 11 avril 2020
Humanitas Solidaris a mené au Cameroun des actions relatives au Covid 19.
- Message d’Oscarine Michelle Dalle, Présidente Humanitas Solidaris: clickez ici
- Message 1er Mai 2020, Journée Internationale du Travail
KENYA
Video diaries from Nairobi: Navigating food insecurity in times of the COVID-19 pandemic
To gain insights into the effects of the pandemic and navigate and cope with the resulting uncertain job, income and food production and supply spaces, TMG Research in partnership with the Mazingira Institute, is giving food system actors, from producers to consumers, a platform to report through video dairies, on their very own experience and navigation of securing their food and livelihoods.
Mazingira Institute is also documenting the local food production and distribution situation in Nairobi during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Concept note: Mazingira Institute Urban food system and COVID-19 crisis,
- Overview Food System and full version of the Food System Model
SOUTH AFRICA
DAG is sharing important information/guidelines for people living in informal settlements to protect themselves from Coronavirus in South Africa.
—
Middle East and North Africa
South Asia
INDIA
Yuva India launches the campaign #TogetherWeCan, “Our relief efforts continue to help most vulnerable families in need”. Support to help people #StaySafe #COVID2019
THAILAND
Asian Coalition for Housing Rights- ACHR: News from groups around Asia about what’s happening in the region in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
—
Europe
FRANCE
La Fondation Abbé Pierre: Covid-19 – Confinement : double peine pour les plus vulnérables
—
Reseau Urbain: Viral Open Space initiative is reuniting people from around the to share and discuss positive & creative community responses to the crisis
ITALY
SPAIN
SWITZERLAND
Urbamonde: Covid-19 : Solidarité et habitat collaboratif
—
UNITED KINGDOM
The Bartlett Development Planning Unit: DPU launch blog and webinar series, ‘Post COVID-19 Urban Futures’
North America
CANADA
UNITED STATES
Right to the City Alliance: Cancel the Rent Campaign
—
Reclaiming our homes: Homeless Families In Los Angeles Take Over Vacant Homes As Coronavirus Spreads
—
International
Cities for Global Health : an initiative from Proyecto Al-Las, UCLG and Metropolis
—
ESCR-Net – International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – : Human Rights must be prioritized in responding to COVID-19
—
International Alliance of Inhabitants: Appel International: Zéro expulsion à cause du Coronavirus
—
Leilani Farha, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing: “Housing, the front line defence against the COVID-19 outbreak,” says UN expert
—
UNICEF calls for an Agenda for action to protect the most vulnerable children from the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
—
HIC Members, Friends and Allies Events:
JUNE
Presentación de los resultados del proyecto «Reconstrucción Integral y Social del Hábitat en el Istmo de Tehuantepec»
Un espacio para reflexionar desde distintas perspectivas sobre la experiencia de acompañamiento en la emergencia por los temblores y los retos actuales en el marco de la pandemia por COVID–19 de Cooperación Comunitaria.
4 de junio 2020
18:00 h (GMT-5)
Por favor confirma tu asistencia con tu nombre y correo a comunicacionCC@cooperacioncomunitaria.org para que te enviemos la liga de acceso al webinar.
Urban , Land & Housing Dialogue series
Public webinar series: Urban , Land & Housing Dialogue series: Webinar on 30 June at 2 pm.
30 June at 2 pm (GMT+2)
RSVP to zinzi@dag.org.za or WhatsApp 073 034 0222 to register.
Webinar Cooperative Housing Development Thinking Outside the Box
UrbaMonde and Co-operative Housing International, partners of the CoHabitat Network, invite you to a conversation with cooperators and project managers developing cooperative housing in Europe and beyond.
June 2 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Remote pedagogies for social learning
Post COVID-19 Urban Futures webinar series – No. 6 Hosted by: Adriana Allen & Julia Wesely co-organised with the Knowledge in Action for Urban Equality (KNOW) programme and Habitat International Coalition (HIC)
June 2 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Lecturas Feministas sobre ciudades y territorio, desigualdades frente a la pandemia #COVID19”
MAY
Journées d’action – Droit au Logement
Des militants du Droit au Logement organisent deux journées d’action le 30 & 31 mai pour demander le gel des loyers, une saison blanche des expulsions et la réquisition des logements vides
30 et 31 mai
Conversación: Cooperación Comunitaria sobre la reconstrucción del Mural Códice Humboldt Fragmento 1 / Códice Azoyú Reverso2 Mariana Castillo
Mural Códice Humboldt Fragmento 1 / Códice Azoyú Reverso 2, para dos edificios comunitarios de la montaña de Guerrero. Un proyecto de Mariana Castillo Deball en colaboración con las comunidades de Malinaltepec y Cooperación Comunitaria.
Saturday,30th May
Webinar: Eviction response during and after COVID-19
Land Rights and COVID-19 webinar and discussion series was presented by Land Portal, Landesa, the Global Protection Cluster HLP AOR and GIZ, with organizing support from Environmental Peacebuilding Association, LANDac, New America and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). The 2nd webinar in the series on Eviction response during and after COVID-19 will took place on Wednesday, May 27th, 2020. The webinar was co-hosted by the the Environmental Peacebulding Association, GIZ, the UNHCR’s Global Protection Cluster on Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Area of Responsibility (AoR), LANDac, Landesa, the Land Portal Foundation, New America and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) on Eviction response during and after COVID-19.
27th May
Agenda de derechos de los feminismos, disidencias y diversidad
Conversatorio Virtual en el marco del Día Internacional de Acción por la Salud de las Mujeres
29 de mayo
YUVA Webinar ‘Indian Cities and the Nation-wide Lockdown’
This webinar series ‘Indian Cities and the Nation-wide Lockdown’ will focus on the pandemic, its resultant lockdown and the impact on lives and livelihoods of the urban poor, vis-à-vis local responses (both government and non-government). Register and join the discussion!
28th May
Webinar Cooperative Housing Development Thinking Outside the Box
UrbaMonde and Co-operative Housing International, partners of the CoHabitat Network, invite you to a conversation with cooperators and project managers developing cooperative housing in Europe and beyond.
This webinar will provide real accounts from people involved in developing new housing cooperatives. Organizaed by Urbamonde.
Wednesday,13th May – 16:00 CET
OcupaTuCiudad: Foro por el Derecho a la Vivienda Adecuada, México
Primer Foro Virtual: Por el Derecho a la Vivienda Adecuada: retos y estrategias post COVID19, que realizará
13, 20 y 21 de mayo
Derecho a la Ciudad en tiempos de pandemia que será dictada por Raquel Rolnik (FAU-USP) (Right to the City in Times of Pandemic by Raquel Rolnik (FAU-USP)
6 de mayo a las 09:00 horas de Ecuador (GMT-5) / 6th May 9h00 am Ecuador time (GMT-5)
APRIL
Volunteer responses to COVID-19: what can we learn moving forward?
This webinar is co-hosted by the UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation and the Institute for Volunteer Research (IVR).
Thu, Apr 30, 2020 at 2:00 PM (GMT).
The Israeli Occupation is alive and well under COVID-19 lockdown
Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territory have skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic. Mondoweiss’ Palestine correspondent Yumna Patel will speak with representatives of rights groups Al-Haq and Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel about how the rights of Palestinians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory continue to be violated on a daily basis.
29 April 2020
Learning from African post-pandemic experiences to tackle deep inequalities
Post COVID-19 Urban Futures webinar series – No. 3 hosted by Adriana Allen and Rita Lambert. Co-organised with Habitat International Coalition (HIC) and Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC)
28 April 2020, 2:00 pm–3:00 pm
Video available :Learning from African post-pandemic experiences to tackle deep inequalities
Foro virtual: Lecturas feministas sobre ciudades y territorio (Virtual Forum: Feminist Perspectives on Cities and Territory)
Inequalities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women’s voices and exchange of experiences / Desigualdades frente a la pandemia del COVID-19. Voces de las mujeres e intercambio de experiencias
28 April 2020: en los siguientes horario: 08.00hs Centroamérica / 09.00hs Colombia/Perú /10.00hs Chile / 11.00hs Argentina/Brasil / 16.00hs España/Francia.
Inscriptions / Realiza tu inscripción al foro en este link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B7IVBkOzTY6aIS6FuP_I4w
Let’s think about Habitat/ Pensemos el Hábitat
The cycle of interviews of Mother Earth “How we think the habitat” continues. To address and discuss gender issues in relation to habitat, we will talk to academic and feminist activist Ana Falú
.
Join the Instagram of @madretierra1985
22 April at 20h (GMT−4)
Webinar COVID-19 – Global discussion: Confronting systemic human rights violations during COVID-19
Join ESCR-Net members in a webinar to discuss the crisis prompted by COVID 19: the impacts, conditions that have contributed to those impacts and emerging demands.
Global Platform for the Right to the City Assemblies
Assembly 1 – Adequate housing, popular economy and the right to the city – Date: April 17, 2020 (Friday)
Assembly 2 – Right to the City, integral health and protection of life – Date: April 23, 2020 (Thursday)
Insights from HIC to face the Covid-19- Adriana Allen – HIC President
FLACSO: Segundo Foro Global Ciudades y Coronavirus, los impactos de las políticas (Second Global Forum on Cities and Coronaviruses, the impacts of policies)
16th April, Ecuador, more info
Virtual meeting with HIC Members in Africa
As the COVID-19 emergency hits Africa, HIC called for a virtual meeting with all Members in the region to establish a space for collective learning and action. In the meeting, HIC Members voiced their concerns and experiences, as well as the measures already being taken in their countries. The meeting also served to hear Members’ needs and how the Coalition could support their national and regional efforts.
9 April 2020
#BeyondTheOutbreak Live Learning Experience by UCLG, UN Habitat and Metropolis
