INITIATIVES
Habitat III : A Civil Society Response
Multi-partner effort to develop a civil society perspective, both expert and community-led leading up to the Habitat III conference in Quito, 2016
The Habitat III conference is the third such United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development that takes place every 20 years and focuses on concerns of human settlements, especially the urban challenge. The first such conference took place in 1976 (Vancouver) and the second in 1996 (Istanbul).
INHAF’s founder is one of a handful of people who have participated in all three habitat conferences thus far.
In 2015-16, INHAF initiated the process of responding to the forthcoming Habitat III conference. It began with a proposal to the Government in 2015 to declare 2016, ‘Year of the City’ on the occasion of this conference.
INHAF also shared its perception of what constituted the key elements of the urban challenge and suggested using the opportunity of Habitat III to showcase its multiple programs and seek partners for support.
This multi-event and widely owned initiative resulted in a civil society response to India’s urban challenge as its contribution to the Habitat III conference in 2016 (Quito).
MILESTONES
In 2016 October, INHAF organised an NGO-Civil society initiative around the Habitat 3 conference. This multi partner effort to develop a civil society perspective, both expert and community led to the formulation of the “Delhi Declaration” at a workshop titled India’s Urban Future: Choice not Chance. The Delhi Declaration became India’s civil society contribution to Habitat 3.
WORKING PARTNERS:
Representatives of Action Aid, IGSSS, TRCSS, NASVI, CSSP-JNU, WRI, GREHA, MHT, PIDT, NITTE, SEEDS, RICS, YUVA, Habitat Lab, Sehreeti, ISS, CPR, 3*3 Design, Edifice, ECPL, Tezpur University, VFCSPA, Vanguard Dens, Development Alternatives, WIEGO, Space Design Consultants
