[WSMDiscuss] Fwd: Sign and disseminate the Call & participate in the first Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants in history >>> 31/'7/2020!

Thu Jul 23 15:31:00 CEST 2020

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Viruses in movement…, Rights in movement…, Resistance in movement…, Movements in movement…

[On the one hand, this is a call around a critical issue – evictions, and dwelling rights (more commonly known as ‘housing rights’) - that is common to all countries around the world, and especially during these times…  

[On the other, such a call of course faces the cruel realities of class and caste, where precisely those who are most threatened and affected by the violence and tragedies of evictions – belonging to the labouring poor, around the world – will surely have the greatest difficulty in taking part in such as Assembly (and even if they somehow get to know of this); for reasons of time as well as of internet access.  And so where such a call is likely to again becomes one of better-placed ‘representative organisations’ speaking for them; and so where I can only hope such a process will make accompanying this with ways of local consultation, a central part of its work.  I make this observation here only out of a sense of political reality, since this is a field I worked in for many years, and even if before the virtual world emerged… :

Call for Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants

Friday, July 31 2020

IAI - International Alliance of Inhabitants

            JS

fwd

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Media IAI <media.iai at habitants.org>
> Subject: [iai.india] Sign and disseminate the Call & participate in the first Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants in history >>> 31/'7/2020!
> Date: July 22, 2020 at 6:39:40 PM EDT
> To: iai.india at list.habitants.org
> Reply-To: vwai2020 at habitants.org

 <https://www.facebook.com/115241863603431/photos/a.117649060029378/120339263093691/?type=3&theater>
Call for the Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants

Friday 31/07/2020
13:30-15:30 GMT (click for your local time <https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Virtual+World+Assembly+of+Inhabitants&iso=20200731T1530&p1=215&ah=3>)

We are taking a leading role in defending our ideals for building an alternative grounded on human and environmental rights and the equitable redistribution of resources.

We stand in solidarity with the populations affected by the pandemic and their organizations, in particular the human rights defenders.

Organisations and networks of inhabitants from all over the world are calling for the first Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants in history, a place for the necessary convergence of solidarity re-existences in times of pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has opened a historical portal, visible to the majority of the world's population. On the one hand, it showed the systemic failure of neoliberalism, which has consigned health and economy to the private sector, revealing a global and financial crisis worse than those of 1929 and 2008. On the other hand, it created the opportunity for an alternative based on human and environmental rights and the equitable redistribution of resources

The right to health, housing and land security, to the city, to social protection, is being violated for vast majority of the inhabitants of housing and slums, who are threatened with eviction due to the housing market and poverty. The 1.8 billion people who live in reduced spaces, overcrowded, people who are homeless, sometimes not even with water or a toilet, are at a serious disadvantage in accessing health care and adequate precautions, thus paying the highest price.

Under the pretext of cleaning up coronavirus-infected areas, as in the past for other pandemics, or under the pretext of resilience to climate change on urban settlements and on territories of indigenous peoples, the vultures of the financialization of the economy are ready to take advantage of the private and public debts accumulated during this crisis. There is also a great risk of escalating evictions and displacement of people, families and communities from areas that will be exploited in the upcoming speculative revival of the economy. Thus, aggravating the crisis of migration due to ongoing wars and inequalities between North and South. 

The people's organizations of inhabitants are in the frontline in order to help, show solidarity, and re-existences to the crisis; however, we do not want to carry out activities of mere resilience, that is, just accepting the situation by adapting to the “normality” that caused the crisis. We are struggling to re-exist: to resist by questioning the causes of the crisis, to revive the existence and lives of ourselves and our communities through alternative policies. 

In particular, we stand in solidarity with the housing rights activists, human rights defenders who are committed with the cause and who risk their health, freedom and life. We condemn the incessant attacks and authoritarian offensives against them. 

Therefore, we take the experiences of past World Assemblies of Inhabitants <https://www.habitants.org/the_urban_way>, and hundreds of initiatives <https://www.facebook.com/ZeroEvictionsCoronavirus/> that the Zero Evictions for the Coronavirus Campaign <https://www.habitants.org/zero_evictions_campaign/zero_evictions_for_coronavirus> has shown around the world. We want to spread the word, strengthen the convergences of the global network of people's organizations through: clear objectives, a shared strategy and actions that achieve unity, and impact through local / global solidarity.

Let's build together the first ever Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants on 31/07/20 and the World Zero Eviction Days in October!

We will report on what is really happening in various countries, the crisis, and the struggles.
We will discuss proposals for alternative policies for housing and territories.
We will define a strategy of convergence of struggles, for organizations, and international networks.
We will agree on a calendar of mobilizations beginning with the World Zero Evictions Days in October.

We encourage you to participate and organize the online preparatory meetings that are taking place in all continents!

Promoting Committee of the Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants

>>> Click here to sign the Call and join the Assembly <https://forms.gle/vwJ8b6kY2FY1t4g96>
info: 

vwai2020 at habitants.org <mailto:vwai2020 at habitants.org>
FB Virtual World Assembly of Inhabitants <https://www.facebook.com/Virtual-World-Assembly-of-Inhabitants-115241863603431/>
World Assemblies of Inhabitants <https://www.habitants.org/the_urban_way>
Zero Evictions for the Coronavirus Campaign <https://www.habitants.org/zero_evictions_campaign/zero_evictions_for_coronavirus>
#amvh2020        #vwai2020        #amva2020

____________________________
Jai Sen

Independent researcher, editor; Senior Fellow at the School of International Development and Globalisation Studies at the University of Ottawa

jai.sen at cacim.net <mailto:jai.sen at cacim.net>
Now based in New Delhi, India (+91-98189 11325) and in Ottawa, Canada, on unceded and unsurrendered Anishinaabe territory (+1-613-282 2900) 

CURRENT / RECENT publications :

Jai Sen, ed, 2018a – The Movements of Movements, Part 2 : Rethinking Our Dance. Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
Jai Sen, ed, 2018b – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ? (Indian edition). New Delhi : AuthorsUpfront, in collaboration with OpenWord and PM Press.  Hard copy available at MOM1AmazonIN <https://www.amazon.in/dp/9387280101/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522884070&sr=8-2&keywords=movements+of+movements+jai+sen>, MOM1Flipkart <https://www.flipkart.com/the-movements-of-movements/p/itmf3zg7h79ecpgj?pid=9789387280106&lid=LSTBOK9789387280106NBA1CH&marketplace=FLIPKART&srno=s_1_1&otracker=search&fm=SEARCH&iid=ff35b702-e6a8-4423-b014-16c84f6f0092.9789387280106.SEARCH&ppt=Search%20Page>, and MOM1AUpFront <http://www.authorsupfront.com/movements.htm>
Jai Sen, ed, 2017 – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ?.  New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press.  Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
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