Habitat III News

Event: Habitat and the One Billion Coalition

How Cities are Rewiring International Affairs

Young Entrepreneurs are Trying to Help South African Townships

InterAction is hosting a meeting  next Friday to discuss the U.S. involvement in Habitat III. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the State Department serve as lead negotiators for the U.S. in Habitat III, and Assistant Secretary of HUD Salin Geevarghese and his team will brief attendees on the process and issues leading up to Quito. The meeting will also feature the American Red Cross introducing the One Billion Coalition, a new network for community resilience.

WHEN: Friday, August 12, 10:30AM-12PM EDT

WHERE: InterAction Office

1400 16th St. NW, Suite 201

Washington, DC 20036

To RSVP, click here.

"If the 20th century belonged to nation-states, then the 21st will belong to cities." A new report from  D evex  makes the case that  the fate of the world lies in the hands of cities, from climate change to international relations. This argument is at the core of IHC Global's advocacy agenda and so we are pleased to see this analysis.   Cities have skyrocketed in population over the last 50 years- there are hundreds of cities with one million residents or more, and 29 megacities (cities with over 10 million people). Such steep population  growth  has brought opportunities to jump start the international economy, rethink political and social structures, and connect the world in new sustainable ways.

Read the full article here.

BBC News has done an in depth report on the young urban entrepreneurs who are trying to change lives in South Africa's informal settlements. In an innovative take on inclusiveness, the report focuses on several young people using their business skills to provide a voice to youth in informal settlements and to lift up their entire communities. From a DJ to a cafe owner, these entrepreneurs are turning their frustrations at their communities' lack of resources into opportunities to address poverty,  improve access to goods and services, and eliminate violence in their communities.

Read the full article here.

• What happens when climate adaptation hurts the urban poor? IHC Global Member Research Triangle Institute with MIT and others have done interesting research that shows how well-intentioned adaptation can have unanticipated, negative impact on the most vulnerable. Read an article here to find out how and why this has happened and the published research here.

• Read a Next City article that discusses whether an international agreement for sustainable urbanization is possible after Prep Com 3 here.

• Find out how Barcelona is taking city streets back from cars here.

Help IHC Global spread our message by forwarding our newsletter to organizations and people who want to help create inclusive and sustainable cities. Support IHC Global further by becoming a member of our growing coalition.  Please join us either as an individual or as an organization!  With your membership you will provide meaningful help in addressing the worldwide challenges of urban poverty and inequity. Help IHC Global "change cities for good" and secure a better urban future for us all!