We invite local, national, and international inhabitants’ organisations, networks, and citizens, who are involved in the livability of the city and are struggling for rights related to habitat, to participate in the second Urban Social Forum (USF) in Naples, Italy, September 3-7, 2012, which will be held as an alternative to UN-Habitat’s World Urban Forum (WUF) 6.

We launch this call, based on the shared principles of the World Social Forum (WSF), convinced on the necessity to continue to develop successful convergences at local, national and international levels, such as: the World Assembly of Inhabitants (Mexico City, 2000), World Social Forum 1 (Porto Alegre, 2001), Urban Social Forum 1 (Rio de Janeiro, 2010), World Assembly of Inhabitants and the Popular Neighbourhood Forum (Dakar, 2011), World Days for the Right to Habitat (October 2011), the People’s Summit (Rio de Janeiro, 2012), and the upcoming World Assembly of Inhabitants during the World Social Forum in 2013.

The second Urban Social Forum in Naples will be held in a beautiful territory rich with resources, however severly damaged, which is an additional reason to build this inclusive space together. Naples will represent another milestone in the consolidation of dialogue and alliances to reach a consensus on a platform and program for common action between urban and rural inhabitant movements and all those organizations, networks and institutions that fight for the rights to housing, land, common goods, and to the city. These rights can only be protected by building more just, democratic and sustainable territories and by defending inhabitants against attacks steming from the crisis caused by neoliberal globalization.

Read more and signe the call here

The “Zero Evictions” campaign, which was inspired by World Assembly of Inhabitants, has been launched in Yaoundé by Réseau National des Habitants du Cameroun (RNHC) under the slogan, “Say no to evictions without rehousing!”

Everyone is invited to spread the word and support the campaign by signing the petition online!

Members of the local Promotions Committee for the Zero Evictions Campaign, traditional and religious authorities, and organizers of the Urban Network for Inhabitants of the 7 districts of Yaoundé took part in the campaign launch, which was covered by a number of radio and television stations, as well as local newspapers.

The agenda’s primary focus was on the petition, which serves as key document to the memorandum that will be presented to the government of the Republic of Cameroon- a memorandum which is testament to the determination of Cameroon inhabitants to put an end to all mass evictions where no adequate measures for rehousing are provided.

Read more and sign the petition on the International Alliance of Inhabitants

Appeal to International Solidarity Action

We, inhabitants’ associations, international networks, voluntary groups, NGOs, public agencies, citizens of the world, express our indignation at and denounce Israel’s continual policies of eviction and demolition carried out against the Palestinian people, both Palestinians ’48 (citizens of Israel) and Palestinians ’67 (in the Occupied Palestinian Territories). These demolitions and evictions clearly violate international law.

• Subscribe the appeal!

We are launching an appeal to organise a World Zero Evictions Days 2008 throughout the month of October 2008 as a concrete follow-up of the Global Campaign: Act together - housing for all! This is also a collective preparatory exercise for the World Assembly of Inhabitants.

Join the Days!

• Sign here

Eviction in Chika

AP-George Osodi

What’s going on in Nigeria?

On November 28th 2005, President Obasanjo gave the go-ahead for the most massive and violent operation of forced evictions in living memory, not just in Africa, but in the world. The demolitions and forced evictions affect over 4 million inhabitants, out of a total of 7 million residentsin the federal capital, Abuja. Acting on the orders of the Minister, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, Chairman of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), officials of the FCDA escorted by the police, the army and bulldozers, began to destroy the houses, schools, hospitals, churches and mosques of Abuja.

Local organizations and NGOs denounce the action and stress the incredibly large number of people involved: no adequate notice was given; no government plans were proposed for the re-housing or compensation of those evicted; 800,000 people were forced into homelessness particularly in the area along the International Airport Road, at Pyakasa, Kuchingoro, Garamajiji, Aleita, Chika, Galadimawa, Gosa A., Gosa Sarki, and Sabon Lugbe. Other forced evictions took place in Gwagwa, Karimu and Dei dei. Over 2,000 families are forced to sleep amongst the rubble of their former homes or in makeshift camps. Over 15,000 children have been forced to give up school. The extreme conditions give rise to violence, especially against women - including pregnant women - and girls, who are thus even more exposed to the dangers of prostitution and AIDS. The reason for all this cruelty lies in the decision to implement the master plan drawn up in 1978 by the International Consortium of Planners, Urban Designers and Architects (USA), to develop the city of Abuja, which at that time had just been nominated the new federal capital of Nigeria. The master plan, which has been in the pipeline for years, envisages a population of 3 million inhabitants at the most. According to the logic of the master plan, therefore, the extra 4 million inhabitants are outside the legal limit and must be expelled from their homes.

• More informations or sign the Appeal