Inclusive Cities Newsletter

Launched in 2008, the Inclusive Cities project aims to strengthen membership-based organizations (MBOs) of the working poor in the areas of organizing, policy analysis and advocacy, in order to ensure that urban informal workers have the tools necessary to make themselves heard within urban planning processes. Inclusive Cities is a collaboration between MBOs of the working poor, international alliances of MBOs and those supporting the work of MBOs. The following partners are involved in the Inclusive Cities project: Asiye eTafuleni (South Africa), AVINA (Latin America), HomeNet South Asia, HomeNet South-East Asia, Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP,India), the Latin America Network of Waste Pickers, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA, India), StreetNet International, and WIEGO.

Inclusive Cities Partners at World Urban Forum (WUF) 5
In March, an Inclusive Cities delegation attended the World Urban Forum 5 to promote inclusive urban planning policies and processes that improve the livelihoods of the urban working poor. read more... >>

WIEGO General Assembly in
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
In April, the 5th WIEGO General Assembly provided an opportunity for members to gather, share their ideas regarding future development of the WIEGO network and to vote in a new board of directors. read more... >>

World People’s Conference on Climate Change
Waste pickers participated in the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia from April 19th -22nd, 2010. read more... >>

4th Congress of Waste Pickers of Latin America and the Caribbean, Callao, Peru
The 4th Congress of the Latin American Waste Pickers Network (LAWPN) took place in early June and was attended by 1,200 participants representing 9 countries. read more... >>

WCCA Campaign Workshop Declaration Maputo - May 7th 2010
The participants at the World Class Cities for All Campaign Workshop, representing 385 622 members from 37 StreetNet affiliates in 33 countries, from Africa, Asia and Latin America released the Maputo declaration: “Nothing for us without us!” read more... >>

Report on The Warwick Junction Cleaning Campaign – 12 May 2010
The Warwick Junction Area Cleanup Campaign, which ran on 12th May 2010 between 9am and 1pm, was an initiative under the rubric of ‘Warwick Traders Preparing for Kickoff 2010’. As final preparation to ready the area, the traders embarked on this cleanup campaign to ensure that all markets are ready to host the world. read more... >>

Markets of Warwick
The Markets of Warwick tours are an initiative of the local traders to showcase their merchandise and the endemic and vibrant energy of their markets. These tours are made possible through the assistance of the NGO Asiye eTafuleni, and demonstrate how local informal traders can be successfully incorporated into urban spaces, benefiting not only the traders and their livelihood, but the local tourism industry as well. read more... >>

Waste Pickers March in Solidarity
In March, Waste Pickers across Latin America and India showed that there is strength in numbers by marching and rallying in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and 20 cities in India.
read more... >>

Waste Pickers Face Privatization Threat in Pune, India
In April 2010, KKPKP and the SWaCH Co-operative were surprised to discover that the Pune Municipal Corporation had publicized a public tender for waste collection in the municipality. read more... >>

Tempo Girls
Born out of the initiative of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and SWaCH, came the novel idea to provide tempos (small motorized vehicles) to the waste pickers to facilitate door to door collection of waste. read more... >>

The City Develops and We Perish: We the Waste Picker Women of Ahmedabad
My name is Rajiben Parmar. I am a waste picker. I have organized 4000 waste picker women out of the present 31505 members of SEWA I would like to share with you all, the story of waste pickers of Ahmedabad. read more... >>

Hope in the Horizon – Directive from MOUD
The Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) in India issued a directive in March, 2010 to Chief Secretaries urging them to ensure that Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) integrate the informal sector in Solid Waste Management. This directive is a direct spinoff of the intensive advocacy efforts of the Alliance of Indian Wastepickers (AIW), and a landmark in itself. read more... >>

HomeNet Nepal Partnering with Hetauda Municipality to
Address Urban Poor Home-based Workers
Established in 2001 and registered in 2002, HomeNet Nepal (HNN) is a network of home-based workers. As a consequence of the implementation of the Inclusive Cities project, we could develop a relationship with the Hetauda Municipality which has been awarded “best Municipality” twice. There is a great possibility of joint venture between HNN and municipalities with the theme of Inclusive Cities to ensure the access and control of urban facilities and provisions to the urban poor including home-based workers very soon. read more... >>

Publications

WIEGO Urban Policies Research Report Series
WIEGO has recently released the following research reports which are available on both the Inclusive Cities and WIEGO websites:

Samson, Melanie. Reclaiming Reusable and Recyclable Materials in Africa - A Critical Review of English Language Literature, January 2010.

Salej, Ana Paula. Informal Economy Budget Analysis in Brazil and Belo Horizonte, March 2010.

Mumtaz, Khawar and Nadia Saleem. Informal Economy Budget Analysis in Pakistan and Ravi Town, Lahore, March 2010.

Aliaga Linares, Lissette. Informal Economy Budget Analysis in Peru and Metropolitan Lima, March 2010.

Casanova-Dorotan, Florencia G. Informal Economy Budget Analysis in Philippines and Quezon City, March 2010.

Global Economic Crisis Round II – Coming Soon!
The first round of research carried out by WIEGO and Inclusive Cities partners on the impact of the Global Economic Crisis was well received and was cited by the UN Secretary General report “Voices of the Vulnerable”, as well as the UNICEF Two Years into the Crisis: Signs of Severe Coping Strategies that are Impacting on Children and the OXFAM Research Report The Global Economic Crisis and Developing Countries.

In the second round of study, interviewers have gone back to the same participants and asked them about what changes they have experienced. In this round of the study more attention has been paid to identifying and prioritizing policy and organizational interventions. In early June those involved in conducting the study met for the first time with the hope of evaluating the process and the possibility of developing this method into an annual, rapid assessment of ‘the state of the informal economy’.

To get the latest up-to-date information on new WIEGO research, subscribe to the WIEGO newsletter and website updates click here.

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