Alternative Paradigm for "living well on planet"

Democratization of society

Central issue within social movements’ struggle
Editing by Carolyn Bennett

Urban and Communitarian Way

Alliances of struggle—peasants, urban social movements—to live well on planet

International Alliance of Inhabitants(IAI)  

We should organize campaigns and schedule days around progressive struggles in response to the environmental and social problems of humanity.

Increasing housing insecurity amongst populations, victims of eviction and those forced into risk zones, environmental protection and the exponential rise in land grabs are some of the most evident aspects of the crises facing our planet.

The ultimate causes of these violations of the right to habitat are found in a neoliberal system based in a social pact that violates the sovereignty of human and environmental rights, sovereign territory, social equality and sustainability.

 

Democratization of society is the central issue within the struggle of social movements including social inclusion and humanizing the lives of those who live in large urban centers in conjunction with universalizing policies.

Inhabitants have not been impassive.

Their struggles and their experiences point to journeys and suitable solutions and sustainability to face the urban, housing and global crisis.

We consider it crucial to construct the ‘The Urban and Community Way’ intended as a common space and journey, global and shared by organizations and networks of inhabitants that share their experiences, elaborate strategies and platforms, administrate tools, decide and put into place the promises to reinforce the solidarity of the global struggles.

The International Alliance of Inhabitants presents at the People’s Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 15-23, 2012), an alternative to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

At the People’s Summit, Rio+20, we advance the debate of constructing the Urban and Communitarian Way.

With it we are able to contribute to effecting the social function of property, of the city, and of land in general, believing that social movements have an accumulated experience that enable them to contribute to and to recuperate and defend cities, nature, culture, wisdom, capabilities, sustainability, self-determination, sovereignty of the peoples, justice, peace, and democracy.

In this way, we seek to reassert the Urban Social Pact, beginning with the primacy of alternative paradigms of human and environmental rights, and the responsibilities of inhabitants as the builders and managers of human settlements, indisputable pillars of the ‘living well on our planet.’

Sources and notes

Friday, June 15, 2012 Building alliances of struggle between peasants and urban social movements to live well on our planet

http://www.habitants.org/news/inhabitants_of_americas/construyendo_la_via_urbana_y_comunitaria_desde_puerto_alegre_para_la_cupula_de_los_pueblos_en_rio

Building on these foundations, we shall be able to construct a new Urban Social Pact.

http://www.habitants.org/the_urban_way/inhabitants_at_the_people_s_summit_rio_20/news/building_alliances_of_struggle_between_peasants_and_urban_social_movements_to_live_well_on_our_planet

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