Cities as engines of change

June 2015 — The next few decades will see unprecedented population growth in cities, creating new political, economic, social, and environmental conditions that will, in turn, drive new approaches to sustainable development. Across the Global South, informal communities and sectors face the greatest uncertainties as to the future, as they are excluded from basic services, securities, and rights. Yet these gaps and uncertainties also provide informal communities the greatest urgency for change, along with the freedom from more established systems to experiment and shape developments in the cities around them.

On 9–11 June 2015, the New Cities Foundation will gather 800 of the world’s leading decision-makers, mayors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, thinkers, artists, and innovators in Jakarta for the New Cities Summit to discuss "Cities as Engines of Change." For the month of June, we will explore the idea of cities as a locus of experimentation in this period of rapid growth and development, with a focus on the role of the urban poor. Follow the conversation as it travels from city to city, and please contribute to the conversation in the comments below.

ENGLISH

(Re)sourcing waste: waste management projects in Dhaka

Dhaka, 26 June 2015 — Social businesses and student innovations are leading the way in developing better waste management systems in Dhaka. Waste Concern has started a pilot project for community composting in slums and residential areas. This experiment is demonstrating results that may provide a sustainable, inclusive solution for the rest of the city. See more.

ENGLISH

(Re)sourcing waste: waste management projects in Dhaka

Raiya Kishwar Ashraf, Dhaka Community Manager

The management of solid waste is a massive challenge in Dhaka. With landfills reaching their full capacities, the municipality and community actors are undertaking pilot projects to improve source segregation and the treatment of biodegradable waste, which constitutes 74 percent of the waste produced by the city. Waste Concern, a social business, has started a food waste composting program in Dhaka's largest slums and residential areas to teach communities how to process and decompose food waste that they later sell as compost.

The key to Waste Concern's (WC) activities has been simple technology and community education. They initially started training families in informal settlements how to separate waste at the source and how they could transform waste into fertilizer. WC then created the framework so that the compost these families produce can be sold back to WC. Keeping the needs of the community in mind, large Indonesian composting drums were brought in to conceal the waste and minimize odor. Several families use one drum, and each month earn up to Tk. 950 (USD $12) per drum of compost. This project has allowed Waste Concern to expand to more affluent residential areas, where they started a similar door-to-door training and waste collection program. This is done at a price that allows them to cross-subsidize their operations. The organization has also opened its own composting premises for their Solid Waste Management program. Their approach was to start composting programs on a small scale and then to form partnerships with the municipality for larger projects. Waste Concern is now in the process of formulating a larger integrated waste management program between 19 cities, including Dhaka, in cooperation with their municipalities' Private-Public-Community Partnership Schemes.

Programs like these introduce new perspectives to city residents regarding waste. Several studies have revealed that South Asian families generally do not consider biodegradable waste as reusable material. Waste is often dumped on city streets, clogging drains and spreading vermin. Composting projects provide a sustainable alternative to more expensive waste management programs. As city residents are made more aware of Waste Concern's technology, the youth are mobilized to challenge traditional waste production. One finalist in the Social Business Champs 2015, a competition hosted by the Social Business Youth Alliance held in Dhaka, focused on introducing environmentally friendly plastic bags as an alternative to plastic packaging. Meanwhile in Chittagong, at Asian University for Women, a group of students developed a social business plan for biodegradable bin-liners made from starch, vinegar and glycerin — a cost-effective formula coined by MIT students that can be produced using existing technology and resources in Bangladesh.

These projects indicate a key shift in focus for waste management in Bangladesh. Organizations like Waste Concern are using the experiences and observations from informal settlements to develop projects that may be implemented city-wide. They are also supported by young thought partners who are developing (and engineering) products and services that will cater to the needs of these communities. Close.

Photo: Farah Moriam

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506dhe

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

En la economía deprimida de Caracas, ¿cómo evoluciona la innovación?

Caracas, 25 junio 2015 — En Caracas, la innovación, no deriva de complejos algoritmos para el smartphone, sino dentro de los confines de pequeños espacios creados para el artista donde murales de pinturas son dedicadas a las emociones complejas de aquellos que comparten las vivezas duras que nos ofrece esta ciudad frenética de Caracas. Leer más.

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

En la economía deprimida de Caracas, ¿cómo evoluciona la innovación?

Maria B. Garcia, Gestor Comunitario de Caracas

En el apogeo de innovaciones que caracterizan al siglo 21, nos vemos bombardeados de economías basadas en la tecnología innovadora en ciudades tales como San Francisco, Boston, Nueva York.

Sin embargo, en economías que sufren de grandes depresiones económicas por la inflación devastadora, los conceptos de "innovación" y "economía" se derivan como dos conceptos ajenos uno al otro, divorciados de esa fuerza ingeniosa que se ven en Nueva York o Silicón Valley. Así que, en economías deprimidas. tales como ha ocurrido en Caracas desde Mayo del 2015, nos preguntamos, ¿cómo se vería la innovación?

El resultado se ha desarrollado a través de un arte mural profundamente expresivo de la Caracas actual, dentro del vecindario del 23 de Enero. En 1950, Macos Pérez Jiménez desarrolló unos apartamentos de ayuda social en el oeste de la ciudad llamado 2 de Diciembre para conmemorar el golpe de estado que le otorgó al dictador su espacio dentro de Miraflores como Jefe comandante de la República de Venezuela. Claro, luego de la caída de su dictadora, los edificios fueron bautizados "23 de Enero."

Es aquí, donde se produce un lienzo natural en las paredes donde los artistas expresan su dolor, alegrías, y fuerza comunal de ideologías políticas, sociales y filosofía de vida. Aquí no predomina los algoritmos complejos que caracterizan las innovaciones del Norte Global sino las pinceladas sobre espacios compartidos de las paredes de un conjunto de apartamentos sociales.

El 23 de Enero, entonces, predomina como el espíritu fantasmal de una ciudad plagada por las muertes de los pasados gobiernos derrotados, dictaduras militares y destrezas filosóficas. Hasta el nombre de este lugar representa la muerte de una dictadura militar, dura y que reprimía los derechos que hoy en día tanto valoramos dentro de la declaración de derechos humanos en el ámbito global. Es, en sus paredes, donde aparecen imágenes de una paz plagada por conflicto y violencia con otras imágenes de soldados muertos y mártires de las luchas en tiempos pasados. Cada artista encuentra su tema, y democráticamente utilizan ese espacio libre para denotar su realidad. El arte de murales exhibe los puntos de vistas de una Venezuela que tiembla de opiniones paradójicas pero emblemáticas de la pobreza que vive el país.

El arte de la calle, del 23 de Enero, debería ser apartado dentro del arte mundial como expresión genuina del dolor pero a su vez de la esperanza. Un último suspiro de una Caracas ahogada dentro de las ideas conflictivas de una ciudad dividida y simbólico del arte de una comunidad (no financiado) que lleva sobre sus hombros, el indefinido espíritu de dolor y de furor de un bravo pueblo con fuerza y honor.

En los ojos de los artistas, las imágenes y pinturas son emblemáticas y anonadan a los ciudadanos que pasan por su lado. Algunos murales expresan una critica implícita de la falta de justicia con una paloma (paz) pintada con una herida de bala por el corazón.

Los murales innovan a través de la expresión, moviéndose a más distancia de las tecnologías avanzadas que caracterizan al mundo actual, en vez de numerosos cálculos matemáticos, las pinceladas de sus ideas políticas y acogen las vidas y esperanzas de los ciudadanos a través del espacio público.

Es este espacio que se viste de óleos para resaltar las penurias y/o luchas de los Caraqueños, donde existe el arte explosivo de sus comunidades que buscan expresar a través de la innovación sus ojos vigilantes y esperanzados. Close.

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506css

ENGLISH

The future of waste: from trash to cash

Lilongwe, 24 June 2015 — Lilongwe will soon become a city of trash due to the low capacity of the local authority to manage waste. Poor women in low-income areas are ending the trash story, turning Lilongwe into a city of cash. See more.

ENGLISH

The future of waste: from trash to cash

Wonderful Hunga, Lilongwe Community Manager

Lilongwe, like many other emerging cities in the Global South, is facing unprecedented urban population growth due to a number of factors. In 2008, the city's population stood at 669,021, with an annual growth rate of 4.3 percent. Estimates show that the number of people living in this capital city will have more than doubled by 2030. With the current population, approximately 109 metric tonnes of waste are produced in Lilongwe every day. Yet this figure is conservative as it is based on study that was done a few years ago.

Waste management is increasingly becoming a challenge for Lilongwe's residents. The local authority can barely collect all of the waste that is generated — a 2008 study showed that the city could only collect and safely dispose of 30 percent of the city's waste. As the problem worsens and the population continues to grow, Lilongwe may soon become a city of trash.

Yet in this bleak future, women and young people — supported by the nonprofit sector — are seeing opportunities. At least 76 percent of the waste produced by the city of Lilongwe is organic, and these residents are taking advantage of it.

Our World International (OWI) is a local NGO working in Kawale, a traditional housing area in Lilongwe City. Driven by the waste situation in his neighbourhood, OWI's founder Stephen Chiunjira mobilized women and young people in the area and formed waste entrepreneurship groups. Equipped with basic knowledge in composting, the women and young people are making compost manure, which they sell to individuals for use in gardens and to landscaping companies. The neglected waste that was causing unpleasant smells in the neighbourhood and polluting rivers is now a source of revenue.

The city of Lilongwe admits the enormity of the waste challenge it faces. Two years ago, the city government collaborated with two NGOs, a College of Agriculture, and women's groups in informal settlements in a UN-Habitat-funded "waste for wealth" project. Through the project, women in Mtandire (a populous informal settlement) were trained in waste recycling, which included composting. The women were linked to a landscaping company called Four Seasons Nurseries, which buys compost from them. About 33 women, most of them illiterate and many of them single parents, are now still making compost, even though the project ended more than two years ago.

While the motivation of the waste entrepreneurship groups is to earn a living, they are also cleaning up the city, especially in the low-income areas, where the city council's waste collection services do not reach.

Population growth and urbanisation are fuelling waste generation in Lilongwe. Considering the capacity of the government to handle garbage, the city seems to be headed towards a trash-filled future. Yet there is hope in the works of waste entrepreneurs, not just for the environment, but for the city's economy as well. Close.

Photo: CCODE

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506lle

ENGLISH

Bangalore NGO gives local youths tools to improve slums

Bangalore, 23 June 2015 — Children are rarely asked to participate in local politics or in drafting a better neighborhood in which they study and play. A Bangalore-based NGO, however, believes that the only way to achieve child-friendly cities is to bring children into the decision-making process. Their programs train local youths from slum areas to capture their surroundings through digital media and give them a voice at ward meetings — a step that opens up city-making not only in India but around the world. See more.

ENGLISH

Bangalore NGO gives local youths tools to improve slums

Carlin Carr, Bangalore Community Manager

Indian cities are challenging to traverse by any measure. For children, these obstacles can be even more complex, and children are rarely asked about the difficulties they face. There have increasingly been movements to make cities more child-friendly and even bring children into the planning process — a step that makes young people more aware of their surroundings while also giving city makers a look inside a child's world. Recently, children in India's slum areas were asked to map public spaces in their neighborhoods. More organizations have joined hands in giving youth a say in what is happening in their communities — a move that might not just make cities more child-friendly but more livable, too.

The Association for Promotion of Social Action (APSA) in Bangalore has been working to empower children and families in the city's poorest sections to become change agents in their areas. ASPA focuses on an integrated development approach that asks the community to take a collective stand, increasing their bargaining power on political, social and economic issues. For children in these areas, becoming part of the process to improve their circumstances is often a new endeavor, but central to APSA's belief in a child's right to participate. To get them there, APSA has had to devise creative strategies to build the involvement of young people in civic duties.

One way APSA achieves its goal to give voice to local youths is through a training program at their Media Center. Selected youth engage in workshops to build skills in graphic design, photography, animation and documentary filmmaking. The youths lead the entire process, from developing storyboards to writing the scripts and eventually using the cameras and editing. They begin to observe the world around them more acutely, and the various media channels allows them to share issues that matter to them: child labor, child marriage, challenges in access to education, inequitable access to land and housing and water. Many of the issues might be difficult to bring up in their homes, or even in with neighbors and extended family, so the films give students a medium with which to tackle some of these taboo topics and bring them to the community's attention.

The videos and other digital media help APSA in their goal to build Child-friendly Wards (CFW), which it defines as "one that has the active participation of children in local governance in identification and resolution of local community issues and those related to children." While ASPA focuses on building community collectives for all of its constituents to have an empowered, supported say in their needs and future, the organization has also created children's collectives, giving youths an opportunity to be part of local ward meetings and participate in the decision-making, implementation and monitoring of children's issues.

Making child-friendly cities ultimately means that children of all ages are able to roam safely in their neighborhoods with opportunities that support a bright future. It's a simple goal that often seems challenging in cities where public spaces are being gobbled up and car-focused streets are overriding room for sidewalks and bike pathways. Allowing young people to be part of the process doesn't ensure cities will respond, but if the movement grows and more young people demand change, it will be hard not to listen. Close.

Photo credit: Anuradha Sengupta

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506bge

ENGLISH

Who is planning for? Planning with urbanisation and informality in Johannesburg's Spatial Development Framework

Johannesburg, 22 June 2015 — Johannesburg remains the focal point for economic opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa and is the largest city in South Africa. Facing global challenges such as increasing urbanisation and economic inequality, the City's current Spatial Development Framework is being prepared to guide public and private investment toward not only accommodating a growing population and an increase in informality, but using these to drive growth and urban sustainability. See more.

ENGLISH

Who is planning for? Planning with urbanisation and informality in Johannesburg's Spatial Development Framework

Tariq Toffa, Johannesburg Community Manager

Johannesburg remains the focal point for economic opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa and is the largest city in South Africa. Facing global challenges such as increasing urbanisation and economic inequality, the City's Spatial Development Framework (SDF) was prepared and annually revised since 2002 to guide public and private investment toward more equitable spatial and economic growth (fig. 1 and 2). As a key higher order spatial vision, it must translate higher level policy paradigms, such as "the pro-active absorption of the poor (...) into fully-fledged urban citizens" and "settlement restructuring (...) to bringing jobs closer to people" into a coherent spatial strategy. We spoke to Paul Hanger of IYER Urban Design Studio, planning consultants for the SDF with The Urban Planning and Design Lab of UN-Habitat and Urban Morphology Institute, about the process.

Briefly explain the role of Johannesburg's SDF.

The SDF is part of a broader planning process, and sits within a broader suite or package of plans influenced by, and taking direction from, the Integrated Development Plan of the city (fig. 3). It thus has primary legislative function. At another level, the SDF provides the overriding long term spatial vision for the City, exploring appropriate spatial development challenges and scenarios for a "Future City". The dynamics of the city are constantly changing (or rather our understanding of these dynamics is maturing), and a spatial plan that may have been 'appropriate' a decade ago may now have become an obstacle to sustainable urban growth.

What are the major urban-spatial challenges addressed?

The fundamental challenge currently confronting the city is assimilating a rapidly increasing urban population, of limited resources, into an urban system that is already constrained with its own spatial shortcomings (spatial inequality, fragmentation, urban sprawl, limited diversity and inefficient land use patterns, increasing pressure on the natural environment), in a way that is able to generate opportunity and sustain quality urban living. It is not just a case of accommodating a growing population and an increasing of informality, but using these to drive growth and urban sustainability. The spatial positioning and form of this growth is thus critical.

Is the SDF the most appropriate tool to address these challenges?

The SDF on its own will not transform the city. It requires a concurrent capital investment process to implement key spatial interventions. It also requires a more detailed level of planning to give spatial guidance to more localised development patterns (figs. 4). More importantly, in the local government context it needs political buy in and an effective champion.

How innovative is the SDF in offering sustainable solutions?

Johannesburg can have the most innovative spatial vision and framework possible, yet this becomes superfluous if, for example, higher levels of government continue imposing urban development priorities on the city – the provincial housing 'Megacity' approach or the proposed Gautrain extensions are examples here. The SDF cannot realistically address all of the urban challenges without being part of a broader shift in the way we build cities.

What are the major obstacles in implementation?

There are numerous obstacles ranging from political buy in to an increasing inertia to change in many of the 'privileged' areas of the city. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is the lack of a common urban vision for the city in our (fragmented) urban context. The reality is that, as a city community, we need to accept that, fundamentally, our city is not working at the level it has historically been positioned, and we need to rethink what it is doing, and where it is doing it. Close.

Picture credits: Figs. 1 – 3: SDF 2010 – 2011; fig. 4: Google Earth.

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506jbe

BAHASA INDONESIA

ENGLISH

Jaminan kesehatan untuk si miskin perkotaan

Jakarta, 19 Juni 2015 — Masyarakat miskin Jakarta memiliki Kartu Jakarta Sehat (KJS) sebagai jaminan kesehatan. Namun kini pemerintah Indonesia sudah memiliki Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) yang bersifat wajib bagi semua warga. Permasalahan terletak pada kesiapan KJN yang belum mencakup semua fasilitas yang ditawarkan dalam KJS sehingga masyarakat miskin kota terancam tak mendapat jaminan kesehatan jika proses integrasi kedua kartu tersebut terhambat. Baca lebih lanjut.

BAHASA INDONESIA

ENGLISH

Jaminan kesehatan untuk si miskin perkotaan

Widya Anggraini, Jakarta Community Manager

"Orang miskin dilarang sakit." Itu adalah prasa yang terkenal sekitar 15 tahun lalu di Indonesia karena mahalnya biaya pengobatan dan rumah sakit. Pemerintah ketika itu memang memiliki perhatian yang minim terhadap kesejahteraan sosial dan inovasi pelayanan kesehatan bagi masyarakatnya. Setelah periode reformasi tahun 1999, Indonesia mulai mempersiapkan safety net atau jaminan sosial yang lebih baik terutama dalam bidang pendidikan dan kesehatan. Berbagai bentuk pendekatan dan program telah dilaksanakan dengan berbagai kekuatan dan kelemahannya. Tulisan berikut akan mengulas bentuk jaminan khusus di bidang kesehatan bagi masyarakat miskin perkotaan di wilayah DKI Jakarta.

DKI Jakarta dibandingkan dengan daerah lain di Indonesia memiliki tingkat pertumbuhan ekonomi tertinggi mencapai 5.95 persen di tahun 2014. Meski demikian pertumbuhan ekonomi tersebut belum diikuti oleh pemerataan kesejahteraan yang ditandai oleh kesenjangan antara masyarakt miskin dan kaya masih tinggi sehingga masih sulit untuk menekan angka kemiskinan. Terdapat beragam bentuk jaminan sosial yang pernah dilaksanakan pemerintah seperti Jamkesmas, Bantuan Langsung Tunai (BLT), Asuransi Kesehatan (Askes), Jaminan Sosial Tenaga Kerja (Jamsostek), Taspen dan lain sebagainya. Namun demikian beragam program ini belum mampu secara efektif membantu masyarakat terentas dari kemiskinan.

Kartu Jakarta Sehat (KJS) adalah salah satu Inovasi mantan Gubernur Jakarta, Joko Widodo yang kini menjadi presiden Indonesia. Kartu ini diperkenalkan sejak tahun 2012. KJS sendiri merupakan program Jaminan pemeliharaan Kesehatan untuk masyarakat DKI Jakarta dalam bentuk pengobatan yang dikhususkan bagi keluarga miskin. Untuk ini Dinas Kesehatan Jakarta telah menandatangani MoU dengan 340 Puskesmas dan 88 rumah sakit agar mmeberikan pelayanan kesehatan bagi mereka yang memegang KJS. Sasaran kartu ini adalah warga miskin dan rentan beridentitas diri Jakarta dan telah menetap minimal 3 tahun. Dengan KJS maka warga dapat menikmati fasilitas kesehatan gratis di manapun baik tingkat desa (puskesmas) hingga rumah sakit di Jakarta dengan system rujukan.

Sejak awal tahun 2014 pemerintah pusat telah menyusun Sistem Jaminan Sosial Nasional (SJSN) yang mencakup jaminan hari tua, kecelakaan kerja, kematian termasuk jaminan kesehatan. Untuk perlindungan kesehatan sendiri telah dikeluarkan kartu Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) yang bersifat mandatory bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia sebagaimana diamanatkan dalam UU No. 40 Tahun 2004 tentang Sistem Jaminan Sosial Nasional. Dengan kehadiran JKN maka KJS yang sebelumnya telah berfungsi akan diintegrasikan dan menjadi pelengkap sebab hingga kini JKN hanya mampu meng-cover 1.7 Juta padahal jumlah penduduk miskin Jakarta kini mencapai 3.4 juta. Sistem JKN pada dasarnya lebih memiliki fasilitas yang lebih banyak dan lengkap meliputi pelayanan medis dan non-medis (akomodasi dan ambulance) dibandingkan KJS yang hanya memberikan perawatan.

Dalam implementasi JKN masih banyak permasalahan yang dihadapi baik dari sisi infrasturuktur maupun kesiapan pelaksana pemberi jaminan yaitu BPJS. Kemudian, dari sisi infrastruktur masih banyak keterbatasan dalam penyediaan ruang rawat inap terutama kelas 3. Selain itu dalam JKN tidak semua klaim kesehatan dapat diganti sebagaimana fasilitas yang sebelumnya ada dalam KJS dan tidak semua rumah sakit KJS berpartisipasi dalam JKN sehingga menyulitkan mereka yang terlanjur terintegrasi dalam JKN. Secara umum, meskin JKN lebih komprehensif dan sistematis namun masih lemah dalam sosialisasi dan pengawasan sehingga banyak dari mereka yang tidak masuk kategori miskin mendapat fasilitas tersebut. Oleh karena itu proses integrasi kedua kartu, KJS dan JKN, harus secepatnya diselesaikan agar masyarakat miskin kota dapat menikmati fasilitas kesehatan yang menjadi hak mereka. Close.

Foto: Sehat Negeriku

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506jki

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

Proyecto Hermes: combatiendo la violencia escolar

Bogotá, 18 junio 2015 — La violencia y los conflictos en las escuelas se han convertido en un grave problema en Bogotá. Se estima que 17 de cada 100 niños han sufrido alguna forma de acoso escolar. La Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá ha desarrollado el innovador Programa Hermes destinado a proveer a las escuelas con las herramientas y el conocimiento necesarios para combatir este problema. Leer más.

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

Proyecto Hermes: combatiendo la violencia escolar

Jorge Bela, Gestor Comunitario de Bogotá

En Bogotá el conflicto escolar ha llegado a alcanzar dimensiones preocupantes. En el año 2012 y la primera mitad del 2013 se detectaron 45 000 conflictos, que involucraron hasta 96 000 estudiantes. Estos casos, la mayoría de matoneo (o bullying) alcanzan su mayor gravedad en las edades de 12 y 13 años (hasta un 45 por ciento del total). El 61 por ciento se producen en las aulas, mientras que el 33 por ciento en el patio de recreo. Tan solo el 1 por ciento fuera del recinto escolar, aunque está creciendo muy rápidamente el número de casos realizados a través de las redes sociales. Quizá le prevalencia de la violencia en las aulas sea un reflejo de los elevados niveles de violencia que sufre el país en su conjunto.

La Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá lanzó en el año 1999 un innovador programa destinado a combatir el conflicto escolar, que en el año 2001 ya adquirió el nombre por el que se le conoce en la actualidad: Programa Hermes. El objetivo del programa es la reducción de la violencia buscando mecanismos alternativos a los métodos punitivos tradicionales que han demostrado ser poco efectivos. Para ello se ha buscado involucrar no solo a los alumnos, sino también a sus familias, a los educadores y a los funcionarios administrativos de los colegios que participan. Uno de los aspectos más innovadores del proyecto Hermes es alertar a los directivos y a los educadores de que ellos pueden ser también fuentes de conflicto, o causa de la agravación de los mismos. También se ha buscado dotar al proyecto de una estabilidad institucional y financiera que asegure su continuidad, pues un problema grave en este tipo de iniciativas es que no son sostenibles a medio y largo plazo, por lo que tampoco son efectivas.

El objetivo del proyecto es dotar a las entidades educativas de las herramientas y los conocimientos necesarios para combatir de forma autónoma el problema. El trabajo se estructura en varias fases: En la primera se realiza un diagnóstico y de apreciación de la realidad. En esta fase se abren espacios de reflexión por parte de todos los actores involucrados. La participación de los propios jóvenes en esta fase de diagnóstico es un componente esencial del programa. La siguiente fase es la de formación de docentes, a la que sigue la de formación de los propios estudiantes. Entre los jóvenes se forma un equipo de alumnos tutores que reciben formación específica por parte de la Cámara. La formación incluye la adquisición de habilidades sociales alternativas al uso de la violencia. Posteriormente se inician las fases de formación más especializada, en Métodos Alternos de Solución de Conflictos (MASC). Finalmente se lanza una fase de continuidad que establece las relaciones institucionales necesarias para la continuidad del programa.

Un total de 360 colegios de Bogotá ya se han vinculado al programa, que también incluye actividades adicionales como foros, flashmobs de concienciación, etc. Close.

Foto: Comercio de Bogotá

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506bts

PORTUGUÊS

ENGLISH

Quíron: empoderando a educação brasileira

Curitiba, 17 junho 2015 — Quíron é uma organização de ensino complementar e participativo formada por cinco jovens de Curitiba com o objetivo de fomentar a cidadania ativa. Conheça aqui seu curso "Jovens Protagonistas", oferecido gratuitamente para jovens de baixa renda, que desenvolve conceitos como Cidadania, Autoconhecimento, Soluções de Conflitos e Confiança e dá sentido à palavra da vez: empoderamento. Leia mais.

PORTUGUÊS

ENGLISH

Quíron: empoderando a educação brasileira

Andréa Azambuja, Coordenadora da Rede em Curitiba

Enquanto a educação pública do Brasil permanecer precária, desigual e continuar sendo a única alternativa para 83,5 por cento dos brasileiros matriculados na Educação Básica (Infantil, Ensino Fundamental e Ensino Médio), o desenvolvimento social igualitário continuará sendo uma utopia. Cientes disso, cinco amigos de Curitiba resolveram se unir para levar uma forma de aprendizado realmente transformadora aos jovens de baixa renda da cidade.

"Na nossa visão, a escola muitas vezes se torna um espaço onde há medo de errar, o erro é punido, há pouco espaço para experimentação e há sempre uma única resposta certa. Esse modelo é replicado no processo como o jovem se vê, o que é um grande problema", diz Daniel Dipp, um dos sócio-fundadores da Quíron, organização de ensino complementar e participativo com o objetivo de empoderar pessoas e formar protagonistas. "Criamos a Quíron para transformar o ensino no Brasil, para estimular o indivíduo e a diversidade, e precisávamos impactar jovens em desvantagem", continua.

Para isso, Daniel e seus sócios desenvolveram o curso Jovens Protagonistas, oferecido gratuitamente em escolas públicas ou em espaços de parceiros a jovens de baixa renda de 13 a 23 anos. São 100 horas de aulas presenciais, mentoria e um programa de incubação – que acelera conexões e a prototipagem de ideias desenvolvidas – organizados em disciplinas como "O Ser", "O Empreendedor" e "Saber Conviver Com os Outros", nas quais são explorados conceitos como Cidadania, Autoconhecimento, Soluções de Conflitos, Metas, Recompensas, Confiança, Oratória, Negociação, Filosofia e Design Thinking, entre outros.

O sistema de ensino é horizontal, baseado na colaboração. A formação é realizada por universitários ou recém graduados, que estão familiarizados com a linguagem dos alunos e são treinados para estimular a discussão e o trabalho conjunto. O objetivo, sobretudo, é entender a dinâmica dos alunos e o modo como se configuram os desafios que eles enfrentam diariamente – o que é especialmente importante em se tratando de jovens em vulnerabilidade, muitas vezes vistos como parte de uma massa homogênea e estereotipada. Ao terem sua subjetividade inteligente e criativa valorizada, esses jovens são impulsionados a ir além da superfície dos problemas e vislumbrar causas, elaborar soluções e intervir pontualmente. A formular perguntas e respostas renovadoras e abrir caminho para novas perspectivas.

O Jovens Protagonistas é patrocinado por financiamento coletivo, por entidades da sociedade civil, pelo poder público ou pelo setor produtivo – "Em geral, empresas cujo quadro de funcionários é composto pelas famílias do entorno. Uma melhora educação de cada uma delas é uma melhora no índice de satisfação com a companhia, no IDH e em toda a estrutura da comunidade. Inserido nestes benefícios estão o marketing social, o desenvolvimento macroeconômico da região e uma plataforma de inovação: as organizações lançam um desafio para os estudantes solucionarem com a Quíron, e depois implementam a alternativa encontrada. Todos saem ganhando.", explica Daniel, relações públicas pós-graduado em Educomunicação.

A luta contra a desigualdade social só terá resultados expressivos e permanentes quando os jovens das periferias tiverem acesso às ferramentas necessárias para combater a realidade excludente à que estão submetidos. Assim, consequentemente, também teremos um mundo mais inovador, pois entre muitas visões preconceituosas e distorcidas a respeito dos espaços populares, uma parece estar correta: a que diz respeito à notória capacidade de seus moradores de inventar soluções alternativas para problemas cotidianos – e os jovens são a força desse território criativo. A Quíron tem tem facilitado o processo: fornece talvez o primeiro contato com essas ferramentas, estimulando um modo de pensar crítico e ativo, incentivando o desenvolvimento de potencialidades individuais e valorizando a força da união. Aí entra a palavra da moda: empoderamento. Empoderamento da educação. Close.

Foto: Jovens Protagonistas na ONG Elo - Apoio Social e Ambiental. Crédito: Quíron

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506cup

PERSIAN

ENGLISH

کوچه ای بهتر در محله ای فقیر

Tehran, 16 June 2015 —پروژه تخریب و بازسازی بافت های فرسوده شهری برای ساکنان این محلات عواقب اقتصادی و اجتماعی وخیمی به دنبال دارد. یک نمونه از این قبیل پروژه ها، محله "سلسبیل" در تهران است که در دهه 70 به دست بولدوزر سپرده شد. "کوچه بهتر" تجربه ای از مشارکت میان ساکنان و متخصصان شهری است که با هدف ارتقای وضعیت زندگی در این محله بازسازی شده، گرد هم آمده اند. ادامه مطلب.

PERSIAN

ENGLISH

کوچه ای بهتر در محله ای فقیر

مریم امیری

Maryam Amiri, Tehran Community Manager

تخریب و بازسازی بافت های فرسوده شهری، غیر از مشکلات اقتصادی و فرهنگی که برای ساکنان قدیمی و جدید محله ایجاد می کند، از نظر کالبدی نیز خطرات و مشکلاتی به دنبال دارد. در تهران، یکی از نمونه های شکست خورده از تخریب کامل محله پروژه «نواب» است که در دهه 1370 انجام شد. این طرح بافت محله فقیرنشین «سلسبیل» را به طور کامل تخریب کرد به جای آن و حول بزرگراهی که همزمان احداث شد، آپارتمان های مسکونی سربرآورد.

ساکنان قدیمی سلسبیل دیگر نتوانستند پیوندهای اقتصادی و اجتماعی تخریب شده را بازسازی کنند. بسیاری از آنها به مناطق حاشیه ای تر و فقیرنشین تر رانده شدند. علاوه بر این محله جدید خطرات کالبدی جدیدی آفرید. فضاهای بی دفاع در فضاهای رها شده پشت آپارتمان های بلندمرتبه یکی از این خطرات است.

فضاهایی که جای مناسبی برای انواع جرائم مانند مصرف مواد مخدر ، دزدی و زورگیری شده است. این فضاها به ویژه برای زنان و کودکان خطرآفرین است.

سازمان باهمستان با آگاهی نسبت به این مشکل، پروژه خلاقانه ای در یکی از کوچه های پرمسئله این محله اجرا کرد که پروژه «کوچه بهتر» نام داشت. ایده کوچه بهتر متعلق به جیسون رابرتز است که برای نخستین بار در آمریکا اجرا شد. اساس ایده این است که به جای برنامه ریزی بالا به پایین، خود مردم در هر جایی می توانند محل سکونت خودشان را بهبود بخشند. این رویداد تجربه متفاوتی از مشارکت گروههای محلی و متخصصین حوزه شهری برای بهبود زندگی شهری بود.

در روز 10 اسفند 1391 این طرح اجرایی شد. چهار ماه پیش از آن، اعضای باهمستان کارگاههای متعددی با زنان، کودکان، سالخوردگان و اصناف مختلف محله برگزار کردند. هدف این کارگاهها کشف مهمترین مشکلات محله بود که هر گروه با آن دست و پنجه نرم می کند. همچنین هماهنگی های لازم با مدیران شهری صورت گرفت.

رنگکردن و زیباکردن کوچه، انجام بازیهای جمعی و گروهی، ایجاد غرفههایی برای فروش محصولات کارآفرینان محل، صنایع دستی و خوراکی، ایجاد فضای سبز در کوچه، اجرای تاتر به صورت مشارکتی، کاهش آلودگیهای صوتی و محیطی بخشی از اقدامات انجام شده در این پروژه بود. همه این اقدامات توسط خود مردم محله انجام شد.

هدف پروژه علاوه بر بهبود وضعیت کالبدی محله و از این رهگذر بهبود وضعیت امنیت ساکنان، به کار گیری ظرفیت مشارکتی آن ها و استفاده از آن به عنوان موتور محرکه اصلاحات شهری دیگر در محله بود.

چهارماه پس از این رویداد، مدیران شهری تغییرات مثبتی در این کوچه صورت دادند. این برنامه و فرایند شکل گیری آن، موجب تشکیل گروه های محلی شد که پیگیر تحقق خواسته های خود از شهرداری شدند که بخشی از آن ها از جمله احداث پارک و رنگ آمیزی کوچه محقق شد.

Close

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506tep

ENGLISH

Informal settlements: mediators between economic growth and human development

Delhi, 15 June 2015 — How can Delhi act not just as an engine of growth but also as an agent for greater social justice and environmental sustainability? This article describes the case of Lado Sarai, an urban village of South Delhi, examining strategies for consultation processes in informal settlements. See more.

ENGLISH

Informal settlements: mediators between economic growth and human development

Priyanka Jain, Delhi Community Manager

In Delhi, when it comes to the typology of informal settlements — notified slums, jhuggi jhompri clusters, urban villages, unauthorized colonies, katras in old Delhi — the list is endless. Owing to the diversity of building forms and extremely complex context, development authorities struggle to impose a uniform set of building bylaws. Proposed institutional tools such as Local Area Planning (LAP), under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, provide the opportunity to prepare area-specific development controls in close consultation with the community.

However, as stated in the pilot study on LAP for Delhi (an Indo-USAID FIRE (D) project), the Implementation of LAP raises many questions regarding stakeholder consultation: how can consultants overcome stiff resistance from residents/occupants in carrying out surveys — resistance that arises due to fear of demolition of "illegal/unauthorized" construction? How can they carry out a systematic stakeholder consultation process while preparing the LAP? More importantly, how can consultants raise the awareness of the residents/occupants to engender participation and include the under-represented?

These are the questions that we seek to answer every day at 3x3 Design. After launching a storytelling platform for local cultural organizations to guide creative programming in downtown Rio de Janeiro and strategizing an annual festival to initiate a local consultation process in Dharavi for the "Reinventing Dharavi" competition, among other projects, we've learned a lot about what it takes to realize the principles of a successful stakeholder consultation process. This year 3x3 Design has had the of privilege working with the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) team and applying these principles to a redevelopment proposal for Lado Sarai, an urban village in South Delhi. The goal of the proposal is to develop a pilot decentralized water and sewage management system on Old M.B. Road and Shiv Chowk, the oldest part of Lado Sarai.

3x3 Design started a consultation process with the residents through a series of public meetings and workshop events. Over time, while the meetings established trust with the community, the workshop events enabled 3x3 Design to include the under-represented in the process and increase the awareness of the community to garner more voices. For example, the women in the Lado Sarai community were not present in the meetings, either because of family responsibilities or because of cultural norms that limit their mobility. 3x3 Design held a special event — a painting competition — in collaboration with a local NGO-run school named Anurag. Thirty students, young boys and girls aged between 10-14, drew their ideas for Shiv Chowk, including a local community park. The event also provided an environment that was conducive to inviting women from surrounding blocks and provided the opportunity to capture their opinions on the proposal and quality-of-life issues in Lado Sarai.

The meetings focused on enhancing the skills of active citizens so that they could conduct the community surveys required for preparatory work. 3x3 Design worked with the community to identify leaders for each block who would provide the key demographic information. With that information and the support of the community leaders, the volunteers and staff did not face stiff resistance from occupants when they went to verify the provided information. It saved a lot of time, effort, and money, and residents have become less hostile and want to know more about the scheme.

The consultation process will continue with the goal of organizing the active residents under a local body and eventually commissioning a development monitoring and evaluation committee from within the community. 3x3 Design believes that consultation processes that seek the community as partners can mediate the relationship between economic growth and human development. These processes hold the key for Delhi to act not just as an engine of growth but also as an agent for greater social justice and environmental sustainability. Close.

Photo: Community members select representatives to conduct demographic survey. Credit: 3x3 Design.

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506dle

PORTUGUÊS

ENGLISH

Morte e vida da São Paulo abandonada

São Paulo, 12 Junho 2015 — Onda de ocupações de imóveis abandonados marca o Abril Vermelho deste ano. Movimentos de sem-teto realizaram ações coordenadas em toda a cidade para pressionar o governo a implementar políticas habitacionais efetivas. Leia mais.

PORTUGUÊS

ENGLISH

Morte e vida da São Paulo abandonada

Felipe Villela, Coordenador da Rede em São Paulo

Em apenas uma noite, 1,5 mil famílias deixaram de ser sem-teto e 16 edifícios abandonados voltaram à vida na cidade de São Paulo. Entre os dias 12 e 13 de abril deste ano, quase 6 mil pessoas decidiram não mais esperar por ajuda do governo e começaram um processo coletivo para conquistar moradia digna.

A ação marca os 19 anos do massacre de 21 sem-terra pela polícia militar em Eldorado dos Carajás, município no Estado do Pará, durante manifestação do MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra). Desde então, todos os anos durante o Abril Vermelho movimentos sociais que lutam por condições dignas de moradia e trabalho, tanto na cidade quanto no campo, fazem novas ocupações de imóveis que não cumprem função social.

No Brasil, o uso de qualquer propriedade privada é condicionado ao interesse coletivo e por isso deve cumprir função compatível com direitos sociais de toda população. A Constituição da República Federativa prevê que o Estado tem obrigação de garantir necessidades vitais básicas aos trabalhadores urbanos e rurais, entre elas o direito à moradia. Especificamente no caso de imóveis urbanos, seu uso é regulado pelo Estatuto da Cidade, e deve ser em prol do bem coletivo, da segurança e do bem-estar dos cidadãos.

A despeito da lei, a quantidade de imóveis residenciais sem uso em comparação com o grande número de pessoas sem casa é uma contradição alarmante nas grandes cidades brasileiras. Em 2000, na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP) faltavam 360 mil casas enquanto mais de 674 mil domicílios estavam vagos. A relação entre imóveis vagos e déficit habitacional chegava a 187,12%, segundo o IPEA. Naquela época, a maior quantidade de domicílios vazios em relação ao total de residências estava na região central da cidade de São Paulo, local com o maior número de equipamentos de saúde, educação, lazer e cultura, a melhor infraestrutura de transporte e a maior oferta de empregos.

"Trabalhador precisa ficar perto do trabalho, dos serviços públicos", afirma Carmem Ferreira, líder do MSTC (Movimento Sem-teto do Centro). Por isso o movimento participa de ocupações na região central da cidade desde o fim da década de 1990.

Durante o Abril Vermelho, MSTC e outros grupos ligados à FLM (Frente de Luta pela Moradia) ocuparam 10 prédios no centro. Outros três imóveis foram ocupados na zona norte, um na zona leste e dois na zona sul (veja mapa completo aqui).

Atualmente, o centro não é mais o lugar com o maior índice de domicílios vagos na cidade. No entanto, o valor do metro quadrado subiu 189% entre 2000 e 2010, frente a um aumento de 135% no município em geral, conforme dados da prefeitura. O maior custo da moradia provocou aumento do déficit habitacional, que na RMSP chegou a mais de 782 mil unidades em 2010, de acordo com levantamento da Fundação João Pinheiro.

A grande dificuldade para produzir habitação popular no centro, segundo o governo, é o alto custo dos imóveis. No entanto, movimentos de moradia acusam administradores públicos de não fazer vale a legislação que obriga toda propriedade privada a cumprir função social. No centro da cidade, por exemplo, há prédios abandonados que acumulam dívidas em impostos que superam seu valor de mercado. Mesmo assim, não são desapropriados.

Para chamar atenção para esta omissão do governo, e também por necessidade, grupos organizados de sem-teto ocupam imóveis sem uso.

"Trabalhamos pela dignidade do cidadão e por políticas efetivas. Queremos que o poder público enxergue que é possível fazer uma política transformadora", diz Ferreira, do MSTC. Close.

Fotos: Mauricio Lima, Jornalistas Livres; Sergio Silva, Jornalistas Livres.

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506spp

ARABIC

ENGLISH

مشروع قومي يستهدف الشباب لتطوير العشوائيات في القاهرة

Cairo, 11 June 2015 — المشروع القومي لتطوير العشوائيات يركز على الإنسان والعمران ويهدف إلى خلق مساحات آمنة لإبداع الشباب وتوفير حزمة خدمات متكاملة للناس في منهج تشاركي... اقرأ المزيد عن ذلك

ARABIC

ENGLISH

مشروع قومي يستهدف الشباب لتطوير العشوائيات في القاهرة

Shaima Abulhajj, Cairo Community Manager

تعتبر الزيادة السكانية ونقص الخدمات العامة في مختلف المناطق العشوائية من المشكلات الرئيسية التي تواجه حكومة القاهرة. وتظهر الإحصائيات أن هناك أكثر من 50 ألف شاب بدون مأوى في شوارع القاهرة. وفي الوقت نفسه تشير الأرقام إلى أن نسبة البطالة بين الشباب المصري ما بين سن 18 حتى 29 سنة وصلت إلى 29% في 2014، حيث أن أغلب هؤلاء العاطلين من الشباب بدون تعليم أو من حملة الشهادات المتوسطة، مع ملاحظة أن 28% منهم يعانون من البطالة.

وتعمل الحكومة مع العديد من المنظمات غير الحكومية لحل مشكلات سكان المناطق العشوائية حيث دشنت أخيرا مشروعا بالتعاون مع مؤسسة فورد يركز على بعض المناطق العشوائية لتحسين نوعية الحياة هناك.

لكن الحكومة فكرت تلك المرة في مشروعا طموحا مميزا حيث طورت في أوائل هذا العام برنامج واسع المدى متعدد الأطراف في يناير الماضي يُركز على "الإنسان والعمران"، حيث سيعمل فيه الناس مع الحكومة جنبا إلى جنب في منهج وإطار تشاركي لتطوير خطة عمل المشروع. وقد أفادت وزارة التنمية الحضرية والعشوائيات بأن البرنامج سيهدف إلى تحسين المستوى الثقافي المعرفي للشباب بشكل عام، وفي نفس الوقت سيحسن البيئة الحضرية في تلك المناطق العشوائية. وتتناول إستراتيجية المشروع أربعة محاور رئيسية تشمل إدخال بعض التشريعات التي من شأنها أن تمكن الوزارة من تولي مسؤوليتها فيما يخص التطوير العمراني والثقافي في العشوائيات، وكذلك توفير حزمة خدمات متكاملة تستهدف الشباب والنساء بدءا من إرساء بنية تحتية قوية وحتى توفير تعليم ورعاية صحية وخدمات ترفيهية متقدمة للمستهدفين، فضلا عن إعادة صياغة سياسة الإسكان واستخدام الأراضي في تلك المناطق ومن ثم تكون الحدود بين الأراضي واضحة ومحددة، وأخيرا توفير آلية "حوكمة" مناسبة ومخصصة تركز على الشباب في تلك المناطق تشمل أدوات تنفيذ متنوعة بالتنسيق مع كافة الأجهزة الوطنية لتلبية أهداف المشروع.

ويهدف المشروع بشكل عام إلى تحويل العشوائيات في القاهرة إلى "مدن متكاملة الخدمات" حيث يتم تقديم التسهيلات للشباب المعوزين بما في ذلك توفير المراكز الصحية والرياضية وكذلك توفير منشآت وخدمات اجتماعية للفقراء، حيث يمكن للشباب كسر حاجز العزلة الاجتماعية والاقتصادية لديهم وتعزيز إمكانية وصولهم للخدمات المطلوبة وتلبية ما يحتاجونه أسوة بأقرانهم في المناطق الأخرى في المدينة.

وبدأ المشروع بالفعل في منطقة ماسبيرو في وسط القاهرة، كما يركز المشروع في الوقت ذاته على التنمية الاقتصادية والاجتماعية للشباب من الجنسين، ومن ثم سيشمل تخطيط مبادرات تدريب للشباب بالتعاون مع الناس أنفسهم. ومن ثم سيتم توفير تدريب مهني حديث للمستهدفين كي يستطيعوا تعلم حرف بيئية جديدة على سبيل المثال كي يكسبوا قوت يومهم بكرامة.

وأخيرا، فإنه بناء على الإحصائيات الحالية وزيادة أعداد الشباب في العاصمة، من المهم بمكان إشراك الشباب في عملية صنع القرار على المستويات الحكومية السياسية من خلال مشروعات متنوعة متكاملة مثل هذا المشروع القومي للأماكن العشوائية، والذي يشمل في طياته شركاء متنوعين كي يتم تحسين نوعية الحياة في تلك المجتمعات المهمشة.

Close

Photo: Max Pfandl

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506cra

BAHASA INDONESIA

ENGLISH

Partisipasi yang membawa perubahan nyata

Surabaya, 10 Juni 2015 — Surabaya menjadi satu-satunya kota yang didatangi oleh Pelapor Khusus Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB) mengenai Hak atas Perumahan Layak tahun lalu karena dinilai berhasil menangani perumahan kumuh di Surabaya. Apa saja sebenarnya yang telah dilakukan pemerintah Surabaya serta kunci keberhasilannya sehingga membedakannya dengan daerah lain di Indonesia? Baca lebih lanjut.

BAHASA INDONESIA

ENGLISH

Partisipasi yang membawa perubahan nyata

Widya Anggraini, Surabaya Community Manager

Kota Surabaya dalam sejarahnya memiliki pengalaman yang panjang dalam penataan wilayah kumuh perkotaan. Kota yang telah berumur 722 tahun bulan Mei 2015 ini menjadi saksi sejarah perebutan ruang kota sebagai ruang hidup bagi rakyat miskin. Surabaya pada awalnya merupakan kota pertanian dan perikanan serta pelabuhan internasional yang meramaikan perdagangan di kota ini. Namun seiring waktu dengan perubahnya paradigma pembangunan pemerintah yang mendorong semata-mata pertumbuhan ekonomi menyebabkan masuknya investasi dan memaksa dibangunnya infrastruktur jalan, pemukiman dan kawasan industry yang membuat masyarakat kehilangan ladang hidup. Pergeseran pola hidup menyebabkan mereka dengan keahlian bertani beralih profesi menjadi buruh pabrik dan pergi dari rumah mereka karena penggusuran akibat peralihan peruntukan lahan. Proses industrialisasi di Surabaya juga menyebabkan arus migrasi penduduk desa ke kota dan mendorong terbentuknya konsentrasi wilayah-wilayah kumuh di Surabaya.

Model pengelolaan wilayah kumuh di Surabaya diawali dengan program KIP (Kampung Improvement Program) tahun 1969 hingga 2000 yang melakukan penataan kampung dan wilayah kumuh melalui perbaikan infrastruktur dasar seperti akses jalan, jalan setapak di perkampungan, penghijauan, tempat pembuangan sampah dan mengatur limbah serta membuat gorong-gorong. Hasil dari program ini adalah perbaikan rumah-rumah di kampung secara mandiri, kebersihan lingkungan dan asri karena banyaknya tanaman dimana-mana. Kekuatan dari program ini sendiri adalah adanya partisipasi masyarakat dari sejak proses perencanaan hingga implementasinya dan kerjasama dengan pemerintah daerah sebagai mitra sejajar. Tingkat kemandirian dan swadaya masyarakat juga besar sehingga program ini dapat berlanjut meski dana dari Bank Dunia telah lama habis.

Selain KIP, upaya lain penciptaan "Zero Slum" di Kota Surabaya adalah melalui penataan permukiman kumuh di sepanjang bantaran Kali Mas Wonokromo atau Stren Kali Wonokromo di Surabaya. Model ini disiapkan awal tahun 2000an ketika pemerintah mencanangkan program normalisasi Kali Mas. Awalnya terjadi penggusuran paksa di beberapa titik pemukiman dan sektor informal di sepanjang sungai. Namun pada tahun 2002 warga, atas dukungan Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) dan Jaringan Rakyat Miskin Kota (Uplink Indonesia) termasuk akademisi, arsitek dan organisasi lain, membentuk paguyuban (Paguyuban Warga Stren Kali Surabaya) serta mengorganisir diri dan menyusun konsep alternative agar tidak digusur. Inisiatif warga diantaranya adalah memundurkan rumah dan membalik posisi tampak depan rumah menghadap sungai, upaya pengomposan, penghijuan dan program Jogo Kali (menjaga sungai) untuk menjaga kebersihan sungai. Berdasar model ini telah dilakukan renovasi permukiman di 8 kelurahan yang dihuni 926 rumah tangga miskin di sepanjang sungai. Keberhasilan program ini tidak terlepas dari kekompakan dan kreativitas warga dalam menata permukimannya secara swadaya.

Keberhasilan Surabaya dalam penataan wilayah kumuh kini diteruskan oleh walikota Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini dengan lebih mengedepankan penggunaan teknologi. E-government yang diterapkan Risma dalam berbagai aspek pemerintahan telah berhasil mengumpulkan opini, usulan dan laporan mengenai apa saya yang terjadi di Surabaya termasuk tentang perumahan tidak layak huni dan daerah kumuh. Jumlah keluhan yang ditindaklanjuti mencapai 1.000-1.300 pertahunnya. Walikota Surabaya sendiri menyatakan bahwa tidak ada resep khusus mengenai keberhasilannya mengubah wajah Surabaya hanya saja partisipasi merupakan kunci utama dan kepercayaan masyarakat menjadi pintu masuk pemerintah mendorong partisipasi warga. Tanpa kepercayaan, maka masyarakat tidak akan sukarela bekerja bersama dan membangun kotanya. Model pendekatan system dan struktur dalam penataan wilayah kumuh di Surabaya mungkin berubah setiap periode kepemimpinan namun yang pasti adalah pendekatan tersebut akan berhasil jika ada partisipasi yang nyata dari masyarakat dan political will yang baik dari pemerintah. Close.

Foto: Axel Drainville

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506sui

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

Proyecto Golazo: fútbol como sistema educativo en Cali

Cali, 9 junio 2015 — Los deportes se consideran una forma efectiva para mejorar la autoestima, la empleabilidad y los niveles de violencia entre los jóvenes en los países en desarrollo. Un innovador proyecto busca utilizar el fútbol como instrumento para obtener estos objetivos. Leer más.

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

Proyecto Golazo: fútbol como sistema educativo en Cali

Jorge Bela, Gestor Comunitario de Cali

La violencia juvenil supone un grave problema en Cali, la ciudad colombiana que padece la mayor incidencia de este flagelo en Colombia. En 2014, por ejemplo, se produjeron 418 asesinatos por pandillas juveniles. En URB.im ya hemos mencionado algunas iniciativas destinadas a combatir este problema. En muchas ocasiones la violencia, el abandono escolar y la exclusión social están estrechamente vinculados, y las iniciativas más exitosas son las que enfrentan estos problemas de forma combinada. El deporte puede ser una forma de hacerlo. El BID, por ejemplo, tiene un programa conocido como Deportes Para el Desarrollo que parte de la premisa de que el deporte puede servir como motor para mejorar la autoestima, la empleabilidad y la capacidad de trabajo de los jóvenes. También "promueve la resolución de conflictos, la prevención de la violencia y la inclusión social a nivel comunitario." Las naciones Unidas también reconocen el papel que puede jugar el deporte, y sus trabajos en este campo se canalizan a través de la Oficina de Deporte, Desarrollo y Paz.

En este sentido la Fundación Carvajal ha lanzado el Proyecto Golazo, que se desarrolla en los barrios El Retiro y la Comuna 18. Este proyecto alcanza a unos 500 niños entre las edades de 6 y 16 años. Cuenta con el apoyo de otras ONG como Ayuda en Acción y la Agencia Presidencial de Cooperación Internacional.

El Proyecto Golazo se ejecuta a través de tres fases: en la primera se seleccionó a 30 jóvenes para capacitarlos como monitores deportivos. Para ello se utilizó la metodología de Fútbol para la Paz. Los jóvenes recibieron formación también en primero auxilios y en metodologías para la convivencia. Los 30 monitores deportivos provienen de las comunidades en donde posteriormente se está llevando a cabo el proyecto. La Escuela Nacional de Deporte otorgó su aval oficial a este proceso formativo.

En la segunda fase se fueron seleccionando los 500 niños que hasta el momento han participado en la iniciativa. Una parte esencial de este proceso fue involucrar a las familias, pues su compromiso y apoyo es esencial para el éxito del programa. Una vez seleccionados los participantes, comenzaron los torneos que tienen normas diferentes a las del futbol convencional. En el primer tiempo se enfatizan las reglas del juego y el compromiso con valores como responsabilidad, respeto, solidaridad y honestidad. En el segundo tiempo se juega el partido, bajo la supervisión de un monitor externo, cuyo papel no es el de árbitro en sentido estricto, sino el de formador. En el tercer tiempo se repasa y evalúa como ha transcurrido el partido y los comportamientos observados durante el mismo.

El tercer componente del proyecto lo constituye la participación de las familias en el mismo. La idea es articular una relación entre ellas y la comunidad educativa. Esto se consigue mediante visitas domiciliarias, talleres, valoraciones médicas, etc. Close.

Foto: Fundación Carvajal

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506cas

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

Por una cultura de reciclaje de la Ciudad

Mexico D.F., 8 junio 2015 — La Ciudad de México presenta un gran reto para desechar 13 mil toneladas de basura generada por los habitantes al día. Cerca del 50 por ciento de la basura puede ser reciclada, por lo que diversas estrategias por parte del gobierno y de organizaciones implementan esfuerzos para cambiar los hábitos de consumo y disposición de desechos de los capitalinos. Leer más.

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

Por una cultura de reciclaje de la Ciudad

María Fernanda Carvallo, Gestor Comunitario de Mexico D.F.

La disposición de residuos sólidos es uno de los temas principales que más retos enfrenta la Ciudad de México. En el Distrito Federal, los habitantes en conjunto generan 13 mil toneladas de basura cada día de acuerdo con las cifras de la Secretaria del Medio Ambiente del DF de la cual, la mayoría proviene de los desechos de domicilios. En este sentido, el gobierno urgió a un cambio de cultura para separar los residuos, ya que cerca del 50 por ciento de los residuos que se generan pueden ser reutilizados.

Ante este contexto, desde el año 2012 el Gobierno del Distrito Federal cuenta con un Plan Verde del cual se desprenden una seria de acciones de reciclaje. Una medida que están tomando es la separación de residuos sólidos, en donde ciertos días de la semana el camión de la basura recoge desechos orgánicos y el resto de los días desechos inorgánicos. Así mismo, el Plan Verde difunde información sobre hábitos de consumo, invitando a la población a comprar productos que tengan el emblema de reciclaje o con empaques naturales: de cartón, de papel o vidrio; evitar comprar productos sobre empaquetados y disminuir la cantidad de plásticos utilizada. Por su parte, dentro del Plan, se encuentra la estrategia "No tires lo que aún vale, mejor recíclalo", la cual genera mercados temporales de intercambio en diversos puntos de la ciudad, en donde la gente puede cambiar sus artículos de reciclaje bajo un sistema de puntos para la adquisición de alimentos frescos de productores locales. Ejemplo de esto es el Mercado de trueque y el Reciclatrón que recibieron residuos inorgánicos, así como eléctricos y electrónicos, que son reutilizados por diversas empresas de reciclaje como materia prima.

En este sentido, diversas organizaciones y empresas promueven estrategias para cambiar los patrones de consumo de los habitantes para reducir el porcentaje de los desechos que llegan al relleno sanitario. Una de ellas es la campaña lanzada por la organización ECOCE invita a la población a adoptar el reciclaje como media de vida a través de refranes mexicanos adaptados como: "No dejes para mañana lo que puedes reciclar hoy". La campaña "No la tires... Recicla" se difunde a través de medios digitales, cápsulas de cine, revistas, anuncios en televisión y radio, publicidad en los parques públicos, autobuses escolares, transporte público y aeropuerto. Así mismo, ECOCE tiene un programa de Acopio Social dirigido a comunidades, el cual intercambia acopio de envases de PET, aluminio, multilaminado y polietileno por despensas alimentarias. Otro de los programas es el Acopio Institucional, dirigido a empresas o instituciones responsables con el medio ambiente, en la cual hay inscritas más de 35 empresas que en sus políticas incluyen el reciclaje. Por último, el programa ECO-RETO acopia envases de PET de escuelas voluntarias que permite crear nuevos hábitos en el manejo de los residuos dentro de sus programas, ya que recibe los desechos de las familias para su tratamiento y reutilización por ECOCE.

A través de estas estrategias, ECOCE ha logrado recuperar 2 millones de toneladas en 12 años, equivalente a 954 millones de envases, que si los formaran en fila le daría dos vueltas al planeta Tierra. Lo anterior contribuye a que hoy en día México sea líder mundial en reciclaje de envases de PET, con un 60 por ciento aprovechado posteriormente al consumo. Close.

Foto: Colectivo Ecologista Jalisco

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506mxs

ENGLISH

From carts to trucks: efficiency in waste management

Lagos, 5 June 2015 — Inspired by garbage cart pushers and manual garbage collectors, the city of Lagos, through public-private partnerships, has scaled up the system of waste management and has allowed, to some degree, for the inclusion of informal trash collectors into the formal system. See more.

ENGLISH

From carts to trucks: efficiency in waste management

Olatawura Ladipo-Ajayi, Lagos Community Manager

In many developing countries, the informal sector provides waste collection services to low-income neighborhoods. It is common to see waste being carried in carts pulled by bicycles or wheelbarrows being pushed by people. A major feature of this practice is the indiscriminate dumping of refuse by cart pushers resulting from their lack of necessary equipment to haul waste to official landfills. This haphazard waste management and this form of employment have negative effects on the environment — especially with respect to waste recycling. This indiscriminate dumping of refuse, the resulting drain blocks, and the need for a more sustainable practice were said to have inspired Lagos's new approach to waste management.

The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is responsible for waste management across Lagos. The agency currently takes advantage of public-private partnerships, which have modernized and formalized waste cart pushing. Through extended services made possible by these private service providers, the system has been developed to allow waste collection through modernized means that ensure proper disposal of waste even from remote areas. Various methods exist for waste collection — inner-city areas with narrow roads are reached via mini skip trucks and automotive tricycles instead of wheelbarrows and push carts. This allows for more collection per area, adds ease and dignity to the process, and ensures proper disposal to official landfills since each operator is accountable to a regulating body that enforces good practices and monitors service delivery. Because of the former indiscriminate system of informal refuse collection and the ensuing challenges, LAWMA's current system ensures that waste materials are classified into categories such as medical, industrial, and domestic, and disposed of appropriately.

Services are provided through direct collection by LAWMA, through indirect collection (on behalf of LAWMA) by the private sector, and through franchising. Franchising and private servicing provide an opportunity for informal waste collectors to enter the formal economy. This is beneficial for many reasons, including the fact that it allows for standardized and increased payment, as the waste management agency has a unified pricing system per tonnage, as opposed to indiscriminate pricing in the informal economy. It also encourages women to get involved in the sector, as the collection activities have been mostly automated, as opposed to the intense exertion of cart-pushing.

With a population of approximately 20 million and a high level of commercial and industrial activity, the need for an inventive system of waste management in Lagos is apparent. The system of utilizing private service providers and expanding the waste management sector into the formal economy allows for effective management of the 10,000 metric tons of waste generated in Lagos each day. Although the system is now more organized, it is not yet perfect — cart pushers still exist because some view them as a cheaper alternative to LAWMA's services. It might be worth considering the integration of the cart pushers into the larger system for certain areas, with regulations and modifications. But overall, thanks to the more encompassing agency and its increased capacity, Lagos' waste disposal is more organized. Close.

Photo: Robert Terrell and Bob Adams

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506lge

PORTUGUÊS

ENGLISH

Observatório de Favelas representa o poder dos cidadãos organizados e sua capacidade transformadora

Rio de Janeiro, 4 junho 2015 — Conheça dois projetos inovadores na área da educação dessa Organização da Sociedade Civil de Interesse Público localizada no Rio de Janeiro: o Conexões de Saberes, que investe na permanência de jovens de origem popular nas universidades, e a ESPOCC, que promove o primeiro curso de Publicidade Afirmativa do país. Leia mais.

PORTUGUÊS

ENGLISH

Observatório de Favelas representa o poder dos cidadãos organizados e sua capacidade transformadora

Andréa Azambuja, Coordenadora da Rede em Rio de Janeiro

Pensar a favela como local de potência, não de ausências, é a força motora do Observatório de Favelas, Organização da Sociedade Civil de Interesse Público criada em 2001 para produzir pesquisas sobre os espaços populares, formar lideranças, elaborar e implementar programas de desenvolvimento e direcionar e avaliar políticas públicas voltadas à superação das desigualdades sociais. Localizado no Complexo da Maré, um dos maiores conjuntos de assentamentos informais do Rio de Janeiro, o Observatório vai além das periferias para afirmar uma agenda de Direitos à Cidade — uma cidade unificada, progressista, que garanta a cidadania e o respeito às diferenças.

Fundada por intelectuais oriundos das comunidades, hoje a organização concentra 70 colaboradores de origens distintas, que atuam em mais de vinte projetos divididos em cinco áreas: Comunicação, Cultura, Direitos Humanos, Educação e Políticas Urbanas. O mais antigo é o Conexões de Saberes, que fortalece os vínculos entre zonas em vulnerabilidade e 33 universidades federais e incentiva a permanência qualificada dos universitários de origem popular na graduação. Para isso, oferece apoio financeiro e metodológico aos estudantes, que, em contrapartida, devem produzir conhecimentos científicos e planos de intervenção em seus territórios — um fluxo importante de experiências e demandas entre o ensino superior e as periferias urbanas.

O Conexões percorreu o caminho inverso ao da maioria de iniciativas nesse sentido: partiu da favela, dela chegou à universidade e, posteriormente, conquistou o apoio do Estado — hoje, é encampado pela Secretaria de Educação Continuada, Alfabetização e Diversidade do Ministério da Educação. Esse exemplo prova o poder dos cidadãos organizados e sua capacidade transformadora, potencial também evidente na Escola Popular de Comunicação Crítica (Espocc), outra proposta inovadora do Observatório de Favelas na área da educação.

A Espocc oferece o primeiro curso do país de Publicidade Afirmativa, aquela "que não visa o lucro ou a promoção de uma marca com fins estritamente comerciais, mas promove valores de sociabilidade, a cultura e o empreendedorismo comunitário e socioambiental", como seu programa esclarece. Direcionada a jovens que estejam cursando ou tenham cursado o ensino médio, prioriza os da região metropolitana — 120 das 180 vagas anuais são destinadas a mulheres e negros — e oferece dois tipos de habilitação: Audiovisual ou Cultura Digital.

São 432 horas de aulas, realizadas na sede do Observatório e nas de seus parceiros, como a Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, a Universidade Federal Fluminense e o Canal Futura. Além de conhecimento conceitual, técnico e prático padrão de cursos de propaganda, os educandos também estudam história brasileira, sociologia, política e ética. Adaptando — ou subvertendo — a linguagem e as ferramentas da publicidade convencional, a ideia é que elaborem campanhas que questionem práticas que firam a dignidade humana e que favoreçam as relações pessoais, a vida e os direitos.

A Espocc tem apoio da Petrobras, da Brazil Foundation e do ICCO e
já formou cerca de 150 alunos, que recebem ainda reforço em Português, certificado de extensão universitária, lanche e ajuda de custo. Uma agência própria, a Diálogos, representa o portfólio da escola, que inclui projetos importantes — entre eles a campanha Juventude Marcada para Viver, a série de TV Crônicas Urbanas e o filme 5X Favela, Agora Por Nós Mesmos, resultado de uma colaboração com o cineasta Cacá Diegues.

A educação é a principal ferramenta para que aqueles que nascem nas favelas consigam superar sua condição historicamente subalternizada. Não a educação pública de baixo aproveitamento ou os centros universitários rígidos e impermeáveis às suas realidades, mas o ensino de qualidade, que além de qualificar para o mercado de trabalho, estimule a reflexão, o pensamento crítico e a postura ativa. O observatório de Favelas mostra que é uma educação possível. Close.

Fotos: De Baixo Para Cima, Espocc.

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506rjp

ENGLISH

Innovations in health care access for Nairobi residents

Nairobi, 3 June 2015 — Unregulated pill shops and pharmaceutical dealers are abundant across Kenya. These shops are one of the most accessible and affordable immediate health care options available to residents of Nairobi's informal settlements. Seeking to fill a gap in the quality of care and ease of access to qualified medical workers, Access Afya has begun piloting efficiency-based micro-clinic models in two slums. See more.

ENGLISH

Innovations in health care access for Nairobi residents

Hilary Nicole Zainab Ervin, Nairobi Community Manager

Often staffed by individuals with limited knowledge of medical and diagnostic standards, the pill or chemist shops around Nairobi are places where individuals can obtain ad-hoc medical consultation and are sold pharmaceuticals.

Though Kenya has consistently improved the quality and scope of health care coverage across the country, many challenges remain. For example, since 1990 the nation's maternal mortality ratio has declined from 490 to 400 deaths per 100,000 live births as of 2013. Under-five mortality has also declined from 99 to 71 deaths per 1,000 births from 1990 to 2013. Yet, the greatest burden of disease, or disability-adjusted life years lost to premature mortality and disability, in 2012 remained those associated with maternal, neonatal, and nutritional causes.

Overall, Kenya has achieved significant success in reducing the number of deaths due to the HIV/AIDS virus. In 2000, roughly 384 individuals per 100,000 of the population died as a direct result of HIV/AIDS; by 2012 this rate had declined to 126 deaths per 100,000 of the population. However, the disease remains the leading cause of the death in the country, killing 58,000 individuals in 2013 alone.

Lack of access to affordable care, timely diagnostics, and quality health services for low-income individuals residing within informal settlements contributes significantly to the nation's overall disease burden. Working to address these challenges, and provide a comprehensive patient records collection and communication service, Access Afya has been working to scale its existing model to increase coverage for a greater number of slum residents.

Access Afya utilizes a social enterprise model of primary healthcare provision at its two existing clinics in the informal Nairobi communities of Kisii Village and Sinai (Jamaica) Village. The organization is a social business that establishes micro-clinics to provide individuals with an initial entry point into the formal healthcare system in a safe and affordable manner.

The clinics offer onsite consultation, diagnostics; electronic patient records maintenance and dispense medications. Patients pay for services and medications as well as having the option to buy related health and hygiene products. This revenue works to ensure sustainability of the direct medical services provided on-site and to keep the cost of accessing direct care low.

Lack of quality record-keeping has remained a consistent challenge to health care provision across the developing world. Many innovative health models and applications have been developed over the years to address this gap. Access Afya has built its own internal electronic patient management system that collects holistic and longitudinal patient data, which is then available to health care workers meeting with patients on site.

These mechanisms work to standardize practices and provide health care workers with critical information on patient medical histories that further inform the quality of medical care provided. The organization hopes to scale their current operations to include an additional six clinics by the end of 2015. Approaching medical care provision from a client-centered perspective and locating services in the communities where residents live will likely remain a critical component to increased quality of care and coverage as Kenya continues to develop. Close.

Photo: Gates Foundation and Access Afya

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506nre

ENGLISH

Reinventing Dharavi

Mumbai, 2 June 2015 — Dharavi is one of India's — and Asia's — best-known informal settlements. Much debate has centered around its future, but little has actually been done to improve the lives of its residents. To stimulate fresh thinking on how Dharavi can reinvent the future of urban transformation, Mumbai's Urban Design Research Institute sent out a global call for ideas — and the proposals that came back have reignited the debate on the future of the city's densest settlement. See more.

ENGLISH

Reinventing Dharavi

Carlin Carr, Mumbai Community Manager

In Mumbai, India, Dharavi represents one of the essential heartbeats of the city. The thousands of micro-enterprises that exist in its narrow lanes provide city services, jobs, and exports from leather to snacks for customers around the city and the world. The small businesses of Dharavi's thriving informal economy exist side-by-side with residential spaces — and often co-exist in the same unit. But while Dharavi has achieved a remarkable low-rise, high-density live-work community in the so-called slum, the one-square-kilometer plot in the heart of the city is not without its problems.

In December 2014, Mumbai's Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) decided to reach out to the global community to gather innovative proposals for addressing Dharavi's issues. The core idea of "Reinventing Dharavi — An International Ideas Competition" was to recognize Dharavi's unique character as a thriving and inspiring community, but also to see how its future might be shaped by innovative solutions to overcrowding, safety, health, livelihood, and housing concerns. It was a celebration of ingenuity in the 300,000-person neighborhood (there has been no official count and many believe the number is actually double or triple this estimate), but also a deep discussion on how creative thinking and problem-solving can improve the lives of current residents and future generations.

Twenty teams, with more than 150 members from 21 different countries, submitted proposals. The competition's only requirement was that the teams be interdisciplinary in order to address the complex housing, work, financing, health, sanitation, recreation, and legal issues. Their proposals ranged from bathroom towers that transform into public spaces, to an annual festival, to a collective brand that would increase marketing power and recognition of the area's diverse products. Dutch design group Felixx, for example, received an honorable mention for its plan to improve road networks and public spaces, which they believe will inspire residents and small businesses in those corridors to simultaneously upgrade their housing or structures.

The winning proposal said quite a bit about the long-term needs of Dharavi and what it will take to make a lasting impact. For years, innovative thinkers have drawn up ideas on enhancing what Dharavi does best — making extreme use of limited space. But the winning team, Mumbai-based Plural, proposed to forget all that and start by really understanding the needs of the people. Plural suggested a Dharavi Community Land Trust, an idea that would settle the issue of who owns and controls the land in a city of skyrocketing speculative development. "We have a vision to bring back the focus on the people's needs in Dharavi in a sustainable and human-centered manner," said Jasmine Saluja, a Plural team member. "We've had proposals on Dharavi since the 1970s, but the problem is that they've never included the people themselves."

The judges agreed, awarding first place to the novel idea. "We wanted to stimulate fresh thinking," said Cyrus Guzder, a member of the jury, at the competition's awards ceremony in December. "Even though we've spent some time walking around Dharavi, we must say the ideas were quite original, even from international participants." Close.

Photo: Thomas Galvez

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506mme

VIETNAMESE

ENGLISH

"BCA — Tác nhân thay đổi": Nơi lan toả động lực để thay đổi cộng đồng

Ho Chi Minh City, 1 Tháng Sáu 2015 — Trong vài năm trở lại đây, người dân TP.HCM chứng kiến nhiều hoạt động "lạ" của nhiều nhóm các bạn trẻ: giơ bảng khuyến khích tắt máy xe tại các giao lộ, thu nhặt vé xe buýt dùng rồi cho các tác phẩm nghệ thuật bảo vệ môi trường, từ chối làm theo yêu cầu hối lộ của cảnh sát giao thông. Rất nhiều trong số những thử nghiệm thay đổi cộng đồng ấy được khởi nguồn từ một chương trình dành cho thanh niên mang tên "BCA — Tác nhân thay đổi". Xem thêm.

VIETNAMESE

ENGLISH

"BCA — Tác nhân thay đổi": Nơi lan toả động lực để thay đổi cộng đồng

Tam Nguyen, Người quản lý cộng đồng tại thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Kể từ năm 2010, chương trình "Be Change Agents — Tác nhân thay đổi" (BCA) đã bắt đầu lan rộng trong các bạn trẻ Hà Nội, và sau đó đến TP. Hồ Chí Minh. Câu khẩu hiệu, "Hãy là sự thay đổi mà bạn muốn thấy từ cuộc sống", thể hiện rõ mục tiêu của chương trình - khuyến khích các bạn trẻ Việt Nam bắt tay vào hành động và mang lại những thử nghiệm, đổi mới và cải tiến cho các thành phố họ đang sống.

BCA — tạo ra động lực thay đổi một cách bền vững

BCA được xây dựng dựa trên một số các chương trình đào tạo lãnh đạo về phát triển bền vững, với nội dung thực tế thu thập từ các tổ chức lớn trong lĩnh vực này như UNDP, UNESCO, Lãnh đạo Quốc tế (Lead International), Hội đồng Anh, v.v. Như trong lời tự giới thiệu của mình, BCA "hướng đến giới trẻ, tạo ra cơ hội nâng cao năng lực, thúc đẩy sáng kiến và vai trò tích cực của thanh niên trong phát triển."

BCA hoạt động dựa trên ý tưởng "lan toả cảm hứng" và "đào tạo lãnh đạo," sự kết hợp đã mang lại tính bền vững của chương trình. Mỗi năm, chương trình khởi động với các khoá học cho các ứng viên được chọn về một trong những chủ đề hiện đang thách thức các lãnh đạo thực sự trên thế giới - tham nhũng, ô nhiễm và năng lượng tái tạo, phát triển đô thị, hoặc như chủ đề của năm nay 2015, chính là quyền và giáo dục trẻ em. Biết được những gì đang xảy ra và những gì mọi người đang cố gắng thực hiện để khắc phục truyền cho số nhỏ các thành viên ưu tú này nguồn cảm hứng, và một phần nào đó quyết tâm, để bắt đầu ấp ủ những sáng kiến, dự án riêng của mình để tạo nên sự thay đổi trong cộng đồng.

Quan trọng hơn nữa, chương trình mỗi năm sẽ cung cấp khoá đào tạo về kỹ năng lãnh đạo, tạo điều kiện cho các thành viên bước thêm một bước quan trọng nữa, từ những sáng kiến chỉ mới là ý tưởng trong đầu, đến việc lên kế hoạch và thực hiện dự án đó trong thực tế. Đào tạo kỹ năng lãnh đạo bao gồm cố vấn từ các chuyên gia hoặc các thành viên đi trước của BCA, làm việc theo nhóm, tranh luận, phản biện, v.v. Kỹ năng lãnh đạo là điều kiện rất cần thiết để các thành viên trước hết có thể thực hiện dự án riêng với nhóm của họ, sau nữa để các thành viên này trở thành một đơn vị BCA nhỏ hơn, tiếp tục lan toả cảm hứng và kỹ năng lãnh đạo đến các thanh niên khác ở quanh họ, và nhiều người trong số đó sẽ lại được thu hút và tìm đến với BCA những năm sau. Cứ như vậy, các động lực mới cho sự thay đổi liên tục được tạo ra.

BCA — những dự án thiết thực từ các thành viên

Sau 5 năm hoạt động, BCA đã có một danh sách khá dài các dự án đang hoạt động để thay đổi cộng đồng, với trung bình 4-6 dự án mạnh mỗi năm. Một trong số những dự án mạnh và dài hơi nhất của BCA là "Đen và Trắng," chú trọng về tính minh bạch trong thanh niên, trong mối quan hệ xã hội của họ, trong việc ứng tuyển và việc làm, và các chủ đề liên quan. Dự án bắt đầu với BCA 2010, sau đó vào năm 2011 và 2012 dự án đã tổ chức thành công nhiều hội thảo thu hút hàng ngàn thanh niên. Vào năm 2013, đội đã bảo vệ dự án của mình tại chương trình "Sáng kiến phòng chống tham nhũng Việt Nam 2013" do Ngân hàng Thế giới và Thanh tra Chính phủ đồng tổ chức.

Một dự án thiết thực khác vừa được khởi nguồn từ BCA 2015 mang tên, "Vì đi học rất vui," tập trung vào việc cải thiện chất lượng và sự hứng thú cần có trong giáo dục dành cho trẻ em, bắt đầu từ các trường học tại Hà Nội và TP. HCM. Dự án tạo điều kiện cho các thanh thiếu niên làm việc với các chuyên gia giáo dục để lên ý tưởng, tìm kiếm sáng kiến cải thiện chất lượng giáo dục.

Với sự giúp đỡ từ các nhà tài trợ, trong thời gian gần đây BCA đã có điều kiện đề hỗ trợ tài chính cho khoảng 6 dự án xuất sắc mỗi năm, cũng như tổ chức triển lãm giới thiệu các sáng kiến thanh niên đến với cộng đồng. Những bước tiến này, cùng với sự lan toả nguồn cảm hứng và cung cấp kỹ năng lãnh đạo, thực sự tạo đà mạnh mẽ hơn cho các thành viên bắt tay vào thực hiện sáng kiến thay đổi cộng đồng của mình. Close.

Permalink to this discussion: http://urb.im/c1506
Permalink to this post: http://urb.im/ca1506hcv

Join the discussion on cities as engines of change in the comments below.

You can also join our May discussion on finding a voice in the politics of urban poverty.

Join the discussion for this month's topic!

Comments

BCA working on people's self esteem

Permalink Submitted by Andréa Azambuja on Tue, 06/02/2015 - 09:02

Hi Tam Nguyen,
Thanks for your article. These days I was reading an article about the work of psychiatrist James Gilligan, who has a very interesting thesis that describes violence as an attempt to replace shame with self-esteem. It made me think a lot about the power of our exclusionary realities in people most deep essences and personalities. I think one of the most serious problem we face is that people in vulnerable situations are often seen as part of a homogeneous and stereotyped mass, and they are made to believe that a change is not possible. Unfortunately, at least in Brazil, traditional public education seems to reinforce that – it doesn't stimulate critical thinking and it doesn't encourage people to make way for new perspectives. That's why initiatives as these one are so important. While preparing youngsters to think beyond the problems' surface and propose solutions in practical ways, they work in theses kids' self-esteem, make they stronger, show them that they have the power to intervene and to conquer, show they are valuable, creative and powerful human beings – and maybe this is the strongest tool one can have to fight for a better life.

Linking students from the Favelas

Permalink Submitted by María Fernanda ... on Thu, 06/11/2015 - 20:52

Andréa, I enjoyed a lot your article. It is amazing how this laboratory came true from the initiative of intellectuals of the community. It would be interesting to know more about how these intellectuals launched the proyect and obtained the financial resources in order to create the asociation and support students of the favelas. More over, I was wondering if you could explain what happens when students finish the academic programe, is there any strategy to link them to the enterprises or the labor market?

LAWMA project

Permalink Submitted by Shaima Abulhajj on Wed, 06/17/2015 - 07:58

Dear Olatawura
Great piece giving idea on a very persistent issue as waste management. I wonder how much is the per capita payment for this service provided by LAWMA despite it was franchised and if the employees working in this project are trained and their safety is maintained before practicing such services?
Best!

training/cost

Permalink Submitted by Olatawura Ladip... on Mon, 06/29/2015 - 07:38

Thank You shaima. The personnel are trained before engaging there are strict specification to be met before the contract is awarded. Specific number of trucks to ensure the areas can be fully covered and many checks along the way to ensure efficiency including resident feedback. How well this sources are utilized however, is unclear. Citizens seem not to be proactive or aware of this option. Regarding the fees, as far as I understand, this is basically per tonnage/ location. The tariff is lower in low income areas and costed per waste bin picked up monthly.

Permalink Submitted by Andréa Azambuja on Thu, 06/18/2015 - 10:10

Hi María Fernanda, thanks for asking!

Observatório de Favelas, in its most early origin (before having this name even), began as a program of IETS – Instituto de Estudo do Trabalho e Sociedade (Portuguese for "Institute for Labour and Society Studies"), an initiative of Rio de Janeiro's government (of its Labor and Employment "delegation") to strengthen the relationship between researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders committed to the fight against poverty. The IETS is a Civil Society Organization of Public Interest, a title that facilitates the creation of partnerships with all levels of government and public agencies and allows public and private actors to contribute with financial donations (discounted of its income tax payments).

When Observatorio de Favelas (actually, what it would become OF) was an IETs program (funded by private partners through discounts in their tax), it was a group of researchers hired to work in two levels: producing research (to enlarge the qualified knowledge of the slums and urban phenomena) and training local researchers (that's when they created "University Network Program for Popular Spaces", which in the future would turn into Conexões de Saberes). Over the years, these researchers got more and more engaged with the community and expanded their operations a lot, so they decided to become an autonomous entity.

At this point, they had already formed new researchers, had already been in contact with lots of community leaders and scholars throughout the city, and also had made relations with various companies and government representatives. It's likely that in the beginning they had to dedicate time and work voluntarily to establish partnerships, but this changed. Today, they are supported by many many partners, from private companies and NGOs to the government: http://of.org.br/parceiros/ . It was something progressive: the more partnerships they had, more manpower they could hire to train new workforces and to start new projects.
Regarding Conexões de Saberes, the program goal is to make students keep their studies at the university, to avoid them to give up. The idea is that they apply for master's degrees, PhD, Postdoctoral... and I'm sure they are supported to compete for scholarships in their educational institutions too. In this case, this is already an strategy to link them to the labor market, as they are pursuing an academic carrer. In addition, many of them continue to work for OF after graduating, but I don't know whether they are paid or not. I'm not sure either if Observatorio scholarships are directed only for undergraduate students or to MS, PhD... too. I've asked them by e-mail and let you know asap.

To finish, regarding Espocc, it's kind of the same: the program goal is education, forming youngsters. All the students are enrolled in school or are just starting university (the age range is roughly from 14 to 20), so the focus is to study, not to work. As part of the practical education, they do internship, what usually takes part in Diálogos, Espocc agency. Some Espocc classes are held in partners headquarters (advertising agencies, TV channels) and, as a result, students do a lot of contacts with professionals who are already in the labor market. I don't know, however, if there are any subsequent programs focused on officialy inserting these youngsters into the labor market. I'm gonna check that and, as soon as I have further information, I'll let you know.

I'm sorry for my infinite answer, I hope it helps! :)

Permalink Submitted by Felipe Villela on Fri, 06/26/2015 - 08:52

In Johannesburg as in São Paulo, It really does seem like the greatest challenge for the urban poor to achieve substantive citizenship is to make the elite agree on material redistribution. For instance, here in city’s central area there are lots of abandoned buildings as well as many organized homeless groups with the right expertise to “renovate” them. Nevertheless most of government actions favor buildings’ legal owners, as a way to ensure their right to speculate with urban property.

Trash to Cash

Permalink Submitted by Olatawura Ladip... on Mon, 06/29/2015 - 07:51

Hello Wonderful, your article is very interesting, its inspiring to see how individuals without government support are working to improve their environment. You mentioned the initial project helping turn trash to cash is over, I wonder if there was any plans from the authorities to incorporate this system into their waste management plan as they aren't covering all areas. Pushing this mechanism large scale seems like a viable option to prevent lilongwe being overrun by waste.

Add new comment

Your name

Subject

Comment *

More information about text formats

Text format

Filtered HTML

Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Plain text

No HTML tags allowed.
Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.

Cities as engines of change

(Re)sourcing waste: waste management projects in Dhaka

(Re)sourcing waste: waste management projects in Dhaka

Raiya Kishwar Ashraf, Dhaka Community Manager

En la economía deprimida de Caracas, ¿cómo evoluciona la innovación?

What does innovation look like in a depressed economy?

En la economía deprimida de Caracas, ¿cómo evoluciona la innovación?

Maria B. Garcia, Gestor Comunitario de Caracas

What does innovation look like in a depressed economy?

Maria B. Garcia, Caracas Community Manager

The future of waste: from trash to cash

The future of waste: from trash to cash

Wonderful Hunga, Lilongwe Community Manager

Bangalore NGO gives local youths tools to improve slums

Bangalore NGO gives local youths tools to improve slums

Carlin Carr, Bangalore Community Manager

Who is planning for? Planning with urbanisation and informality in Johannesburg's Spatial Development Framework

Who is planning for? Planning with urbanisation and informality in Johannesburg's Spatial Development Framework

Tariq Toffa, Johannesburg Community Manager

Jaminan kesehatan untuk si miskin perkotaan

Health access for Jakarta's urban poor

Jaminan kesehatan untuk si miskin perkotaan

Widya Anggraini, Jakarta Community Manager

Health access for Jakarta's urban poor

Widya Anggraini, Jakarta Community Manager

Proyecto Hermes: combatiendo la violencia escolar

Hermes Program: preventing school violence

Proyecto Hermes: combatiendo la violencia escolar

Jorge Bela, Gestor Comunitario de Bogotá

Hermes Program: preventing school violence

Jorge Bela, Bogotá Community Manager

Quíron: empoderando a educação brasileira

Quíron: empowering Brazilian education

Quíron: empoderando a educação brasileira

Andréa Azambuja, Coordenadora da Rede em Curitiba

Quíron: empowering Brazilian education

Andréa Azambuja, Curitiba Community Manager

کوچه ای بهتر در محله ای فقیر

A better block in a poor neighborhood

کوچه ای بهتر در محله ای فقیر

مریم امیری

Maryam Amiri, Tehran Community Manager

A better block in a poor neighborhood

Maryam Amiri, Tehran Community Manager

Informal settlements: mediators between economic growth and human development

Informal settlements: mediators between economic growth and human development

Priyanka Jain, Delhi Community Manager

Morte e vida da São Paulo abandonada

Life and death of abandoned São Paulo

Morte e vida da São Paulo abandonada

Felipe Villela, Coordenador da Rede em São Paulo

Life and death of abandoned São Paulo

Felipe Villela, São Paulo Community Manager

مشروع قومي يستهدف الشباب لتطوير العشوائيات في القاهرة

A national youth-based project to develop Cairo's informal areas

مشروع قومي يستهدف الشباب لتطوير العشوائيات في القاهرة

Shaima Abulhajj, Cairo Community Manager

A national youth-based project to develop Cairo's informal areas

Shaima Abulhajj, Cairo Community Manager

Partisipasi yang membawa perubahan nyata

Slum upgrading = Political will + Community participation

Partisipasi yang membawa perubahan nyata

Widya Anggraini, Surabaya Community Manager

Slum upgrading = Political will + Community participation

Widya Anggraini, Surabaya Community Manager

Proyecto Golazo: fútbol como sistema educativo en Cali

Proyecto Golazo: soccer as an educational tool in Cali

Proyecto Golazo: fútbol como sistema educativo en Cali

Jorge Bela, Gestor Comunitario de Cali

Proyecto Golazo: soccer as an educational tool in Cali

Jorge Bela, Cali Community Manager

Por una cultura de reciclaje de la Ciudad

Creating a culture of recycling in Mexico City

Por una cultura de reciclaje de la Ciudad

María Fernanda Carvallo, Gestor Comunitario de Mexico D.F.

Creating a culture of recycling in Mexico City

María Fernanda Carvallo, Mexico City Community Manager

From carts to trucks: efficiency in waste management

From carts to trucks: efficiency in waste management

Olatawura Ladipo-Ajayi, Lagos Community Manager