Perhaps one of the most innovative and inclusive-enabling features Canada introduced in the lead-up to WUF3 was an Internet-based preparatory process called the Habitat JAM. The JAM was made possible through a partnership between Canada and IBM Corporation with support from the GLOBE Foundation. IBM's advanced online tools and technical support enabled global and real-time dialogue and exchange. As a result, the JAM's participants helped set the agenda for WUF3.

The JAM brought together 39,000 people from 158 countries from December 1-3, 2005, for 72 hours of online discussion on urban issues. It brought a new dimension to the preparations for WUF3, pioneering a dynamic new way to build interest and engagement in the World Urban Forum. It was the first of its kind – the largest public consultation ever held on urban sustainability.

Over 400 partner organizations were involved in the JAM to ensure that the objective of inclusiveness was met. Organizations such as the Huairou Commission, the World Urban Forum Youth, the Mazingira Institute, Slum Dwellers International, and many others were asked to help disadvantaged groups get access to the JAM. Thanks to their efforts, as many as 25,000 people without Internet access were able to share their ideas and stories with others in the JAM through live workshops, focus groups, and JAM and Internet Cafés.

In addition, screen-reading technology allowed visually impaired people to participate in the JAM. “I think this JAM is a great opportunity for people with disabilities to share our knowledge so we are creating a better world for all people,” said a visually impaired “JAMMER.” “It incorporates the special considerations that make it possible for people with disabilities to succeed, have fun, and thrive like all others.”

Overall, 91% of participants agreed that the JAM brought together people who might otherwise never be able to share ideas and information. Nearly 80% of participants agreed that the JAM is a valuable preparatory event for World Urban Forums. Please click here to view the JAM report.

Following the JAM, the International Centre for Sustainable Cities led a team of researchers and writers to analyze the transcripts and identify over 600 ideas generated by the JAM. Of these, 70 ideas were summarized in a workbook and accompanying CD and given to attendees of WUF3. The workbook and CD are intended to encourage people to move from ideas to action. They were designed for participants to keep notes of the actionable ideas discovered at the World Urban Forum to bring back to their own communities.

A special networking session at WUF3 was held to celebrate the legacy of the Habitat JAM. It was a chance for those who participated, as well as those who did not, to relive the excitement of the JAM and discuss the future of JAMs in the context of the World Urban Forum. Participants called for it to be an annual or bi-annual event with focused topics and target groups, and suggested that it could eventually progress to a global video conferencing event. They agreed on its usefulness as a tool to empower the disenfranchised and recommended a Habitat JAM for WUF4.