WUF3-FUM3

Local-level implementation of strategies to promote MDGs. Participants at WUF3 highlighted the special role of local governments in sustainable urbanization. Local Government Day was a chance for municipal officials to promote their leadership in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

At the Ministers' Roundtable, most of the ministers from over 50 countries expressed support for decentralizing and enhancing partnerships among the different orders of government. Co-chair Ted Menzies, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation of Canada, emphasized the importance of respecting local governments, and several other countries outlined their experiences with the relationship between national and local governments in achieving urban sustainability.

Many participants and speakers remarked on the need to meet the financial challenge of sustainable development. It was recognized that we must move past relying on international development finance and donors to building local financial capacity. The ability of cities to pay for additional infrastructure and upgrade current ones will be the difference between awful realities and sustainable cities.

The Forum was especially important in highlighting the need for information sharing and exchange of best practices . During the networking session on gender mainstreaming, the African Local Governance program brought together 14 African women, each holding the position of mayor or councilor, to give presentations on their experiences of mainstreaming gender equality in local government. "It is only by disseminating information, sharing knowledge, and encouraging women to break down barriers that they will be able to take up positions within local governments," said Jane Edna Nyane, a councilor and Chair of the Women's Caucus of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana. Participants noted the need for a more systematic exchange of best practices between the local, national, and international levels.

The need to honour the commitments made by governments at the Millennium Summit in 2000. Speakers and participants called for an end to forced evictions, which are not the solution to ending urban poverty. Slum dwellers commented that until permanent solutions are found, people will build slums elsewhere.

During the Forum there was consensus that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Kalpana Sharma from the Hindu in India remarked, "Don't make Bombay into Shanghai." We need to find indigenous models of development that celebrate local culture and differences.

The Forum highlighted the power of technology to reach citizens that may not otherwise be consulted. Habitat JAM is an example of how we can combine innovation with our values of social inclusion and equality. In the feedback, one of the JAMMERs noted that "technology can be a powerful tool of communication and inclusion." Technology can also be a valuable tool in helping organizations and municipalities to efficiently provide essential services for their citizens. Municipalities should explore new and innovative ways to provide services to achieve sustainable cities.

Urban agriculture was recognized as playing an important role in sustainable urbanization. Delegates such as Maxensia "Max" Takirambule from Uganda offered a community perspective on the role of urban agriculture and its importance to the urban poor. Max is one of 124 beneficiaries of the International Development Research Centre - McGill University Edible Landscape Project in Uganda. A seropositive widow with four children, Ms. Takirambule was abandoned by her in-laws when her husband died of HIV/AIDS. The plot of land she was allocated as part of the project has given her a new lease on life. Kampala City Council donated the land as part of a strategy to turn unused and underused urban spaces into productive farms. She and other beneficiaries have received training in farming techniques and have begun growing food for their families and for sale. Max's presence and participation in the networking event, "Partnering with the Poor: Leveraging Land for Change" was a powerful reminder of the people who benefit from these partnerships. During the networking session on urban agriculture, mayors discussed how urban agriculture could be part of solving pressing urban problems such as environmental issues and poverty reduction.

The National Film Board is an excellent example of the evolution of technology. In 1976, the Film Board played a key role in the Conference's audiovisual program, presenting more than 200 films and slide shows from 120 countries. Fast-forward to 2006 at WUF3, where the Film Board showcased their innovative methods for creating and using media for social change. CITIZENShift is an interactive platform where social issues can be explored through films, photography, articles, blogs, and podcasts. Focusing on a new theme every month, activists and other creative people can "meet" and share their media. Wapikoni Mobile is a motorized film training and production studio that travels to First Nations communities in Quebec and engages the youth in those communities. The Board also has projects designed for mobile platforms (i.e. cellular phones) such as Content 360. These projects, inspired by the 1960s experiment called Challenge for Change, involve the community in the documentary process. Decades later, innovative technologies are helping to engage a segment of society not previously given a voice.

The Global Urban Sustainability Solutions Exchange (GUSSE) is an online meeting place where the world can collectively discuss, review, and apply the best ideas for sustainable cities. The creators liken it to an "Amazon.com" for urban solutions where you can browse, get recommendations, share, and pick up ideas. It is open, inclusive, reliable, practical, independent, and adaptive.

MetroQuest is a piece of software designed by Canadian developers that allows users to see the impact of the decisions being made by city planners over a 40-year time period. The tool allows planners to explore "what if" future scenarios for their cities. The Canadian ski resort of Whistler already benefited from the software when it altered the potentially devastating effects of building up the hillside in its current plan.

2010 Legacies has created a new guide entitled Measuring Up, which will help cities determine how they can make their communities more inclusive and accessible. As a result of the Measuring Up networking session, the guide will be translated into Arabic and used in several Middle Eastern countries.