Dialogues

Tuesday, June 20th - 10:00 - 12:00 Location: VCEC - Ballroom C Title: Achieving the MDGs:Slum Upgrading and Affordable Housing Description: Following on the conclusions of the World Urban Forum II and the recent MDGs Millennium Summit, this dialogue addressed the challenges and opportunities for the achievement of the MDG target on slums. In light of the scale and severity of the slum challenge, participants explored practical solutions such as the provision of security of tenure and affordable land, the need for inclusive slum upgrading processes that empower the urban poor, as well as adequate mechanisms for financing slum upgrading, affordable housing, and proactive programmes to avoid the formation of new slums. Participants represented the whole spectrum of stakeholders, and came with concrete experiences. Featuring: Jacques Bensimon, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson, National Film Board of Canada, Canada - Moderator Rose Molokoane, South African Homeless People's Federation, South Africa - Commentator Luz Maria Sanchez Hurtado, Executive Director, Estrategia, Peru - Commentator Arif Hassan, Chairman, Urban Resource Centre, Pakistan - Commentator Miloon Kothari, Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, United Nations - Commentator
Tuesday, June 20th - 10:00 - 12:00 Location: VCEC - Ballroom B Title: Public Engagement, The Inclusive Approach Description: Recent experience in both developed and developing countries shows that not all participatory systems work when it comes to urban sustainability. It has become evident that sustainable development is jeopardized when structures of engagement do not provide for mechanisms that eliminate barriers which deny effective and full involvement of every member of society. This dialogue session examined the essence of inclusiveness and empowerment in civil society involvement in local governance. It also addressed the operational aspects of fostering inclusion and cohesion for promoting sustainable cities by examining concrete experiences in ensuring the engagement of long-term residents, international migrants, the poor, marginalized groups, national minorities, and indigenous peoples. It showcased on-going strategies and practices that provide useful lessons in civic engagement and citizenship, with a particular focus on the integration of migrants and empowerment of women and youth. Featuring: Zain Verjee, News Anchor, CNN, USA - Facilitator Peter Oberlander, Professor Emeritus, Inaugural Director, UBC Centre for Human Settlements, Canada Kay Andrews, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Office of the Prime Minister, Government of the United Kingdom Jean-Pierre Mbassi, Secretary General, United Cities & Local Governments Africa Marcello Balbo, Professor, University of Venice, Italy Mary Balikungeri, Rwanda Women's Network, Rwanda
Wednesday, June 21st - 10:00 - 12:00 Location: VCEC - Ballroom C Title: Municipal Finance: Innovation and Collaboration Description: Municipalities around the world are facing the dilemma of the need for a strong fiscal base to create and maintain infrastructure and services amidst pressure to lower taxes to attract foreign and domestic investment. Financial mismanagement greatly affects the ability of local authorities to sustain the provision of municipal infrastructure and services to their constituents. Despite these constraints, there are many innovations, reforms, and partnership arrangements with the private sector and civil society to remedy this. Featuring: Anwar Versi, Editor, African Business, United Kingdom - Facilitator Jacqueline E. Schafer, Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Economic Growth and Trade, USAID, Government of the United States Lamine Mbassa, Director of Economic and Financial Affairs, Communauté Urbaine de Douala (CUD), Cameroon Jawaid Akhtar, Managing Director, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation, India Fernando Damata Pimentel, Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Brazil Katherine Sierra, Vice President and Network Head, Infrastructure, World Bank , USA
Wednesday, June 21st - 10:00 - 12:00 Location: VCEC - Exhibit Hall A Title: Urban Safety & Security: Taking Responsibility Description: Disasters and crime represent an enormous risk factor for investment and wealth creation in cities and a major hindrance to economically vibrant, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable urban development. This dialogue highlighted why prevention is better than cure: itï¿½s cost effectiveness and results, either for reducing the incidence and the impact of disasters, or to limit the occurrence of crime. The key message of the forum was that unless action is taken to assess and prevent causes of crime and disaster, and reduce vulnerability, sustainable urban development is in jeopardy. Featuring: Anna Maria Tremonti, Host of "The Current", CBC, Canada - Facilitator Juan Manuel Ospina Restrepo, Minister, Government of Bogota, Colombia Carole Kidu, Minister of Community Development, Government of Papua New Guinea Ghulam Sakhi Noorzad, Mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan Michel Marcus, Executive Director, European Forum for Urban Safety, France Ian Davies, Visiting Professor, Cranfield University
Thursday, June 22nd - 10:00 - 12:00 Location: VCEC - Ballroom B&C; Title: The Shape of Cities: Urban Planning and Management Description: Although there is some consensus on how cities should be run, there is still some uncertainty about the crucial ingredients-governance, management and planning. A key element in the mixture is urban planning. For long the dominant model, it has fallen into disfavour, particularly in the developing world. It is now re-emerging as a powerful tool, but which has a changed relationship with management and governance. This dialogue focused on the new role of planning vis-a-vis these other elements. The leitmotif of the dialogue was "planning in a state of flux". The dialogue examined past problems of planning, and looked at current approaches and methods that overcome these obstacles. The dialogue built upon the contributions of the World Planners' Congress that preceded the World Urban Forum. Featuring: Steve Bradshaw, Producer, BBC-Panorama, United Kingdom - Facilitator John Friedmann, Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada Tasneem Essop, Minister of Environment, Planning and Economic Development, Government of the Western Cape, South Africa Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science and Environment, India Herbert Girardet, Environmental Consultant and Senior Adviser to Eco-City, China Cliff Hague, President, Commonwealth Association of Planners, United Kingdom
Thursday, June 22nd - 10:00 - 12:00 Location: VCEC - Exhibit Hall A Title: Energy: Local Action,Global Impact Description: Without doubt, access to affordable, modern energy services is a pre-requisite for sustainable human development. This dialogue session featured speakers from both developing and developed countries discussing energy and transport solutions. The first part of this dialogue sought to identify affordable and successful renewable energy options for cities and highlighted the role of industry and public-private-partnerships in realizing this objective. The second part of the dialogue considered novel approaches to sustainable urban transport. Participants were challenged to identify how cities can lead the way in promoting more energy efficient and cleaner transport through ï¿½leapfrogging technologiesï¿½ adapted to the particular needs of cities. Featuring: Kevin Newman, News Anchor, Global TV, Canada - Facilitator Vijay Modi, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, USA Enrique Peñalosa, Former Mayor, City of Bogota, Colombia; Visiting Scholar, New York University, USA Anumita Roychowdhury, Coordinator for Policy Research and Advocacy on Vehicular Pollution in India, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India Mary Jane C. Ortega, Mayor, City of San Fernando, Philipines Harriette Amissah Arthur, Director, KITE, Ghana