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May 1, 2008 StreetNet International salutes street vendors
WORLD CLASS CITIES FOR ALL Inclusive planning for the urban poor The International Conference on Urban Planning and Policy Development in Delhi, India, hosted by StreetNet International, the National Alliance of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), and the Delhi University Dept. of Social Work, from 14-16th April 2008, was attended by more than a 100 delegates from street vendor organizations from 25 countries who assembled to share their experiences, frustrations and anger over local governments, their officials and police who implement laws that persistently criminalise street vendors whose only crime is to earn a living. Delegates called for a stop to the marginalization and exclusion of representative street vendors’ organizations from the decision-making and policy making on the daily issues that affect them. The Conference noted that street vendors in many countries have no income security, employment security, or social protection as informal economy workers. It called for governments to recognise street vendors’ organizations and to work with representative organizations to draft national policies and laws that uphold the economic and human rights of the world’s working poor and to count the positive economic contribution of informal traders. The Conference called for urban planners, policymakers and judges to recognize the needs of the urban poor populations of the world, particularly women who are breadwinners for families of the world’s working poor. The needs of the urban poor are frequently neglected when cities compete for international capital investment, as a result, poverty is deepened, dividing cities into the small minority of those who benefit, and the growing global majority who are excluded from the benefits of economic growth. Instead of more houses being built and new zoning for street vendors, they are frequently evicted from their homes and from the sidewalks and places of work in the race to satisfy the demands of foreign investors. The World Class Cities FOR ALL Campaign calls for a shift in the mindset of urban planners and civic leaders that must start to include the urban poor as stakeholders when international sporting events are hosted, such as the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010 and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010. Click here for Resolution of the International Conference on Urban Planning and Policy Development in Delhi, India. On the 19th April 2008, NASVI and StreetNet delegates held a rally at Ram Lila Ground in Delhi, calling for “Cities for all” (Shakar Garibo ka Bhi) before marching to Parliament to deliver a Memorandum to the Prime Minister of India asking for the Government to deliver on its promises. The Memorandum called for implementation of the National Policy on Street Vending endorsed in 2005 by the UPA government, to be implemented at national level in all states, and further to be enacted as a central law, to stop continued harassment by vendors, and for the new law on Social Security for informal economy/unorganised workers, which is to be adopted by this session of Parliament be amended to meet the needs of workers and to have a clear implementation machinery. StreetNet affiliates represented: Mariko Salamatou (UGSEIN), Niger, Fatoumata Binetou Yafa (CNTS), Senegal, Mamadou Fall (SUDEMS) Senegal, Madelaine Tounkara (CNTG), Guinea, Clarisse Gnahoui, (USYNVEPID) Senegal, Jaques Aboh (SYNAMAVAB) Benin, Ayo Gbanjou (SYVEMACOT), Togo, Angelique Kipula Katani, (LDFC), Congo, Mamadou Fall (SUDEMS), Senegal, Soule Zeinebou (FENASEIN), Niger, RamSC), Kim Jin-Suk (KOSC), South Korea, Charmelle (NASVI), India, Chika Joshi (SEWA), India, Anamika Shrestha (NEST), Nepal, China Rahman (SEU), Bangladesh, Kim Heung-Huin (KOSC), South Korea, Elvis Chishala, Lameck Kasiwa, (AZIEA), Zambia, Juliana Brown Ofari (StreetNet Ghana Alliance), Peter Odiambo, Theresa a’kongo (KENASVIT), Kenya, Jacent Nakayemba (NUIEWO), Uganda, Jalile Fundile (Eastern Cape Alliance of Street Vendors), South Africa, Matsepo Rathlako (Khatang Tema Baitskoli), Lesotho, Dianna Tualo (MUFIS), Malawi, Beauty Mugajima, Wisborn Malaya, (ZCIEA), Zimbabwe, Luz Maldonado, Manual Sulca (FEDEVAL), Peru, Orlando Mercado (CTCP), Nicaragua, Martha Garcia Santoyo (FNOTNA), Mexico, Roberta Silva (SIVARA), Argentina. Organisations: World Class Cities For ALL Campaign, South Africa Documents: The ILO Resolution Concerning Decent Work and the Informal Economy, 2002 (PDF Acrobat) |
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