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What
is the StreetNet Association?
by
Pat Horn - Co-ordinator
StreetNet
was conceived by a network of individual vendors, activists, researchers
and other people and institutions, who came together to look at how to
increase the visibility, voice and bargaining power of street vendors
throughout the world.
StreetNet
aims to promote the exchange of information and ideas on critical issues
facing street vendors and on practical organizing and advocacy strategies. Through
StreetNet, members should gain an understanding of the
common problems of street vendors, develop new
ideas for strengthening their organizing and advocacy efforts and
join in international campaigns to promote policies and actions that can
contribute to improving the lives of millions of street vendors.
In
order to realise these aims, the StreetNet Association was established in
Durban, South Africa, in December 1999 as the legal entity which will
build and consolidate StreetNet.
Representatives
from four organizations have played a key role in the development of
StreetNet: the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in Ahmedabad,
India, the Self Employed Women Union (SEWU) in Durban, South Africa,
Women’s World Banking in New York and the International Coalition of
Women and Credit in New York. The Alliance is supported through action
research promoted by WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment:
Globalising and Organising), primarily through its Urban Policies
Program.
StreetNets
objectives are:
*
to expand and strengthen street vendor networks at the international, regional and national levels;
*
to build an information base on street vendors in different parts of the world;
*
to document and disseminate information
*
to work towards building a solid institutional base from which to carry forward its work in the future.
Benefits
The
proposed benefits of joining StreetNet include:
*
international solidarity;
*
access to regional/international networks;
*
participation in international campaigns (such as an ILO Convention);
*
access to regional and national studies (such as the WIEGO
Urban Policies Programme);
*
access to information.
It
is not proposed that StreetNet raise
funds for member organisations. It
will also not offer solutions for capacity or organisational problems they
may have.
A
data-base has been set up.
Please send us information about all the street vendors’ organisations
you know about. This information will be put on the data-base.
You
will soon be able to access the information on our data-base through the
website.
A
leaflet about StreetNet is available in English and in Spanish and will
come out in French next year. For
copies, please contact us the address given in the box at the end of this
article. This is the first
issue of our newsletter. After
this, it will be coming out twice a year, in English, Spanish and French.
Workshops
We
are organising three regional workshops to prepare for the international
launch of StreetNet, in Latin America (February 2001), in Asia (November
2001) and in Africa (2002). Issues
to be discussed at the regional workshops and decided at the launch:
*
StreetNet’s policy on political orientation
*
How to deal with class
differentiation between
* What should be the scope of
* Membership affiliation fees and the financial self-sufficiency of
StreetNet.
Priorities
Until
StreetNet’s international launch, our priorities will be:
*
Building and expanding the network under women’s leadership. This will
mean identifying organizations working with and/or on behalf of street
vendors, vendor leaders, researchers and activists and encouraging them to
join StreetNet.
*
Identifying partners to work with to carry out proposed research
and documentation activities.
*
Developing a proposal for a 5-year plan of action and raising funds to
support it.