Event: Is There New Hope for Slum Dwellers? Reflections from 30 years of experience

WORLD BANK and CITIES ALLIANCE event
at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

IS THERE NEW HOPE FOR SLUM DWELLERS?
Reflections from 30 Years of Experience

Hosted by: Ms. Abha Joshi-Ghani, Manager, Urban Development and Local Government, World Bank

Keynote: Mr. Roberto Chavez, Architect & Planner

Discussant: Mr. Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Urban Sector Manager, South Asia, World Bank

Moderated by: Mr. William Cobbett, Manager, Cities Alliance

Is there new hope for slum dwellers? According to former World Bank urban planner and architect, Roberto Chavez, in a word, "yes." He was speaking on October 21st before a packed auditorium at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC at a joint World Bank and Cities Alliance event linked to a special exhibit on slums.

view the presentation and discussion    view the Q&A

As he reflected over the experience of past 30 years -- both his own and that of The World Bank and other development institutions -- Chavez noted that the issues slum dwellers face are formidable. They include declining access to land and water on the one hand and increasing vulnerability to climate change and disasters on the other. Urban pathologies such as crime and violence are on the rise, especially in times of economic downturn.

Yet, he has found reasons for optimism. The forces of decentralization and democratization are growing stronger, paving the way for community participation and local-level decision-making. As home to essential workers and the producers of goods and services, slums are starting to be recognized as productive players in the urban economy. At the same time, greater awareness of disparities is compelling the media, policy makers and citizens alike to take action.

As long as we empower communities, re-think our urban environments, and strive for social and environmental equity, said Chavez, there is new hope for slum dwellers.

Photo Credit: © Anne McDonough.

The Places We Live. This multimedia exhibit, by the Norwegian photographer Jonas Bendiksen, captures life in the slums of four rapidly urbanizing cities of the developing world–Caracas, Venezuela; Nairobi, Kenya; Mumbai, India; and Jakarta, Indonesia. As you stand inside their rooms, you will hear the families talk about daily life in the slums, the dangers, the environment, their work, joys, sorrows, hopes, and fears. The Places we Live was originally presented at the Nobel Center for Peace in Oslo. This is its only stop in the U.S. The exhibit was produced by Magnum Photos and the Nobel Peace Center, Oslo, Norway, and is supported by Canon. All exhibit photographs in these images (c) Jonas Bendiksen, Magnum Photos. The presentation of the exhibition at the National Building Museum is made possible by Cities Alliance, USAID, and The World Bank.

For more information contact: urbanhelp@worldbank.org

The exhibit is open until November 15, 2009. Hours of Opening: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-5pm. Admission is FREE.