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Journal Cities of Peace no. 4
International Organizing Committee
Cities of Peace. Journal no. 4 October 2021 The journal “Cities of Peace” is an initiative of the World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace that aims to be an instrument for the periodic dissemination of experiences, reflections, news or campaigns that help to build coexistence and peace. It is a periodic journal and is open to contributions that can fulfill this mission. The edition of this fourth number has been possible with the sponsorship of the government of Mexico City and the special collaboration of UCLG, in addition to all the entities of the International Organizing Committee. The opinions expressed in it are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the member entities of the IOC (International Organizing Committee). Editorial Board Antonio Zurita Contreras (UCLG Advisor) Mariana Flores Mayén, (Coordinator of the Forum Technical Secretariat, Government of Mexico City) Braulio Díaz (global cities analist) Pamela Reducindo Pérez (Government of Mexico City) Graphic Design Nancy Rodríguez Viteri © All rights reserved. Government of Mexico City, UNDP - ART, UCLG - 2021 The total or partial reproduction of the contents of this document is allowed and recommended, as long as the source is cited. Email: revista@ciudadesdepaz.com Website: www.ciudadesdepaz.com
Table of contents Presentation 3rd World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace Universal right to vaccines .................................................................................. 5 Presentation of the 3rd World Forum.................................................. 6 Investigation Give Migrant and Displaced Communities a Role in Building Cities of Peace The Role of Human Rights Defenders in the Implementation of the Peace Accords and Peace Building in Colombia .......................... 14 Co-creating caring territories through human rights based-approaches: a proposal from local and regional governments to build forward better in the post-pandemic era ............................................................ 20 Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls: A Necessary Condition for Territories of Peace........................................................... 25 Cities and territories with environmental justice ........................................ 31 Reviews Anti-racist education program in Santos (Brazil): an award- winning experience by the International Association of Educating Cities...................................................................................................... 35 COLEF: Sanctuary cities, a haven for undocumented migrants .............. 36 GlIV Paris Peace Forum: Practical Solutions to Global Challenges ........ 37 Program of Activities in 16 days of Activism against violence against women and girls at the Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico .................... 38 V World Forum on Local Economic Development: The role of territories in uncertain times ...................................................... 39 HCHR AND UCLG: How to build human rights cities................................ 40 UCLG: Local Housing Discrimination and Spatial Segregation Consultation ............................................................................ 41
Cities of Peace - No. 4 5
3rd World Forum on Cities and Territories
of Peace Universal right to vaccines
At the time of launching this issue 4 of the mic circumstances for vaccines against
magazine, and close to the celebration of COVID-19.
the main event of the 3rd World Forum of However, major rich countries oppose this
Cities and Territories of Peace, the world measure, as do the major private phar-
is still affected by the COVID 19 pandemic, maceutical companies that market them:
although, as we mentioned in the presen- they have blocked technology transfers
tation of the magazine in April this year, or have rallied support against the waiver
with lights at the end of the tunnel. that would allow global manufacturing to
expand.
According to the WHO, at least 239,007,759
cases and 4,871,841 deaths have been re- On the eve of the 3rd World Forum of Cities
ported globally as of October 15, 2021. and Territories of Peace, we are witnessing
this type of behavior that shows the incon-
47.5% of the world’s population has recei- sistency of policies in some states that are
ved at least one dose of COVID-19 vacci- part of the United Nations and that, while
ne. A total of 6.65 billion doses have been supporting the Sustainable Development
administered worldwide, and 20.44 million Goals or global declarations in favor of co-
doses are administered every day. Howe- existence and peace, assume a position of
ver, only 2.7% of the population in low-in- inaction or opposition, which is the same
come countries has received at least one thing, to this urgent request to save mi-
dose, with most of the African continent llions of lives.
standing out once again.
As the Forum has mentioned on several
We are far from the World Health Organi- occasions, peace is not the absence of
zation’s target of getting 40% of people in war, it is the construction of social justice,
low-income countries vaccinated by the the protection of social, economic, cultural
end of this year, 70% by mid-2022. rights, ...the right to life presides over this
universal charter. The right to vaccination
It is now one year since South Africa and must be a universal right. This is not the
India called for a TRIPS1 waiver in pande- time, it is never the time, to speculate with life.
1 Acuerdo sobre los Aspectos de los Derechos de
Propiedad Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio
Cities of Peace - No. 4 6
Presentation of the 3rd World Forum
Within a few days from the publication of this issue of
the magazine, between October 26 and 28, the 3rd World
Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace will be held in
Mexico City.
This 3rd Forum began a year ago, in October 2020, and has
passed during these twelve months in a very participatory
way, with multiple events that have addressed multiple
topics, virtually as a consequence of the global pandemic.
A process that began with the celebration of the 1st World
Forum in April 2017 in the city of Madrid, and that will
continue because the Forum is alive and more and more
necessary every day.
www.ciudadesdepaz.com
Cities of Peace - No. 4 7
The Forum is a global, collective and ho- which it invites different organizations to
rizontal process of reflection and advoca- share their projects, initiatives and reflec-
cy, which seeks to provide solutions at the tions on peaceful coexistence in cities. The
political level and in the implementation of journal has published 3 issues, with more
policies for the construction of coexisten- than 40 contributions, including research
ce and peace in the territories. articles and reviews.
During the Forum, a global convening event We have integrated all this knowledge
is held as a milestone in the roadmap of and learning into a consultation platform.
exchange actions, advocacy, educational (www.ciudadesdepaz.com) so that it can
programs or campaigns in different parts serve as a source of inspiration for the va-
of the world and in different formats. rious actors involved in peacebuilding. And
all these lessons learned, and issues ad-
Hosting this global event is an important dressed over the past months will be con-
moment of joining energies that allows for solidated in this last meeting of the third
exchange and deliberation; a space that cycle, designed as a hybrid meeting (vir-
helps to promote more effectively and effi- tual and face-to-face) to be held in Mexico
ciently the values of coexistence and pea- City from October 26 to 28, 2021.
ce building.
Through plenary sessions and regional
Mexico City took the lead in 2019 for the dialogues, we will go deeper into some of
third edition of the World Forum on Cities the topics we have already addressed so
and Territories of Peace, accompanied by far and introduce some new approaches
more than 20 international institutions from which to think about coexistence and
and organizations. One of the milestones peace in the territories. In this way, the
in this process was a virtual “Towards the Forum completes this two-year cycle, in
Forum” meeting in October 2020, which which, in addition to contributing to global
brought together more than 100 panelists reflection, it has strengthened local links
from 18 countries and, during the three- with organizations working in the territo-
day event, almost 7,000 on- line sessions ries, especially in Mexico City.
were watched.
Finally, as part of the milestones of this
Since then, more than 20 online activities, process, we advanced towards the conso-
workshops and seminars have been orga- lidation of the Forum through the institu-
nized, led from different parts of the world, tionalization of its Technical Secretariat, a
in which local governments, international space for the management of all activities;
organizations, academia, civil society and the strengthening of the Scientific Commi-
collectives have reflected on the origins of ttee, a space for knowledge management;
violence and, above all, the ways to achieve and the International Organizing Commit-
peace in our territories. Altogether, these tee, a space for global alliances and advo-
events have achieved a total participation cacy.
of more than 150 panelists, addressing va-
rious topics related to Cities of Coexisten- We hope that the coordination of this third
ce and Peace. cycle from Mexico City will lay the founda-
tions so that, in the future, peace- building
In addition, since February 2021, the Forum in and from cities and territories will beco-
launched the Cities of Peace Journal, in me a pillar of sustainable development.
Cities of Peace - No. 4 8
Hosting this global event is an important
moment of joining energies that allows for
exchange and deliberation; a space that
helps to promote more effectively and
efficiently the values of coexistence and
peace building.
General objective
Promote multi-stakeholder and multi- level meetings between local politi-
cal leaders, territorial managers, civil society organizations, academia and
international organizations to reflect and
discuss actions for peace-building and conservation in cities and territo-
ries.
Specific objectives
• Facilitate sharing of initiatives and experiences that contribute to the
promotion of a culture of peace in cities and territories.
• Promote peace-building at the local and territorial level.
• To influence governments, networks and international organizations to
increase support for peace through concrete actions, programs and/or
specific agendas.
Methodology
The event will feature an opening session, a closing session, four thematic
dialogues, and a series of regional dialogues.
In addition, face-to-face activities will be organized in Mexico City (pan-
demic restrictions permitting) and cultural and artistic materials related to
peace- building in cities will be disseminated.
Cities of Peace - No. 4 9
Thematic dialogues
Dialogue 1 Inclusive cities and te-
rritories
From an economic point of view, we
1
can define the concept of inequali-
ty as the difference in the availabili-
ty of resources between individuals
or groups; that is, the fundamental
disparity that allows one-person
certain material options and denies
them to another. Economic inequa-
lities are at the origin of many of the
structural, cultural and direct forms
of violence. Racism, xenophobia,
aporophobia, corruption and even
armed conflicts are often due to
eco- nomic inequalities.
The objective of the session is to
discuss the responsibility of cities
and territories of peace to ensure
that their inhabitants enjoy equal ri-
ghts and opportunities in access to
public goods and quality services in
the areas of health, education, justi-
ce and social services, establishing
appropriate frameworks to overco-
me inequality and discrimination.
Likewise, we want to generate spa-
ces at the service of the communi-
ty’s needs, favoring social relations,
dialogue, the collective and the
common good, which constitute an
architecture for peace.
Cities of Peace - No. 4 10
Thematic dialogues
2
Dialogue 2 Welcoming cities and
territories
People leave their habitats and move
to live elsewhere, whether in a nearby
or distant city or in another country,
for economic, political, environmen-
tal or military reasons. Migrations are
generating and will generate urban,
sustainability and human tensions;
housing, infrastructure, basic servi-
ces, food, health, education, employ-
ment and security problems. In terms
of coexistence, migrations can pro-
voke tensions between settled com-
munities and newcomers.
The objective of the session is to ad-
dress the multiple challenges posed
by this situation: on the one hand, to
receive people arriving in the city and
attend to their basic needs without
generating tension with the already
settled community; on the other hand,
to open real opportunities for so-
cial inclusion, educational programs,
sports or recreational work that allow
them to opt for life plans in society.Cities of Peace - No. 4 11
Thematic dialogues
3
Dialogue 3 Cities and territories
free of gender violence
In 1995, the UN defined gender-based
violence as “any act of gender-ba-
sed violence that results in actual or
potential physical, sexual or psycho-
logical harm, including threats, coer-
cion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty,
whether occurring in the public or the
private sphere. UN- Women estimates
that 35% of women worldwide have
experienced physical and/or sexual
violence by an intimate partner or ano-
ther person at some point in their lives.
Gender violence is one of the forms
of violence with the greatest social
impact, both because of the high per-
centage of the population affected
and because of the degree of social
acceptance and normalization it enjo-
ys. Violence against women is most-
ly committed in the private sphere,
which makes it difficult to detect and
prosecute.
The objective of the session is to
identify the values that will allow us to
eliminate the established patriarchal
stereotypes, fostering non-toxic mas-
culinities and incorporating the gender
perspective in the design of our ac-
tions. At the same time that we imple-
ment policies to eradicate this social
scourge, we have to carry out actions
to attend to and care for women and
girls who are victims of violence.Cities of Peace - No. 4 12
Thematic dialogues
4
Dialogue 4 Cities and territories
with environmental justice
The current climate crisis accentua-
tes the growing inequality worldwide.
This requires that the environmental
agenda, the climate agenda, be ad-
dressed in an integrated manner, with
socioeconomic development policies,
the defense of the principles of human
rights and democracy, and catalyzing
opportunities to target improvements
in the urban planning of territories in
areas such as sanitation, waste ma-
nagement, mobility and transporta-
tion.
The objective of this debate will be to
address climate justice as an element
to reduce the social crisis and pro-
mote peace building in the territories.
Local and regional governments need
to seek partnerships, processes and
standards that safeguard natural sys-
tems to sustain human life.
Local climate justice includes safe
and secure access to clean food,
water, energy, sanitation, air and soil
for all. Human-centered, safe, social
and culturally cohesive communities,
where diversity and different identi-
ties are woven into the social fabric.Investigation
Cities of Peace - No. 4 14
Give Migrant and Displaced Communities
a Role in Building Cities of Peace
World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace, Mexico City
Investigation
Samer Saliba, Head of Practice, Mayors Migration Council
September 2021
The climate crisis is rapidly becoming a
key driver of human mobility. According to
the World Bank, by 2050, climate impacts
could force more than 216 million people
to move within their countries in just six
regions.1 Globally, it is estimated that over
one billion people are at risk of being dri-
ven from their homes for climate-related
reasons within the next 30 years.2
It is likely that many of these journeys will
involve cities, which are already the pri-
mary destination of international and in-
ternal migrants and home to 70 percent of
the world’s refugees, internally displaced
persons (IDPs), and stateless people.3
1 Cardoso, Lauren Ferreira Cardoso, Sara Shu-
man, and Samer Saliba. Violence in the City: A
Systematic Review of the Drivers of Violence
against Displaced Populations in Urban Crisis and
Post-crisis Settings. Internataional Rescue Com-
mittee. 2017. Available at: https://www.rescue.
org/sites/default/files/document/1325/violen-
ceinthecityweb.pdf. Accessed September 26, 2021.
2 Cardoso, Lauren Ferreira Cardoso, Sara Shu-
man, and Samer Saliba. Violence in the City: A
Systematic Review of the Drivers of Violence
against Displaced Populations in Urban Crisis and
Post-crisis Settings. Internataional Rescue Com-
mittee. 2017. Available at: https://www.rescue.
org/sites/default/files/document/1325/violen-
ceinthecityweb.pdf. Accessed September 26, 2021.
3 UNHCR Global Report 2020. The UN Refugee
Agency. June 2021. Available at: https://www.un-
hcr.org/flagship-reports/globaltrends/. Accessed
September 26, 2021.Cities of Peace - No. 4 15 Discussions on preparing for this unprecedented level of urban migration and displacement tend to focus on tangible actions that yield clear out- comes, such as creating jobs, increasing housing stocks, and augmen- ting social service delivery systems. For example, the World Bank’s 2021 Groundswell report on acting on internal climate migration argues for “di- versified livelihoods that are not tied to climate-sensitive sectors” and “pu- tting in place effective land administration systems that provide security of tenure, reduce informal tenure, and recognize customary land practices, as well as help manage appropriate land uses.”4 While these tangible actions are crucial to preparing for urban migration and displacement, central to their success is a somewhat less tangible concept: peacebuilding. As the Groundswell report rightly states, “peace and stability are inextri- cably linked with resilient livelihoods, sustainable natural resource mana- gement, and food security.” Increases in already dense urban populations will not only create a need for more jobs and housing, but will also create fractures within the social stability that acts as a necessary foundation to urban life and the coexistence of diverse communities. The fractures are already happening. In 2017, a systematic review of the drivers of violence against urban displaced found that “it is clear that ur- ban displaced are exposed to drivers of violence unique to urban areas.”5 The review identified economic strain, the inability to meet basic food and shelter needs, lack of legal protections, and broad discrimination against refugees and IDP populations as examples of challenges specific to dis- placed populations in urban areas that contribute to the violence they ex- perience. The review also found that there is limited evidence on effective measures to combat violence and build peace between receiving commu- nities and their new neighbors. A useful starting point for peacebuilding in cities among migrant, displa- ced, and receiving communities is social cohesion. Social cohesion is often defined as the relationships between individuals and groups in a particular environment (horizontal social cohesion) and between those individuals and groups and the actors that govern that environment (vertical social cohesion).6 4 Clement, Viviane, Kanta Kumari Rigaud, Alex de Sherbinin, Bryan Jones, Susana Ada- mo, Jacob Schewe, Nian Sadiq, and Elham Shabahat. 2021. Groundswell Part 2: Acting on Internal Climate Migration. Washington, DC: The World Bank. Available at: file:///Users/samersaliba/Downloads/Groundswell%20Part%20II.pdf. Ac- cessed September 26, 2021. 5 Cardoso, Lauren Ferreira Cardoso, Sara Shuman, and Samer Saliba. Violence in the City: A Systematic Review of the Drivers of Violence against Displaced Populations in Urban Crisis and Post-crisis Settings. Internataional Rescue Committee. 2017. Available at: https://www.rescue.org/sites/default/files/document/1325/violenceinthecityweb. pdf. Accessed September 26, 2021.
Cities of Peace - No. 4 16
www.rescue.org
To clearly articulate the benefits of social cohesion, I often discuss social
cohesion vis-à-vis social tension. While the benefits of social cohesion
are difficult to visualize, social tension means a mother keeping her child
home for school for fear of bullying, a stranger being violently attacked on
the street for having darker skin, or an employee being physically abused
on the job – all examples of social tension I have heard directly while re-
searching urban displacement. In one hard-to-forget example from Dar es
Salaam, a widow from Burkina Faso had her life threatened by her decea-
sed Tanzanian husband’s family. Fearing for her own life, she asked me if I
could take her two children –at risk of violence in their city of birth – back
with me to America.
Social cohesion is the antidote to these acts of violence that result from
social tension. But in my experience, urban practitioners too often focus
on building horizontal social cohesion and not enough on building vertical
social cohesion. There are many reasons for this imbalance, but one is that
vertical social cohesion requires a level accountability on the part of city
governments that is difficult to achieve, especially for diverse and growing
populations. While shared football matches or culinary events highlighting
the diversity of different cultures may be effective in building horizontal
social cohesion, they are only half of the equation. To adequately prepa-
re for future migration and displacement, city governments must play an
active role in both fostering social cohesion between diverse communities
(horizontal cohesion) and ensuring their own accountability to new arrivals
(vertical cohesion).
6 Guay, Joseph. Social Cohesion between Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in
Lebanon and Jordan. World Vision International. 2015. Available at: https://www.wvi.
org/sites/default/files/World%20Vision%20International%20DM2020%20Social%20Co-
hesion%20Report.pdf. Accessed September 26, 2021.Cities of Peace - No. 4 17 In a policy note on migration and peace- building, the Swiss Platform for Peace- building argues that “peacebuilders can address migration in at least three areas: social cohesion, migration governance, and participation and inclusion.”7 Taking a step further, I argue that the meaningful participation and inclusion of migrants and refugees in city governance is an effective means to building social cohesion. This is especially true in Latin America, one of the six regions estimated to see a drastic increase in urban migration and displacement. Ongoing research between the Mayors Migration Council, the Mixed Migration Centre, and the city govern- ments of Barranquilla, Colombia; Medellín, Colombia; and Mexico City, Mexico on the experiences of migrants and refugees in these three cities highlights the importan- ce of both horizontal and vertical cohesion. Though incomplete, a minimum of 30 per- cent of 408 research participants reported feeling discriminated against in their new cities, while a minimum of 59 percent re- ported feeling that their opinions regarding the functioning of the neighborhood or their city are not considered.8 While incomplete, the research gives ear- ly indication that exclusion may be just as www.rescue.org 7 Andrea Grossenbacher. Policy Brief 02 / 2021: “Moving towards peace: migration in peacebuil- ding policy and practice” KOFF – Swiss Platform for Peacebuilding. 2021. Available at: https://www. swisspeace.ch/assets/publications/downloads/ Policy-Briefs/20210628PolicyBriefMigrationPea- ce.pdf. Accessed September 26, 2021. 8 Ongoing research as a part of the Mayors Mi- gration Council and Mixed Migration Centre’s 4Mi Cities research project in Barranquilla, Colombia; Medellín, Colombia; and Mexico City, Mexico. Data of 408 surveys as of August 2021, with completed research expected to capture 900 surveys. Final results will be published in November 2021.
Cities of Peace - No. 4 18
important a focus area as discrimination.
When building cohesive, peaceful cities,
city governments must address discri-
mination while at the same time creating
opportunities for migrants and displaced
people to meaningfully participate in city
governance.
Take São Paulo, Brazil, for example. In
2017, the late Mayor Bruno Covas – a
founding member of the Mayors Migration
Council - established the Municipal Coun-
cil of Immigrants and Refugees, which gi-
ves migrants and refugees the opportunity While the benefits of
to participate in political actions at the city
level even though they do not have the right
social cohesion are
to vote in Brazilian elections. The Council difficult to visualize, social
contributed to and endorsed São Paulo’s
Municipal Plan of Public Policies for Refu-
tension means a mother
gees and Migrants, which includes a goal keeping her child home
focused on achieving full social cohesion for school for fear of
within Sao Paulo society.9 The Council it-
self plays a role in measuring progress bullying, a stranger being
towards this goal. As Mayor Covas said, violently attacked on the
“immgrants’ political participation is fun-
damental to building a truly universal citi-
street for having darker
zenship.”10 skin, or an employee being
Another example is Lima, Peru. With su-
physically abused on
pport from the Mayors Migration Council’s the job – all examples of
Global Cities Fund, the Municipality of Lima social tension I have heard
directly while researching
9 1st Municipal Plan of Policies for Immigrants:
2021 – 2024. City of São Paulo, Secretary of
urban displacement.
Human Rights and Citizenship. 2021. Available
here: https://www.acnur.org/portugues/wp-con-
tent/uploads/2020/10/Plano-do-Munic%C3%A-
Dpio-de-S%C3%A3o-Paulo-de-Pol%C3%AD-
ticas-para-Imigrantes-2021-2024-ENGLISH.
pdf#_ga=2.248793543.1362177727.1625748933-
1859819402.1624981993. Accessed September
26, 2021.
10 Zanuso, Vittoria. “The Mayors Migration Coun-
cil’s Leadership Board Remembers Mayor Bruno
Covas.” Mayors Migration Council. 2021. Available:
https://www.mayorsmigrationcouncil.org/news/
honoring-bruno-covas. Accessed September 26,
2021.Cities of Peace - No. 4 19
established a new Municipal Office of Service to Migrant Neighbors in the
Cercado de Lima district, which serves as a gateway for newcomers into
the city. The new center offers the district’s residents and workers a suite
of services related to employability, health, and case management for wo-
men at risk of gender-based violence, among other services. At the same
time, the project promotes healthy interaction between long-standing re-
sidents of Lima and their new neighbors through intercultural activities
within public urban spaces. As part of the project, the city established a
team of Venezuelan and Peruvian community mobilizers to drive an awa-
reness campaign combating street harassment between migrant and re-
ceiving communities. The city also formally registered seven migrant and
refugee-led organizations to participate in project implementation, actively
creating a role for migrant and refugee communities in city government
activities. While limited to the Cercado de Lima district, the project serves
as a promising example of building both horizontal and vertical social co-
hesion that the city hopes to replicate in other districts, especially amidst
rising xenophobia in the capital city.
The evidence from these examples has yet to play out, but the early returns
are promising. City officials in Cercado de Lima report seeing improved
collaboration between Venezuelan and Peruvian communities alongside
a reduction in violence and xenophobia. Anecdotally, a recent music com-
petition hosted by the city resulted in residents voting for a Venezuelan
winner. While city officials can’t directly attribute this success to their pea-
cebuilding efforts, they believe it’s a small story that indicates a bigger
trend throughout Lima.
Time will tell how effective these measures are. Peacebuilding in cities is
a long game that is notoriously difficult to measure, but it starts with crea-
ting opportunities for everyone to play a part, including migrant and displa-
ced communities.
www.rescue.orgCities of Peace - No. 4 20
Co-creating caring territories through
human rights based-approaches:
a proposal from local and regional
governments to build forward better
Investigation
in the post-pandemic era
Amanda Fléty Martínez,
Coordinator of UCLG-CSIPDHR
For almost 20 years, the UCLG Committee
on Social Inclusion, Participatory Demo-
cracy and Human Rights (CSIPDHR) has
bring together local and regional govern-
ments from around the world who commi-
tted to tackle exclusion, inequalities and
socio-spatial segregation in order to build
more inclusive cities. They have look to de-
velop transformative visions to reinvent lo-
cal action and recall the social function of
the city through concepts like the right to
the city, the translation of human rights at
the local level or more recently approaches
like urban commons or caring to overcome
poverty and inequal societies.
How have these previous local commit-
ments helped to better address the current
crisis and its consequences? What lessons
can be learned from the experience of the-
se local and regional government commi-
tted to human rights and social inclusion?
How does the pandemic and its aftermath
impact on the responsibility and role of lo-
cal governments to defend more inclusive
cities? How can local governments move
from social assistance programs to care
ecosystems based on solidarity and hu-
man rights policies responses?Cities of Peace - No. 4 21 The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented socio-economic vul- nerability, causing devastating increases in poverty levels and expanding social needs from all inhabitants, in all territories. The health crisis revealed with full clarity pre-existing inequalities and their impact in times of crisis, marking the necessity to address the roots of them and emphasizing the role of local and regional governments as fron- trunners to address issues like food emergency, access to health, violence against women and girls, access to adequate housing for all, fight against discriminations, local employment and local economy resilience... Howe- ver, it is essential to recall that in a majority of contexts, local governments often have neither the formal competencies nor the resources to deal with such needs and are exploring ways to frame these issues on the basis of their local commitments and capacity to lead and co-create social innova- tion. In this regard, civil society, NGOs and grassroots initiatives continue to play, over this time, and at varying levels of intensity, a fundamental role in complementing the local governments policies and actions – when not directly providing responses to the most pressing social needs. Inspiring and revamping local action: learning from rights-based approaches developed by the human rights cities The Covid-19 pandemic has hit a world with systemic inequalities that was unprepared to face such a crisis but has also represented an opportunity to
Cities of Peace - No. 4 22
highlight the importance and consequences of previous choices made in
terms of public policies and protection of rights both at national and local
level. It also shown that the current situation is not a fate.
The CSIPDHR and UCLG organized since 2020 a series of webinars and in-
ternational meetings showcasing how local and regional governments de-
cision-making and policies can make the difference in the quality of peo-
ple’s living conditions, with a concrete impact on the respect of their basic
rights. Local and regional governments engaged with social inclusion and
rights-based approach policies and mechanisms have thus demonstrated
their ability to drive more effective responses to face social, economic and
health challenges posed by the COVID-19.
Local governments like Valencia (Spain), Quito (Ecuador), the Sei-
ne-Saint-Denis (France) have long-term experience in institutionalizing
efforts to protect women’s right and address violence against women.
24-hours hotlines, emergency shelters, law-enforcement trainings have
been instrumental to face the increasing rates of domestic violence during
the lockdown measures.
A large number of cities in France like Nanterre or Bagnolet have developed
local public health policies for many years. Their municipal health cen-
ters have been at the forefront of the crisis to provide information, health
care and vaccines in the most pressing times of the pandemic, especially
reaching the most vulnerable groups who were already in touch with the
medical teams.
The Municipal Governments of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen (Thai-
land) supports since 2008 an initiative led by the Thailand Homeless Ne-
twork to offer vital support to people who are homeless, including different
forms of in-kind support. The network empowered people homeless to de-
velop and plan their own secure shelter strategies, including the building of
a pioneer shelter offering housing solutions to all residents.
Local and regional governments
engaged with social inclusion and
rights-based approach policies and
mechanisms have thus demonstrated
their ability to drive more effective
responses to face social, economic
and health challenges posed by the
COVID-19.Cities of Peace - No. 4 23
The local government of Sfax (Tunisia) de- with this was to financially support tho-
veloped over the past years a program for se families that had to comply with qua-
the inclusion of migrants which has been rantine measures – thus, most of the time,
key to articulate different initiatives as pro- not being able to earn an income for them-
viding cash transfers to migrant residents selves.
and respond to their demands through the
coordination with the work of other stake- Finally, cities like Mexico, Pichincha or Grig-
holders on the ground. The Human Rights ny have been using their existing facilities
City of Vienna (Austria) has been able to and services to address food emergen-
maintain the continuity of public services cy. The network of “Comedores Públicos”
during the lockdown thanks to its munici- of Mexico City is a service that has been
pal online platform which is translated in extended since the pandemic and offers a
13 languages and accessible for people large network of community eatery or can-
with disabilities in the framework on the teen where every resident can access food
implementation of digital rights. as a guaranteed right. The Province of Pi-
chincha distributed more than 16,000 food
The City of Bogotá implemented a “Renta baskets in 2020 among local residents at
Básica” system (Basic Rent) which pro- major risk of vulnerability thanks to its pro-
vided direct support in the form of direct gram with local agriculture producers. Sin-
cash transfers to more than 7,000 hou- ce now, Pichincha opened an online shop
seholds, at least a member of which was where vulnerable families can purchase
diagnosed with COVID-19 1. The goal affordable local food.
1 https://bogota.gov.co/mi-ciudad/hacienda/
ayuda-monetaria-quienes-son-positivos-para-co-
vid-19-en-bogotaCities of Peace - No. 4 24 From emergency responses to mid and long-term inclusion policies: highlighting a new generation of rights? The pandemic recalled the necessity to promote human centered development towards the realization of inclusive cities for all. It ac- knowledged the importance of preexisting rights-based policies and programs led by local governments to cope with the consequences of the crisis as well as provided a new impetus for local governments to translate and guarantee human rights principles at the local level. Confronted with emergency situations, a large number of local and regional governments had to expend their policy on social safety nets, inclusion, on the right to food, education, housing, health… On the aftermath of the crisis, local and regional government are also calling for a new generation of rights such as digital rights, more ambitious policies to tackle gender violence, enhance accessibility for all, promote tolerance and peace culture to fight discriminations as well improve citizen’s participation and reinforce alliances with civil society organizations for example through the common goods approach. Beyond addressing the specific place and needs of groups at major risk of vulnerability, such as women, migrants, elderly and isolated residents or children, the diversity and scope of the responses pro- vided by local and regional governments also shapes an opportunity to explore a comprehensive approach and new avenues on how to move forward fairer from the COVID19 crisis towards a new social contract, bringing new values of solidarity and building caring te- rritories that protect and put people’s needs, aspirations and rights at the heart of local and international agendas. Local governments should not only be considered as providers of basic services, they can tackle sustainably long entrenched forms of inequalities throu- gh transformative and inclusive policies, in cooperation with civil society and their organizations.
Cities of Peace - No. 4 25
Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for
Women and Girls: A Necessary Condition
for Territories of Peace
Investigation
Belén Sanz, UN Women Representative Mexico
Andrea Cházaro, Coordinator of the Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for
Women and Girls Programme, UN Women Mexico
General Recommendation No. 19 of the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimi-
nation against Women (CEDAW) recogni-
zes that violence against women and gir-
ls is a form of discrimination, and that it
constitutes a violation of women’s human
rights. However, violence against women,
and its manifestation in public spaces,
especially sexual harassment and violen-
ce, is still widely tolerated in society and
“normalized” due to discriminatory attitu-
des and behaviors, gender inequality and
sexist stereotypes still prevalent in our so-
cieties.
Sexual violence against women and girls
- understood as any act of a sexual natu-
re committed against the will of another
person, whether that person has not given
consent or is unable to give consent (…)1
- is a universal problem that occurs in the
streets, on public transport, in and around
work and educational environments, in
squares, parks, public toilets, markets and
in virtual space; in other words, in all spa-
ces where women pass through. Women
and girls suffer and fear various types of
sexual violence in public spaces that occur
in a continuum of violence ranging from
1 ONU Mujeres “Tipos de violencia contra las
mujeres y las niñas”, consulta en línea en octubre
2021, disponible en: https://www.unwomen.org/
es/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/
faqs/types-of-violenceCities of Peace - No. 4 26
DzilamMendez-UN Women
different types of sexual harassment such as whistling, unwanted com-
ments and touching, leering and groping, to sexual abuse and rape, which
can lead to crimes as serious as femicide. This reality limits their freedom
of movement, reduces their ability to access work and education oppor-
tunities, to participate fully in public life, to access essential services and
to enjoy cultural or leisure activities, and has a negative impact on their
health and well-being.
Against this backdrop, in 2010 UN Women launched the Safe Cities and
Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls (Safe Cities) global initiative2,
designed with partners at local, regional and global levels to respond to
the need to prevent sexual harassment and various forms of sexual vio-
lence experienced by women and girls around the world in public spaces
(in streets, parks and markets, on public transport, in schools, workplaces
and in virtual space). It is the first global programme with a comparati-
ve perspective that develops, implements and evaluates comprehensive
approaches to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and other forms
of sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces.
Since 2013, the program began to expand and today around 50 cities have
joined globally. In Mexico, UN Women began its implementation in March
2015 in Mexico City, in 2016 the cities of Torreón and Puebla joined, and
in 2017 Guadalajara and the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey joined. Fi-
2 For more information on the global Safe Cities Programme see: http://www.unwo-
men.org/es/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/creating-safe-public-spacesCities of Peace - No. 4 27
nally, in 2019 the state of Coahuila joined
to implement the program with a statewi-
de approach. Thus, Mexico has become
one of the countries at the forefront in the
number of cities that have joined this glo-
bal initiative.
By joining the Safe Cities Programme, ci-
ties commit to the following areas of chan-
ge:
1. Generating data and building
alliances for change
2. Develop and implement compre-
hensive laws and policies
Cities with their layouts
3. Invest in the safety and economic
viability of public spaces and different urban
developments tend
4. Transforming social norms
to reproduce and
The Programme contributes to meeting accentuate existing
two targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sus-
tainable Development, SDG 5 and its tar-
gender inequalities,
get 5.2: Proportion of women and girls resulting in the creation
over 15 years old who have experienced of greater conditions
sexual violence by a person other than
an intimate partner in public spaces; and of insecurity or spaces
SDG 11 and its target 11.7: Proportion of conducive to crime.
women and girls who experienced sexual
harassment in the last 12 months in public
spaces. While it focuses primarily on se-
xual harassment and other forms of sexual
violence that occur in public spaces, it has
a preventive approach that also serves to
address violence against women and girls
in a more comprehensive manner.
This is how this initiative has generated
multiple results through its proven me-
thodology and partnerships with national
and local governments, mayors’ offices,
women’s organizations, academia and
the private sector. Its strategies focus on
making the problem and solutions visible,
generating evidence on violence and sexualCities of Peace - No. 4 28
harassment in public spaces, investing in prevention and combating impu-
nity, strengthening care for victims and survivors, and increasing the res-
ponsibility of society as a whole.
It is important to recognize that gender relations are constructed and mo-
dified within urban physical and social spaces and that women are funda-
mental agents in their transformation into sustainable urban environments.
Therefore, the analysis of public spaces and urban design from a gender
perspective and its intersections is relevant, as it opens new perspectives
and paths to transform cities into real opportunities for the development
of women and girls, by accelerating gender equality and working at the
forefront of initiatives that seek to prevent and eliminate violence against
women and promote women’s right to the city; in addition to contributing
to sustainable development and peace building.
Cities with their layouts and different urban developments tend to repro-
duce and accentuate existing gender inequalities, resulting in the creation
of greater conditions of insecurity or spaces conducive to crime. The inte-
gration of a gender perspective in urban planning ensures that the needs of
women and men are taken into account in the planning of cities in order to
contribute to guaranteeing safe and autonomous transit and mobility, with
the objective of strengthening and guaranteeing the right of women and
Ariel Silva/UN WomenCities of Peace - No. 4 29 girls to the city and to live a life free of violence. It also contributes to the process of recovering public space as a place for relationships, encoun- ters, knowledge and collective trust; inspiring participation and a signifi- cant sense of community belonging. At the international level, the New Urban Agenda, the final document ema- nating from the Habitat III Conference (Ecuador, 2016), constitutes a guide to orient efforts in the development of cities for a wide range of actors; this document establishes as one of the common ideals to build cities that achieve “gender equality and empower all women and girls by ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal rights in all spheres (...) preventing and eliminating all forms of discrimination, violence and ha- rassment against women and girls in public and private spaces (...) preven- ting and eliminating all forms of discrimination, violence and harassment against women and girls in public and private spaces.) preventing and eli- minating all forms of discrimination, violence and harassment against wo- men and girls in public and private spaces.”3 Preventing, responding to and eradicating violence against women and girls, as well as promoting gender equality, creates violence-free environ- ments and promotes peace-building processes and dialogue. In this way, the Programme contributes to making visible and quantifying the experiences and challenges of women and girls in Mexico, as a means of recovering women’s knowledge and historical memory from the voices of the women and girls who live in and travel through Mexico, building their story, echoing their voices and recognizing them, and thus, in some way, contributing to restoring freedom and well-being to so many women and girls who have been denied their right to the city and to a life free of vio- lence. The appropriation of public spaces by women and girls, through feminist art, sports spaces with a gender perspective, for example, allows the con- solidation of peaceful coexistence practices in the daily life of the popula- tions, as well as the deployment of solidarity bonds and effective collabo- ration. Likewise, the strengthening of the capacities of local actors and women who make up the networks that the Programme promotes through a par- ticipatory, inclusive and multisectoral methodology, provokes a reflective process on their own environment and facilitates the possibilities of co- llective action. This contributes to the reconstruction of the community fabric, based on common projects of participatory dialogue. 3 New Urban Agenda, United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, 2016, http://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/NUA-Spanish.pdf
Cities of Peace - No. 4 30
Ariel Silva/UN Women
In addition to the above, promoting the in- directly to the construction of cities and
tegration of men and young people in this territories of peace and to SDGs 5, 11 and
transformation by generating actions, such 16, placing at the center the participation
as awareness campaigns to denaturali- of women and girls so that their needs are
ze violence against women, causes them taken into account and conditions are ge-
to go from being spectators to allies, thus nerated that allow them to live free of vio-
generating the transformation of the social lence and in conditions of equality, and
fabric, the strengthening of individual and thus promoting the transformation, cons-
collective being and doing, as well as the truction and local sustainability of peace.
renewal and reconstruction as a commu-
nity. The commitment to safe, peaceful and
inclusive cities implies, as a fundamen-
In short, building urban spaces free of vio- tal condition, the eradication of violence
lence against women and girls contributes against women.Cities of Peace - No. 4 31
Cities and territories with environmental
justice
Braulio Diaz, ICLEI South América
Investigation
Cities concentrate major environmental
dysfunctions. On the one hand, the city
presents a high human concentration in a
reduced space; on the other hand, the re-
sident population demands many natural
resources to satisfy the needs of the popu-
lation and its economic activity, resources
that the city itself is often unable to produ-
ce. These resources are transformed into
goods and services that end up generating
waste and emissions that have to be out-
sourced outside the city.
As our urban areas grow and change, so
do the demands and pressures on natu-
ral resources, whether agricultural, fores-
try, mining or energy resources, which are
“finite”. This leads to environmental and
social tensions between city and country
dwellers and on the balance of life-su-
pporting ecosystems. On the other hand,
we find that, increasingly, many natural re-
sources are insufficient or of poorer qua-
lity due to overexploitation or collapse of
ecosystems. This directly affects the inco-
mes of local communities that traditionally
lived-in harmony with their natural envi-
ronment.
The climate crisis accentuates the growing
inequality at the global level. This requires
that the environmental agenda be addres-
sed in an integrated manner, with policies
of socioeconomic development, defense of
human rights and democracy, catalyzing
opportunities to target improvements in
urban planning of territories in areas such
as sanitation, waste management, mobility
and transportation.Addressing sustainable development with a vision of climate justice involves rethinking the current model of life, based on mass consumption, exploitation of natural resources and the lack of replenishment of these. On October 28, the session “Cities and territories with environmental justice” will take place as part of the activities of the World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace. The objective of this debate will be to address climate justice as an element to reduce the social crisis and promote peace building in the territories. Local and regional governments need to seek alliances, processes and stan- dards that safeguard natural systems to sustain human life. The trend towards increasing their competencies points to the challenge of ensuring that the natu- ral built environment in and around cities improves livability and safety, promo- tes human health and mitigates disease. At ICLEI, we support the strengthening of a local climate justice agenda that includes safe and secure access to food, water, energy and sanitation for all, clean air and soil. Human-centered, safe, socially and culturally cohesive com- munities, where diversity and different identities are woven into the social fabric.
ICLEI 2021: THE ROAD TO A GREEN CITY In 2020, ICLEI celebrated 30 years of activity in the development of alternatives to guide the path towards sustainable urban deve- lopment at the local scale. In 2021, more than ever, working in line with the realities and actors of the territory is fundamental. The document Road to a Green City reinforces ICLEI’s support to local and regional governments in promoting solutions to urban challenges aligned with a vision of sustainable development, pre- senting proposals for action that synthesize our accumulated ex- perience so far. In the search for greener cities, we offer our partners routes to strengthen local climate action and biodiversity. For more information click here and complete here.
Reviews
Cities of Peace - No. 4 35
Anti-racist education program in Santos (Brazil):
an award-winning experience by the International
Association of Educating Cities
Review
The impact of European colonization in Brazil and slavery is still reflected today in
significant inequalities in educational indicators, social advancement and poverty
of the black, mestizo, indigenous and migrant populations.
These inequalities are reinforced by an education based on Eurocentrism, where
the contribution of African civilization and diaspora, Afro-Brazilian culture and
indigenous peoples in the historical and cultural construction of Brazil has been
systematically invisibilized. An education in which, moreover, important reflec-
tions on issues such as institutional racism, the myth of racial democracy, preju-
dice, colorism and white privilege have been ignored.
To correct this situation, in 2004 the Santos Secretariat of Education launched
the Anti-racist Education Program for the inclusion and valorization of the city’s
ethnic and cultural diversity. This program includes several actions aimed at gi-
ving a voice and protagonism to historically marginalized groups and valuing their
tangible and intangible heritage: training for the educational community and citi-
zenship; reorganization of the school curriculum; urban itineraries to make visible
the contributions of the different communities to Brazilian history and culture;
networking with community agents and political advocacy.
In recognition of this work, this experience won the IAEC’s Educating Cities 2020
Award for Best Practices of Inclusion and Democratization of Culture.
More information available hereCities of Peace - No. 4 36
COLEF: Sanctuary cities, a haven for undocumented
migrants
Sanctuary cities in the United States are municipalities known for their policies in fa-
vor of undocumented migrants. Sanctuary cities emerged as a political movement in
the 1980s, when many people were forced to move due to civil wars in Central Ame-
rican countries.
Review
Cities of refuge are jurisdictions, towns, cities, counties or states that facilitate ac-
cess to health services, education, training, among others, for inhabitants in irregular
migratory status. Legislation in these cities allows limiting or prohibiting cooperation
between local police and federal immigration authorities.
Sanctuary cities as emerging borders reflect the difficult reality of undocumented mi-
grants or migrants in general, who come to cross the physical border, but often do
not manage to overcome the limits they have to access the services available to legal
residents or migrants.
The United States, Mexico, among other countries, have divergent policies at the local
level, which makes the treatment of migrants diverse. For this reason, it is imperative
that illegal migrants know about the conditions in each jurisdiction since local poli-
cies can change and either accentuate or diminish the danger of deportation in one
or another part of the same metropolitan area. Each jurisdiction has legislation that
conditions relations with local authorities and leads to the creation of invisible bor-
ders within the localities where they travel, work and live.
Eleven million undocumented migrants live in U.S. sanctuary cities, or cities of free-
dom, as some of them often call themselves, and face the constant threat of depor-
tation and are victims of policies and practices that dehumanize migrants, stigmatize
them and further deteriorate their situation.
More information at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_PMuxcOjsUCities of Peace - No. 4 37
Review
IV Paris Peace Forum: Practical Solutions to Global
Challenges
The Paris Peace Forum Solutions Platform has called for governance projects
that provide practical solutions to global challenges. The fourth edition of the
Forum, led by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will focus on a
more inclusive recovery and will put forward projects aimed at better managing
global challenges and global public assets.
Have you got a particular solution to a global challenge? Accordingly, the Forum
has encouraged all governance stakeholders to submit projects that not only tri-
gger discussions, exchange knowledge and experiences, but also establish and
strengthen partnerships that will provide greater momentum. This venue is inten-
ded to share international and cooperative solutions, as well as the ability to bring
about sustainable change in global governance.
The pandemic marks much of the subject matters: tackling the COVID-19 crisis;
improving common space governance; improving digital governance; combating
fake news and media intimidation; protecting the public arena during COVID-19;
achieving gender equality; strengthening South-South cooperation; and resha-
ping capitalism through social and solidarity-based economics.
All the projects included in this edition, which will be held on November 11 and 12,
will be eligible as an initiative that will be accompanied by the Forum’s individua-
lized support.
More information at: Paris Peace Forum (in French and English).You can also read
