Habitat Norway is a Norwegian non governmental organisation with the overall aim to promote the interest and awareness of settlement issues around the world. The organisation was established in order to put settlement issues on the Norwegian Development Policy Agenda. Habitat Norway is a member of the Habitat International Coalition.
The organisation was founded in 1988 as a result of the activities carried out during the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. The organisation is attached to the Norwegian Branch of International Federation of Housing and Planning, and is open to all professionals; it has members representing many different disciplines such as architecture, engineering, sociology, human geography, and social anthropology. The activities consist mainly of lectures and seminars, sometimes in cooperation with other organisations. Habitat Norway arranges a seminar in October each year in celebration of the World Habitat Day.
‘The Samba Within Me’ (Brazil 2010) takes us to the Mangueira favela in the hillsides of Rio de Janeiro, during the pre-carnival period. Through the eyes of director Georgia Guerra-Peixe, the viewer is taken on a journey up the hills and introduced to the neighbourhood and some of its residents, as well as introduced to one of the strongest grounds for samba and carnival in today’s Brazil.
Before the film, Henk de Zeeuw from the Ruaf Foundation, will give a brief talk on the overall topic of the Habitat Day.
The screening of ‘The Samba Within Me’ is a co-operation with the Films from the South Festival, and will take place at Litteraturhuset, Amalie Skram, at 6pm.
The event is free of charge, but registration is required to
Please specify if you will take part in conference and/or evening event.
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World Habitat Day 3rd of October 2011
WORLD HABITAT DAY 2011 - CITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
URBAN FOOD SECURITY
Urban agriculture as a strategy for building ecological resilience
In many cities food insecurity and poverty are on the rise, particularly in regions suffering from armed conflict, underperforming economies and dire natural disasters. As such, the ability to grow ones own food, either in community gardens or on public or private land, constitutes an important additional resource in such circumstances. Today 800 million city dwellers worldwide use their agricultural skills to feed themselves and their families.
The growth of localised agricultural provision in both urban and peri-urban areas undoubtedly improves sustainable development and reduces environmental hazards in many cities. Furthermore, rising levels of urban food production can also effectively contribute to the creation of new jobs, better nutrition levels and a host of other economic improvements, particularly for the poorer sections of the urban population.
At this year’s World Habitat Day, Habitat Norway will seek to draw attention to the global Urban Food Security situation including how to increase the ecological resilience of cities.
-The role of cultural heritage in poor urban settlements
For the ninth year in a row The World Habitat Day will be arranged in Oslo on October 5th. The focus for the conference in Oslo will be the cultural heritage dimension in slum development. The conference is a joint venture between The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, Habitat Norway, The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development
