RIPESS/Urgenci participation in the Right to the City Platform meeting and Habitat lll Consultation on Public Spaces in Barcelona 2-5^th April 2016

At the Mexico City Habitat lll meeting, a session was dedicated to Social and Solidarity Economy in which RIPESS participated. This also helped us to move forward in various discussions. RIPESS, as a joined-up solidarity economy movement promotes the need for an overall economic paradigm shift and the implementation of a human rights-based economy that is anchored in concepts such as the social justice of fair income for producers linked to accessible prices for consumers, and the need to decommodify the economic system (especially on fundamental aspects such as food, housing, health, education, energy and other essential public services), and support a community-based approach to their collective management. Read more

In September 2015, the Intercontinental network for the promotion of social solidarity economy (RIPESS) has joined the Global Platform for the Right to the City. The network is now part of an important social movement that has been built since the end of the 90’s in order to contribute to the recognition of the Right to the City as a human right and to reaffirm the key role of local communities and civil society in the decision-making processes concerning urban policies.

What is the Right to the City ? 

The World Charter for the Right to the City was discussed and developed during the Social forum of Americas held in Quito (2004), the World urban forum held in Barcelona (2004) and the World social forum held in Porto Alegre (2005). The Right to the City is defined as the equitable usufruct of cities within the principles of sustainability, democracy, equity, and social justice. It is the collective right of the inhabitants of cities, in particular of the vulnerable and marginalized groups, that’s confers upon them legitimacy of action and organization, based on their uses and customs, with the objective to achieve full exercise of the right to free self-determination and an adequate standard of living. There are three principles guiding the concept of Right to the City: full exercise of citizenship, democratic management and social function of the city and of urban property. Read more