Latin American Week Housing Conference

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday April 18, 2002 21:35 by sally - Latin America Solidarity Centre lasc at iol dot ie 5 Merrion Row, Dublin 2 (01) 676 04 35

Irish Writers Centre. Saturday 20th April 10 am

Latin America Week, an annual festival of educational, cultural and campaigning events, will culminate in next Saturday's Closing Conference, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Irish Writers' Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 (April 20th). Since the opening conference on Saturday, April 13th last, events have been held all over Ireland, aimed at raising awareness and stimulating action on social justice issues in Latin America, linking them with parallel issues in Ireland.

The theme of this years' Latin America Week is housing, and the accommodation crisis in Ireland and Latin America. Three visiting speakers
from Brazil's Moradia movement, a nationwide grassroots network which fights for the rights of Brazil's 70 million homeless people, many of whom are forced to squat in non-legally recognised slums around Brazil's huge cities, as well as Nicaraguan and El Salvadoran speakers with experience of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Mitch and last years' earthquakes, have
participated in public meetings, workshops, school visits and round-table conferences throughout the island of Ireland.

"Latin America's grassroots housing movements offer radical solutions to Ireland's accommodation crisis," said Mr. Owen McCarney of the organising committee. "Based on the concept of 'Popular Democracy', these movements empower residents to analyse their accommodation problems, and to make plans for, propose and achieve sustainable development instead of urban blight."

"The visiting Latin American organisations have also been impressed with, and learned a lot from, the strategies of Irish housing and accommodation
organisations to confront Ireland's widening gap between rich and poor," added Mr. Mc Carney today.

They have exchanged experiences and compared strategies with organisations working on the issue of accommodation in Ireland. The Latin Americans have met with the Simon Community, Focus Ireland, Clann housing for refugees and
asylum seekers, Pavee Point Travellers' Centre, the Irish Travellers' Movement, Lourdes Youth and Community Services in Dublin's inner city, and
St Michael's Estate in Inchicore, as well as Trócaire and other groups all around Ireland. They have also visited a number of social housing projects here.

On Saturday, the Latin American and Irish organisations represented will present to the public the results of their week of intense interaction with Ireland's housing organisations, and what has been learned both by Latin American and by the Irish organisations. Workshops will be conducted on differing aspects of the accommodation crisis and actions to confront these
will be brought forward.

Come along and find out about them, get involved, and celebrate solidarity!

Further Information: Contact Owen Mc Carney and Aidan Cahill at LASC, or Aidan Cahill on 086 8189737