REPORT ON EUROPEAN SOCIAL FORUM
ATHENS MAY 2006 ESF

Athens took place on May 4th-7th 2006, attended by 35,000 people. Seminars, workshops and cultural activities took place in opposition to neo-liberalism and under the banner of "Another World is Possible". Housing was situated within the theme of "Urban Space" and FIVE seminars were held:-

1. Real Estate Speculation, Globalisation and the City. This seminar was hosted by London Tenants Federation, Ruhr District Tenants Forum and HIC Housing and Land Rights Network. The main subject was the background to the introduction of REITS. A recording of the seminar is available on the website of London Social Forum www.londonsocialforum.org.uk

2. Development of European mobilization against the violation of housing rights. This mainly covered demolitions and evictions.

3. Participatory governance in European cities

4. The role of the city in an alternative Europe: towards housing and habitat rights.

5. Struggles and movements for housing in Europe: people living in substandard housing, homeless people and slum dwellers.

There was a series of seminars on water resources and on public services. Information was provided about Thames Water, how international companies are represented within its company structure and how it has lost contracts in some countries of the South, with a knock-on effect on its London operations. This could be followed up with the World Development Movement who have monitored Thames Water. I made contact with Dexter Whitfield who produces research reports on housing privatisation for trade unions and community organisations. Dexter is interested to work with LTF.

After the Conference, I met with the main social housing organization in Greece, OEK (translates as Workers Housing Organisation). A briefing note is available. I also attended an event by the Greek Initiative for the Rights to the City, which mainly co-ordinates resident campaigns for the protection of public space (briefing also available).

From the Urban Space seminars, came the following call for action:-

CALL FOR ACTION
FROM EUROPEAN NETWORKS
STRUGGLING FOR URBAN AND HOUSING RIGHTS
AT ESF ATHENS MAY 2006
The movements of the European Network struggling for housing and urban rights - Habitat International Coalition, International Alliance of Inhabitants, No Vox and the Greek Initiative for the Right to the City - are calling for all social organisations to adopt housing as a key social issue and to join us in united mobilisations at local level around 2nd October 2006 (World Habitat Day).

We demand that governments and public institutions in Europe:
1. Implement the right to decent, sustainable housing for all, without discrimination, and that this right has legal enforcement;
2. Defend and develop:
• public and not for profit housing sectors, which are democratically controlled;
• public space and public urban planning;
• public services such as water, public transport and energy.
3. Regulate the real estate market and rental housing to put a stop to speculation, privatisation and high costs;
4. Halt forced evictions and the destruction of popular neighborhoods and shanty towns against which we reaffirm the rights of inhabitants to resist.

Organisations from Germany, Italy, Greece and France agreed to come to London for World Habitat Day and to hold a two- day event here on housing and city rights. The provisional programme is:
Saturday September 30th - housing and urban planning seminars/workshops
Sunday October 1st - Strategic discussions about European wide initiatives including Real Estate Watch and a general assembly of tenants organisations at the European Parliament
Monday October 2nd - participation in actions for World Habitat Day, at sites of struggle against housing and city rights violations. Queens Market, Clays Lane Estate and Kings Cross have been suggested (all have links with the Olympics), but other ideas are very welcome.

The London Social Forum has offered to host the event, with specific input from LTF on housing issues. The final programme to be agreed at the INURA Conference in Essen, June 29 - July 5.

LSF/Richard/MF