The 25 videos make up a web-doc divided into 4 chapters.

1. Inhabitants’ March

Inhabitants’ March for World Zero Evictions Day, in front of the United Nations Building (Geneva, 1 October 2011)

The Inhabitants’ March crossed the city of Geneva and was divided into different stages, each one connected to a particular aspect of housing. It went from the Paquis area to the United Nations building, with banners displaying demands such as: “Zero Evictions! For the Right to Housing and to the City! Inclusive governance for inhabitants! End the global and housing crisis through public and participative policies! Housing is not a commodity!”

The march was open to everyone who believes that being an inhabitant carries a social responsibility, both in terms of relationships with others and in trying to live in accordance with one’s own beliefs—ecological, political, security-related, etc.— within a neighbourhood and at a global level.

Inhabitants’ associations and participative inhabitants’ cooperatives took part in this peaceful demonstration.

Watch the Inhabitants’ March video  

2. The International Tribunal  on  Evictions

International Tribunal on Evictions, Mike Davies on Operation Murabatswina in Zimbabwe (ForuMMedia Habitat Participatif, Geneva, 1 October 2011)

This Tribunal, an initiative of the International Alliance of Inhabitants, brought together recognised experts in the field of human rights and housing rights in particular. Participants included Miloon Kothari, former UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Adequate Housing, Christophe Golay, from the Academy of Human Rights in Geneva, Christian Dandres, member of parliament and lawyer with Asloca (Swiss tentants’ association), Cesare Ottolini,  coordinator of the International Alliance of Inhabitants, Gordon Aeschimann, lawyer, and Morten Gissaelbeck, elected representative and Cooperatives initiator.

Throughout the world, there have never been so many families whose destiny has been destroyed by arbitrary measures of forced eviction as there are now. The situation has become so bad that some inhabitants’ cooperatives put a rule in their statute preventing the eviction of their members.

The audience therefore participated in a process leading to a submission of recommendations to the United Nations intended to denounce evictions witnessed by the representatives of 8 countries (Turkey, Switzerland, France, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Nigeria and Zimbabwe).

Read the complete set of Recommendations of the International Tribunal on Evictions:

Watch the videos of the International Tribunal on Evictions  

3. The role of inhabitants as seen by elected representatives, and the role of inhabitants as seen by inhabitants

World Days, a debate with elected representatives on participative housing (ForuMMedia Habitat Participatif, Confignon, 2 October 2011)

The debate took place between elected representatives from Geneva and neighbouring municipalities (including in France) involved in participative processes but not necessarily aware of the opportunities offered by inhabitants’ participation, having little experience in this area. They see inhabitants’ participation as a model that needs to be created, with different degrees of ambition. Participants included Elisabeth Gabus-Thorens, administrative counsellor, Mr. Dinh Manh Uong, Mayor of Confignon, Sylvie Lacroux, Deputy-Mayor of Ferney-Voltaire and magistrates from several areas of Geneva and in France. Yves Cabannes, professor at the Development Planning Unit, University College of London, was the facilitator.

They exchanged views with actors from eco-neighbourhoods and inhabitants’ cooperatives from Europe and Latin America who presented their initiatives, struggles and individual contexts in order to work towards real solutions for creating an innovative living environment including the participative approach, and thus a democratic approach to housing management. This process reflects the ForuMMedia Habitat Participatif subheading, “three days to choose to be inhabitants”—and not to have housing, and thus a lifestyle, imposed simply due to circumstance.

Watch the videos of elected representatives  

Watch the videos of cooperatives  

4. Inhabitants’ March, announcement of the Zero Evictions Campaign and "CircumTopo" remote concert

Zero Evictions Campaign Launch (ForuMMedia Habitat Participatif, Geneva, 2 October 2011)

ForuMMedia closed on an artistic note, using the internet to broadcast a concert of remote synchronized musicians in 4 sections: Marie Chaveneau, Carla Claros, Guillaume Cornuel, Emmanuel Cornuel, Mike Davis, Sandra Ecccho, Abdul Dance, Franck Na, etc..

Watch the video of the concert  

Thanks to all ForuMMedia Habitat Participatif 2011 volunteers!