Habitat International Coalition 24d ago

In a world where housing and land are increasingly privatized and commodified, where human rights defenders are threatened and civil society space is shrinking - social movements are coming together to fight back. This video documents the HIC Social and Feminist Movement Convergence, a movement-led initiative bringing together diverse organizations from around the world, united around habitat-related human rights and feminist approaches. What is this convergence about? Since 2022, HIC has been building momentum around three structuring lines of collective work: ▸ Political advocacy for housing and land rights ▸ Practices of struggle to be promoted and shared across regions ▸ Feminist and democratic principles to strengthen cross-regional solidarity What happened in Durban? In April 2025, movements gathered in Durban, South Africa, co-hosted by Abahlali baseMjondolo - one of the most prominent shack dweller movements in the world - coinciding with their annual Unfreedom Day march. Together, participants exchanged experiences, developed a shared declaration of political advocacy objectives, and deepened cross-regional bonds. What comes next? The convergence continues. The next gathering is proposed to take place at the World Social Forum in Benin in August 2026 — a key opportunity to further advance the shared agenda, deepen cross-regional solidarity, and mobilize around habitat rights and feminist struggles on a global stage. This is not a top-down initiative. It is a space built by and for social and feminist movements - centering women's leadership, feminist approaches, and the collective power of people fighting for the right for human rights related to habitat. 🔗 Learn more about HIC and its Global Convergence of Social and Feminist Movements: https://hic-net.org/global-convergence-feminist-social-movements-durban-encounter/