How could an apartment in Union Square end up becoming an informal settlement? “Slum Apartment” is part of the initiative “Poverty Awareness Campaign” (www.zeroslums.org #ZeroSlums), an initiative TECHO in partnership with Univision Noticias and Pace University in New York.
The campaign officially kicked off on World Habitat Day, which was observed on October 5. It features a series of activities that will bring together civil society organizations, residents of informal settlements, intergovernmental agencies, academics, and leaders working to combat poverty and inequality worldwide.
The replica of the informal settlement was built inside a studio in Union Square (NYC) to attract passersby and interested visitors to tour the apartment. The video captures the reactions of those who enter to see this supposed apartment and find a space with no bathroom, a dirt floor, and a floor covered with cardboard boxes and cans. The tour, led by a supposed real estate agent, was recorded and has garnered more than 400,000 views on Facebook:
VIDEO:
Would you live here? #ZeroSlums
Posted by Techo U.S. on Thursday, October 1, 2015
In addition, starting October 6, visitors will be able to explore an interactive replica of these settlements at 1 Pace Plaza, across from City Hall. The goal of this initiative is to encourage the public—and young people in particular—to learn about the conditions in which one in four people in urban areas worldwide live and to take action together to improve their situation.
The organization TECHO with more than 600 communities in 19 countries across Latin America. In the region, 80% of the population lives in urban areas. Of these, 1 in 4 lives in informal settlements—areas typically located on the outskirts of cities and constantly at risk of forced evictions and climate change.
“Today, we have a unique opportunity to give a voice to a quarter of the world’s population—and of Latin America’s as well—who live in segregation and vulnerability in informal settlements. It is time for their voices to be considered as part of the change we want to see in the world,” added Diego Firpo, CEO of TECHO States. This comes just days after the new social agenda was approved, paving the way for the Sustainable Development Goals, and one year before the new urban agenda is defined at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (HABITAT III).
The campaign also has the support of organizations such as Oxfam, UNICEF, the Inter-American Development Bank, The Global Poverty Project, and the City of New York.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:
-
Conference focusing on New York, October 6, and Oxfam's Hunger Banquet.
-
Global Conference, October 7
-
Hackathon in partnership with Google on October 8 and an art event in partnership with Museo del Barrio.
The conferences on the 6th and 7th will feature high-profile speakers in the fields of poverty, inequality, and innovation, as well as influential figures and celebrities.
ON THE TECHO
TECHO a civil society organization that seeks to overcome poverty in settlements across Latin America by connecting volunteers with local residents. It operates in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
TECHO in Chile in 1997, and since then its model has been replicated in 19 countries across Latin America, a continent where 113 million people live in informal settlements. By implementing a model focused on community development, promoting social awareness and action, and advocating in decision-making and public policy forums, TECHO build a just society free from poverty.
ABOUT THE POVERTY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
The Poverty Awareness Campaign »»Campaña de Concientización sobre la Pobreza»» seeks to become a platform for change, aiming to educate, mobilize, and raise awareness among New Yorkers regarding their role as key actors in addressing the challenges that shape the global agenda. This comes just days before the official launch of the new global agenda, based on the redefinition of social goals linked to the Sustainable Development Goals.
With the goal of maximizing the impact and reach of this initiative, TECHO with Univision Noticias, the news division of Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving the Hispanic community in the United States.
Univision Noticias has launched a Spanish-language website dedicated to the important issue of global poverty and economic inequality, with a primary focus on its impact on Latin America. Titled“Desigualdad,”the website is now available at especiales.univision.com/desigualdad, as well as through UnivisionNoticias.com and Univision.com.
Join the campaign via @desigualdad on Twitter and use the official hashtag #ZeroSlums.
TECHO Contact Information:
Francisca Stuardo—Global Press Officer.techo/ +56996520264
Dolores Egusquiza – Director of Communications, TECHO techo/ (917) 803 3960
How could an apartment in Union Square end up being a slum? “Slum Apartment” is one of the initiatives of the “Poverty Awareness Campaign” (www.zeroslums.org #ZeroSlums), which is being led by TECHO, in partnership with Univision News and Pace University in New York.
The campaign officially began on World Habitat Day, which falls on October 5. It features a series of activities that will bring together civil society organizations, slum residents, intergovernmental agencies, academics, and relevant speakers to address global poverty and inequality.
The replica of the slum was built in a Brooklyn studio to encourage New Yorkers and stakeholders to visit the apartment. The video documents the reactions of those who visited the so-called “encounter apartment” and found a space without a bathroom, with a floor covered in dirt, and walls covered with cardboard, tin cans, and discarded materials. The visit was recorded and has already received over 420,000 views on Facebook:
VIDEO:
Would you live here? #ZeroSlums
Posted by Techo U.S. on Thursday, October 1, 2015
Also, starting October 6, you can visit an interactive reproduction of these settlements at 1 Pace Plaza, across from City Hall. The goal of this initiative is to encourage the public—and especially young people—to learn about the situation in which 1 in 4 people worldwide live in urban areas and to work together to address it.
TECHO with more than 600 communities across 19 countries in Latin America. In the region, 80% of people live in urban areas. Of these, 1 in 4 live in slums located on the outskirts of cities, where they face constant risks of forced evictions and climate change.
“Today, we have a unique opportunity to speak up and be the voice of a quarter of the world’s population—including Latin Americans—who live in segregated and vulnerable conditions in slums. It is time for their voice to be taken into account as part of the change we wish to see in the world,” said Diego Firpo, TECHOCEO in the United States. This comes just a few days after the new Millennium Development Goals were approved, and one year before the new urban agenda is to be defined at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III).
Additional organizations supporting the Poverty Awareness Campaign include: Oxfam, Google, UNICEF, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Global Poverty Project, New York City, El Museo del Barrio, porCausa, PVblic Foundation, Hispanic Federation, Grameen America, BRAC USA, Socialab, Mundo Villa, Charity Water, Change Heroes, Tonio Burgos & Associates, Studio A+T Architects, BRAVO, Y&R, MEC, and Burson Marsteller.
Calendar of Events:
-
NYC Focus Conference and Oxfam Hunger Banquet—October 6
-
Global Focus Conference, October 7
-
Hackathon: Google NYC Office, and October 8, plus an art event hosted by the Museo del Barrio.
The conferences on the 6th and 7th brought together a high-caliber group of speakers in the fields of poverty, inequality, and innovation, as well as influencers and celebrities.
About TECHO
TECHO a civil society organization that seeks to combat poverty in communities across Latin America by connecting volunteers with residents. It operates in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
TECHO in Chile in 1997, and since then its model has been replicated in 19 countries in Latin America, a continent where 113 million people live in slums. Through the implementation of a model focused on community development, promoting social awareness and action, and influencing decision-making processes and public policy, TECHO to build a just and poverty-free society.
POVERTY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
The Poverty Awareness Campaign aims to serve as a platform for change, seeking to educate, raise awareness, and empower New Yorkers in their role as key actors in addressing the challenges that shape the global agenda. This comes just a few days after the official launch of the new and redefined global agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals.
To maximize the impact and scope of this initiative, TECHO with Univision News, the award-winning news division of Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving the Hispanic community in the United States.
Univision News has launched a permanent Spanish-language website entirely dedicated to the pressing issue of global poverty and economic inequality, with a primary focus on how it affects the Latin American region. Titled “Desigualdad” (Inequality), the site is now available at especiales.univision.com/desigualdad, as well as through UnivisionNoticias.com and Univision.com.
Join the campaign on Twitter by following @desigualdad and using the official hashtag #ZeroSlums.
TECHOPress Contact:
Francisca Stuardo—Head of Global Media.techo/ +56996520264
Dolores Egusquiza – Director of Communications, TECHO techo/ (917) 803-3960