ISOCARP Activities

[Ric]

Dear colleagues
On behalf of the Executive Committee, I am writing to update you on
three inter-related activities that we believe require your kind
attention. They are the preparation of a response for Haiti, the
reaction after the recent earthquake in Chile, and the presence of
ISOCARP in the upcoming World Urban Forum in Rio.
Haiti
A swift reaction from Ric Stephens (US ND), just hours after last
January’s earthquake, was followed immediately by a call to all
ISOCARP members asking them to contribute to the initiative. The
response was massive. We are very thankful to the many members who
replied committing to make their time and experience available, and to
the Secretariat, especially Programme Manager Gaby Kurth for
coordinating the vast number of emails we received. The dedication of
ISOCARP members to tangible action and their generosity should indeed
make us all proud to be part of this organization.
The ISOCARP response is being led by Vice-President (UPAT) Paco Perez
Arellano, and coordinated by Ric Stephens. Ric has set up a Google
Group, which, if you have not already done so, I urge you to visit.
http://groups.google.com/group/isocarp-haiti-upat. There you can find
the CVs of some of the members of the response group, plus other non-
ISOCARP members recruited for the cause by Ric. Initially, the UPAT
methodology has been used to quickly establish a task outline and to
mobilize members as we are all familiar with the format. The final
structure of our response will be shaped to best fit local priorities
and needs.
A document outlining how we could contribute to the reconstruction of
Haiti was drafted by VP Paco Perez and Ric Stephens building on the
input received from many members, and it was submitted to the Latin
American and Caribbean Coordinator of UN-Habitat. A letter from
President Ismael Fernandez Mejía to the Executive Director of UN-
Habitat, Mme. Tibaijuka, underlined our commitment to this urgent
matter. Her encouraging response put us in direct contact with the
Chief of the Post Disaster and Conflict Section. UN-Habitat is holding
a Special Session on Building Back Better Haiti during the World Urban
Forum (See more on WUF on the paragraphs below) with the participation
of HE Mr. Jean-Max Bellerive, Prime Minister of Republic of Haiti, the
UN Special Envoy for Haiti, William J. Clinton (TBC) and UN-Habitat ED
Mme Tibaijuka. We are pleased to announce that ISOCARP will be
represented in the high-level panel through VP Paco Perez. The Session
will take place on 23 March 2010, 13:30-16:00. I think this a
significant step and I want to congratulate all who have made this
possible. During WUF, we will meet with the UN-Habitat team for Haiti
to explain the ISOCARP initiative face-to-face, identify any
improvements that would benefit the proposed approach, and discuss
possible next steps.
Chile
As you know, a second disaster has seriously hit the Latin American
region. A massive 8.8 Richter earthquake struck central Chile,
leaving over 800 dead and 1.5 million displaced. Yesterday’s 6.6
aftershock would have been designated as an earthquake in its own
right if it had not been made look minor by last Saturday’s shock. We
intend to, capitalizing on the work that has already been done for
Haiti, draft a specific response for Chile and submit it to UN-Habitat
as well. The context and the damage level are quite different, but the
framework of how tasks are organized could serve as a basis for the
new draft.
Since we have no members in Chile at present, we have written to the
members of the NDs of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru,
Uruguay, Portugal and Spain in the assumption that they are likely to
have ties with Chilean planning professionals. They have been kindly
asked to help us identify potential counterparts, individuals and
institutions, who could provide support on the field, liaising with
government in the proposal stage, and later acting as local
coordinators for the execution. We have already received a number of
providing us with valuable contacts in Chile and contributing to the
proposal preparation. We are also in touch with Universidad San
Sebastián in Santiago. The invitation to contribute to create a
network is extended to all who have links with Chile. I would ask
those of you who have volunteered for Haiti to confirm if you would be
interested in the initiative for Chile as well. A new call to members
would be made as soon as we begin to shape a response, but feel free
to respond in advance if you are indeed interested in contributing.
On behalf of the Executive Committee, I thank you in advance for your
support to these initiatives.
Best regards
Pablo
Secretary General
ISOCARP
Knowledge for Cities
International Society of City and Regional Planners