Pakistan: Quetta - GCC Youth Leaders Celebrated United Nations Habitat Day

The United Nations designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. This year Mexico is the international host for the celebration of Habitat day. In Pakistan UN Habitat day was observed with collaboration of partner organizations in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta.

CYAAD celebrated the UN Habitat day with collaboration of UN Habitat in Quetta. Global Citizen Corps youth leaders finalized the idea for celebration of habitat day on 3^rd October, 2011, The action aims “to reflect on the state of our towns, cities and the basic rights of all, to adequate shelters. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat”.

Global Citizen Corps youth leaders participated in a workshop “Vision of an Ideal City our Individual and collective responsibilities”. That aimed to inform citizens about creative city concepst and get their feedback and give an opportunity to citizens to reveal the vision for the ideal city.

A presentation was shared with participants of the workshop on creative cities “JADEED SHEHR”(modern cities). There were 30 participants in the workshop all from different walks of life. The Creative Cities presentation ended with fundamental questions i) what are the 5 key elements of our vision for urban future ii) what is the one key role that you see for the government, yourself as an individual and the citizens collective to achieve the vision.

Facilitator divided the participants into 5 groups and provided color card to each participant around the table to write down the 5 key elements of their vision for Creative Cities. Then participants shared their vision elements within groups to discuss the elements with a common vision. Consequently, participants of the workshop came away with a common vision statement ”We envision a environment friendly city, where every individual have right for freedom of expression, secure shelters for all gender equality and proper planning for the utilization of natural resources”.

Participants further worked out to explore the basic responsibilities of an individual, government and community’s collective responsibilities to contribute and achieve the set vision. The workshop participants discussed/shared the reveal responsibilities of three categories and came with common perspective.  These are the responsibilities need to be fulfilled to achieve the specific vision.

• Personal/Individual level: Keep the city Clean
• Communities/collective level: Cooperate with each other for the betterment of society
• Government level: To fulfill their responsibilities honesty and hard work

SEMINAR

The workshop participants joined the seminar where more than 120 people from CSOs, Government, Civil Society, Academia, Printing and electronic media already sat in seminar hall.

The UN Habitat group presented their presentation of the current situation of urban areas all around the world particularly in Pakistan. “Towns and cities are growing today at unprecedented rates setting the social, political, cultural and environmental trends of the world, both good and bad.  In 1950, one-third of the world's people lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this rose to one-half and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or 6 billion people, by 2050”. 

 A professor of University of Baluchistan “Environmental Department” shared his research finding with participants that “Vegetable in Quetta plants with polluted water which is the main cause of 18 various diseases”.  

Global Citizen Corps youth leaders Mr. Javeed Khan shared the outcome of his presentation in detail with participants in plenary. Presentation focused on what dreams the citizens of Quetta have in mind for an ideal city where every human have equal opportunity for freedom of expression with peace, prosperity, equal social and economical opportunities for all citizens…… The presentation of GCC youth leaders was appreciated by participants as well as by Chief Guest Secretary Planning and Development Baluchistan.

Secretary Urban Development shared the master plan of expected development in city with audience than opened the forum for feedback and suggestions. Global Citizen Corps youth leaders gave incredible suggestions for further improvement in master plan particularly in environmental aspects and development of new cities.