PUKAR, in partnerships with University of Chicago Law School, UOC Delhi Centre, and Khalsa College hosted a seminar on the daily lives, challenges and resilience of residents of Informal Settlements. This was held at Khalsa College premises and attended by an enthusiastic audience of activists, faculty, academicians, students and advocates of all colours and hues.
Starting with complex and multi-layered issue of Housing Rights, and issue connected with every aspect of housing, the thematic also included Improving Informal settlements, Access to Basic Services and Women’s Rights and Health in Informal settlements.
Having travelled from far off places like Chicago, Lucknow, Odisha, Hyderabad, Pune, joining local practitioners, the panellist of every thematic laid out the current situations, shared their own work experiences and provoked many debates on the floor. In a collective fashion and in collaborative spirit, the panellist suggested ways to move forward to make the life of residents for informal settlements a little better through policies, politics and practices.
These residents who essentially hold the city on their able shoulders and make life easier for other citizens are almost always treated by the larger society, the policy makers and the legal entities as “Illegal, Unwanted”. Through the discussions that ensued, the panellists and moderators informed, educated and enlightened the audience of the realities of lives in the informal settlements and inspired the audience to change their lens to view these realities. The spirited discussions that followed every session were the hallmark of the success of the seminar. PUKAR wishes to thank all the partners and the participants for their contribution to this event.
