Annika Nilsson

Ph.D. researcher at the  Royal Technological Institute of Sweden, Centre for Banking and Finance and with an assignment for Swedbank to take part in the Seminar and Dialogues.
 

1. What, specifically, did you bring back to your work back home from the event?
 An improved and deeper holistic view of urban development, especially for third world countries. This was due to very rewarding presentations and Dialogues between researchers and practitioners. In particular, I learnt more about how important the complex process of Land administration is in creating a functioning system for secure tenure and just ownership to land. I realised that a dialogue and a mutual understanding is lacking between the various actors, something that contributes to the prevvalent atalemate. Everyone waits for someone else to take action. 
 
2. What would you encourage an other actor (or group of actors) to do to make the next step towards a just and sustainable shelter for all? and to which actor(s) do you direct that urgent request?
 There must be a genuine will to act and to cooperate between all stakeholders. Easier said than done, though. For commercial banks to take a real interest in providing investment capital for improved housing in the slum areas, under current framework conditions, strong incentives must be created.
 
3. If anything was especially useful to you in the content that was presented and discussed or in the arrangement of the event, please mention it in brief.
To me, the discussions on linking informal economies to the formal system were especially useful. I also had the opportunity to make useful contacts for my continued work and research within this area.

Julius Mutsotso, Umande Trust 

Julius Mutsotso- Technical Adviser- Umande Trust- during a visioning and reflection session with representatives of low income settlements (Dallas Women and Youth Initiative) in Embu- A partnership project with UNHABITAT

Umande Trust is a rights-based agency, which believes that modest resources can significantly improve access to water and sanitation services if financial resources are strategically invested in support of community-led strategies, designs and budgets.  Our mission is to be the partner of choice in transforming water supply and sanitation services in close partnership with the urban poor in Kenya’s growing urban centres.

1. What, specifically, did you bring back to your work back home from the event? 
• Gathered Global Perspectives on Land Use Planning and Management Systems

• I have Identified a menu of opportunities for taping by Umande Trust (the organization I represented, which I serve as a technical adviser on micro finance ), especially mapping and inventorying and financing of water and sanitation facilities, innovative housing finance and livelihoods promotion through the Dallas Community Organization  ( facilitated establishment of a community based MFI) and the Umande SACCO Society Ltd.  A number of ideas adopted and adapted (including GIS Mapping) by Umande Trust during a survey conducted in July 08 under a partnership project with UNHABITAT ( Dallas Integrated Basic Urban Services Project  whose objective amongst others is “Develop sustainable solutions to address the basic urban services and environmental challenges in Dallas, Embu Municipality, through a community led participatory planning process”). ).
 
• I have shared the great wealth of knowledge and info gained and especially the global perspectives on Land Use Planning and Management Systems not only with Umande Trust but also the National Cooperative Union (NACHU), which in effect commissioned my services in designing and conducting a study on the 5 leading MFIs in Kenya with Housing Finance as the main focus.   In the Reference section of the study report, I have acknowledged part of the communication output from the Stockholm Seminar i.e.  “Input for Seminar on Improving Slum conditions through Innovative Financing (16 – 17 June 2008) in Stockholm By Dr. Friedemann Roy, IFC

• Follow up on established contacts to explore areas of networking/ collaboration/ partnership (Apart from the other places of the world I have established contacts between the permanent secretary- Ministry of Lands- Dorothy Angote, and Umande Trust and are in the process of determining potential areas of collaboration)

2. What would you encourage any other actor (or group of actors) to do to make the next step towards a just and sustainable shelter for all? and to which actor(s) do you direct that urgent request?
FIG and other key actors to, not only keep in touch with issues affecting low income settlements, but also influence the housing finance markets to re-focus/ develop/ modify tools of assisting the economically active poor to have access to safe and affordable shelter. UNHABITAT and the representatives of low-income settlements need to remain part of FIG programmes and activities.

3. If anything was especially useful to you in the content that was presented and discussed or in the arrangement of the event, please mention it in brief.
• Participation in dialogues and inputs on Improving Slum conditions through Innovative Financing were quite useful.  This followed with instant documentation and feedback added value.
• Participation in dinner events and visits to other interesting sites blended the event indeed has created a permanent memories. 
• Well-organized package of Programme events, draft presentations and Reports of proceedings with easy access through links to thematic issues filed on the website (presentable info architecture).  These together with CD copy of proceedings and the post seminar report emailed to me, which has very useful photos gallery (frantically looked for mine but conspicuously missing), made it easy for me to effectively share front line experiences and lessons learnt focusing on Improving Slum Conditions through Innovative Financing and the Land Administration Chain.

Mark Napier, Urban LandMark 

Urban LandMark is dedicated to making urban land markets work for (and with) the poor. Urban LandMark will define what making markets work for the poor could mean for access to affordable urban land. Urban LandMark aims to influence policies and practices in South Africa to improve poor people's access to well-located urban land by making market, land planning and management systems work better, giving effect and meaning to the idea of people having a right to land. A number of initiatives around land already exist, though they approach land from very different ideological standpoints. Urban LandMark does not see itself as a new voice, but hopes to play a catalytic role in bringing people together for dialogue.

1. What, specifically, did you bring back to your work back home from the event?
I brought back a better understanding of the land surveying profession, their priorities and the broad scope and application of their work.  I also found the session focusing on south and east Africa very useful for the experiences people shared about titling campaigns and other interventions around informal settlement upgrading. 

2. What would you encourage another actor (or group of actors) to do to make the next step towards a just and sustainable shelter for all? and to which actor(s) do you direct that urgent request?
UN habitat’s role in developing land tools is a worthy and relevant initiative which should be strengthened and broadened. The global land tools network should therefore continue to focus on broad initiatives to improve access to urban land and play the useful role of bringing diverse actors together around this shared goal.

3. If anything was especially useful to you in the content that was presented and discussed or in the arrangement of the event, please mention it in brief.
Support for our attendance of the event from UN habitat was much appreciated.  Being allocated the role of reporter meant that I was involved in the event and that i was able to contribute in some way. We would have liked to present in the main forum but i realize that we were fairly late entrants into the process.  However the discussion format meant that more people were able to participate.