The 2005 UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour Award Winners represent a series of best practices and examples from around the world that shine out in their commitment to the cause of improving human settlements, their innovative ways of reducing urban poverty and bringing relief to the victims of disasters such as the Indian Ocean tsunami. Ms. Rose Molokoane , a South African veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, is cited " for her tireless struggle to bring land and homes to the poor ." One of the most internationally recognized grassroots activists involved in land tenure and housing issues, Ms. Molokoane is one of two national chairpersons of the South African Homeless People's Federation. The federation has helped more than 150,000 squatters, the vast majority women, pool their savings. In recent years it has helped build over 15,000 new homes, secured more than 1,000 hectares of government land for development, and built many community centres. The Municipal People's Government of Yantai in eastern China 's Shandong Province with a population of more than 1 million people is awarded "for transforming Yantai into a safer, greener and better serviced city". Over three years since 2002, the municipal authorities invested RMB 600,000,000 (USD 74 million) in a major renovation that started with a big publicity campaign and personal visits to the owners and residents of illegal buildings who were provided temporary accommodation. Underground water, heating gas and telephone and electricity conduits were channeled to each home. Roads were newly paved, buildings restored, and new residential blocks constructed. City parks were overhauled creating better leisure and recreation space. The Municipal Basic Information Research (MUNIC) department in Brazil , set up in 1999, is awarded "for keeping Bazilians in tune with the Millennium Development Goals at city level." The programme pays particular attention to Target 10 on reducing by half the population without access to drinking water and sanitation by 2015. Conferences on MUNIC findings are held regularly around the country to ensure that the Government, municipalities, city officials, and urban residents are properly furnished with up-to-date information on housing, housing policies and programmes, financing and public services. With teams in 27 states, more than 1,000 specially trained technicians each year gather information on the country's towns and cities and produce detailed annual reports. The Municipality of Kazan City on the Volga River deep in the Russian heartland, is awarded " for providing new housing and infrastructure for its poorest residents " during a post-Soviet Slum Liquidation Programme started in 1996 and completed in 2004. The city, which this year celebrated its 1,000th birthday, has a population of 1.1 million people. Financed largely by funds derived from oil sales, corporate and property taxes, investments and credits, new homes, roads, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure has transformed the once dilapidated downtown area. Sri Lanka's largest Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the Sarvodaya Shramandana Movement founded in 1958, is awarded " for the immediate rescue and rehabilitation of those worst affected by the tsunami." With a well established network created to improve human settlements nationwide, it was able to intervene effectively. Within hours of the disaster, it opened a national operations centre that provided half a million dollars worth of humanitarian aid in the first three months. The movement is now focusing on the longer term rehabilitation requirements. A major part of its work for the past 20 years has been devoted to building peace in the country's civil war through its Peace Secretariat. Professor Johan Silas of Indonesia is awarded "for years of research and work dedicated to providing affordable shelter for the poor". Indeed, Professor Silas and fellow team members at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh (ITS) count among their achievements a means of building a decent, serviceable new home in less than ten hours with simple material, tools and skills. In less than two months, about 1,000 of these units were built in Calang in Aceh Jaya, a Sumatra island town virtually destroyed by the tsunami. Professor Silas has constantly sought new ways of improving village housing in East Java, the most populated province in Indonesia. Jakarta Metropolitan City is awarded "for successfully improving slums, and building new infrastructure to create an inclusive, cosmopolitan city". During two terms under the leadership of Governor Sutiyoso, Jakarta has been transformed in a safer, better serviced, and greener city. Slums have been improved, and many of the poorest provided new housing on specially allocated land, the city's anti-flooding canal system has been upgraded, its parks improved, and major public facilities have been reconstructed under a proven track record of public-private partnerships. Governor Sutiyoso, a retired Army Lieutenant-General, served his first term as Governor of the capital with its five mayoral districts from 1997-2002. His current term of office expires in 2007. The UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour award is conferred posthumously on North Sumatra Governor Tengku Rizal Nurdin "for showing unstinting, tireless leadership in bringing relief to tsunami and earthquake victims" in the aftermath of the twin tragedies of the tsunami and the earthquake in North Sumatra's district of Nias up until the day he died in an aircraft accident on 5 September 2005. Appointed as the Indonesian province's Governor for a second term (2003-2008), he was considered the "father of good governance" of North Sumatra for his drive to create a government that was transparent, open, people oriented and trustworthy. Although Pak Rizal, as he was more affectionately known, was the most senior leader in the province with a population of 12 million, he was considered a very approachable and soft spoken person. He leaves two daughters, Tengku Armilla Madiana and Tengku Arisma Mellina and his wife, Siti Mariam.
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