The Concerned Minds for Habitation Securities (COMIHAS) has planned a number of activities to celebrate the World Habitat Day, including a radio quiz whose questions will be about this year's theme (Planning our Urban Future); a football match between the youths of Mesasi and those of Emana neighbourhoods in Yaounde and a week of lectures to students of Government Bilingual High School Etoug-Ebe on: Shelter is my right; Our neighbourhood; Urbanization and citizenship; Planning our Urban Future.

The Association for Environmental Justice in Israel (AEJI) will celebrate the World Habitat Day 2009 with a special session in the Israeli Parliament (The Knesset) on the issues of the dangerous deterioration of the environmental infrastructures at the urban sites of the Arab sector of Israel.

The occasion will see the declaration of the establishment of the "Strategic Council for Environmental Risks and Population", an initiative of AEJI, which is an NGO that seeks to cooperate with governmental authorities in establishing sustainable solutions with sharing of the harmed population groups.

The Ministry of Public Works and State for Municipality Affairs and UN-HABITAT Kuwait Office will organize a two-day workshop to discuss future planning trends and sustainable cities over two days, starting October 5. A number of experts, including Mr. Gulelat Kebede, Dr. Alfonso Vegara, Dr. Mona Serageldin, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and Dr. Hatem Taha are expected to participate.

The Rural People Encouragers Network will mark the World Habitat Day by holding a retirees camp and launching a children's forum known us the Nigerian Child Forum, where children will air their views on how to end poverty. The event will be marked at the Ula - Ehuda Community, the headquarters of Akoh clan, Ahoada East Rivers State.

The Global Grassroot Youth Forum has planned a sensitization programme to mark the World Habitat Day. The programme aims at creating awareness of the life of urban and rural settlers and to bring the work of the UN-HABITAT closer to the people of the South-South Region (Niger-Delta) and the Cross River State.

Toris School, a nursery and primary school in Okearo Agbado Ogun state in Nigeria, will celebrate the World Habitat Day with a walk around the community and cleaning of designated roads. The walk is aimed at educating the community on the need to clean and preserve the environment. Pupils will engage in cleaning the streets and drainages.

Organization S.A.I.D - TOGO is an association of young volunteers and offers training to the vulnerable people in order to improve their socio-economic and cultural living conditions. The organization will take part in WHD by organizing a football festival which bringing together teams from the five districts of Lome.

Television broadcast of the message of UN-HABITAT Executive Director. The message on the English Magazine of the National Television (TVT) on Sunday October 4, 2009 will also launch the debate on this year's topic and introduce the concept of the WHD to the citizens of Togo.

The celebration of the World Habitat Day will be held in Dapaong. It will begin on October 3 and will involve administrative authorities and politicians, professionals in the sector, the civil society and communication specialists. The main activities envisaged include campaigns to promote the importance of respecting, maintaining and safeguarding the urban environment; conferences and debates on the topic of the day, a construction materials exhibition; concert of songs and a fashion show and sporting events, including a cross-country race and football.

The Youth Initiative for Aids Prevention Uganda is planning to host Music Dance and Drama activities for communities and an inter schools debate on this year's theme of Planning Our Urban Future. Football and netball matches will also take place in the first week of October and the final will be played on October 6.

This year's World Habitat Day will be celebrated in Tororo Municipal Council, about 300km east of Kampala. The chief guest will be the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya. Events organized include the laying of a foundation stone for the UN-HABITAT funded slum upgrading project in Tororo municipal council; launching of the Slum Upgrading Strategy for Uganda; exhibitions by the central and local governments, private sector, NGOs, financial institutions etc. There will also be radio and TV live talk shows on the theme for this year and the guests will be the Hon. Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, the Habitat Programme Manager, the Mayor of Tororo and the director for human settlements. There will be a TV documentary on the state of urbanization in Uganda, and a clean up campaign in Tororo town particularly in the informal settlements and other parts of the country.

The East African Sustainability Watch (SusWatch) Network commissioned a rapid assessment study in August 2009 in Busia, Homa bay and Musoma. This study, carried out to highlight the status of the housing situation in the fast growing / secondary towns in the Lake Victoria basin, aims at reawakening political and other stakeholders' interest to take actions to address the housing gap as an obligation. A summary of the study's findings will be featured in The East African Newspaper (October 5 – 11, 2009), in The Mwananchi Newspaper of Tanzania on Monday October 5 and on UCSD. More

website: www.ugandacoalition.or.ug.

Join Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh to symbolically celebrate WHD by wearing green and blue on 5th October. Friends of Habitat are asked to send a photograph of themselves, their friends or colleagues dressed in the said colors to habitatbdrd@yahoo.com. The photos will be posted on the HFH Bangladesh website.

Centre for Environmental Management, National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India is planning to conduct one day workshop on World Habitat Day focusing on Urban Settlement & Waste Management. In addition to this they also plan a painting competition for school and engineering college students with an estimated 1000 participants expected.

The Institution of Engineers, West Bengal State Centre, under the initiative of the Architectural Engineering Division, will celebrate the World Habitat Day 2009 by organizing a conference on "Planning our Urban Future" at Kolkata. Prof. Saugata Roy, the Minister of State, Department of Urban Development, Government of India will launch the Programme.

Habitat for Humanity India intends to celebrate World Habitat Day at Bangalore with over 300 invitees, comprising of corporate patrons, volunteers, Government representatives and community. They intend to also launch Women Build project, which is expected to mobilize resources and link women donors with women savers.

The department of Architecture, Integral University in Lucknow, India will organize celebrations of the World Habitat Day. The events planned for the occasion under the theme "Urban Future of India" include an exhibition by students on issues related to urban planning, and presentation of technical papers by experts in the field of urban planning and faculty members of different departments.

Bhagidari Jan Sahyog Samiti, an NGO in New Delhi, is organizing World Habitat Day celebrations at Auditorium, India International Centre, 40, Max Muller Marg, New Delhi (Near Lodhi Garden). Justice M.C.Garg, a judge of the Delhi High Court will be the chief guest. A seminar will be organized and an award presented for Best Practice in the City, among other events.

Osmania Medical College Doctors' Forum, a body of doctors of the institute concerned with Health and Development, will organize a roundtable on the theme of World Habitat Day 2009 - Planning Our Urban Future, on October 5, at Hyderabad, India. Also planned is a painting competition for school children.

The Local Governance Network in Bhubaneswar will organize a round table workshop to raise awareness amongst the cities on Planning our urban future, with a focus on Climate Change, Good Governance, Heritage & Culture and Urban Mobility. Participants representing 35 cities are expected to attend.

The Phagwara Environment Association in Phagwara, Punjab will organize a number of events to raise awareness of World Habitat Day 2009, including a State function to be held at Blood Bank Building, Phagwara on October 5. Other events will be held at Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Nawanshaher and other cities of Punjab.

Habitat for Humanity India intends to celebrate WHD in Bangalore with over 300 invitees, comprising corporate patrons, volunteers, government representatives and community. It will launch its 2010 Women Build project, which is expected to mobilize resources and link women donors with women savers.

The Habitat Report was launched today (5th October) in New Delhi by the Union Minister of Housing and UrbanPoverty Alleviation Ms. Kumari Selja, in a function organised by the Government of India to celebrate the World Habitat Day. The copies of the report were presented to Union Minister (Kumari Selja), Secretary, Ministry of H&UPA (Ms. Kiran Dhingra), and Ms. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, chairperson, High Powered Expert Committee on Investment Requirement for Urban Infrastructure in India. The function was attended by about 400 persons, comprising of professionals, architects, planners, engineers, housing experts, NGOs, Government Officials and private sector.

Oxfam India organised a number of events in various cities to observe the World Habitat Day 2009. These events include a public opinion and signature campaign in Agra and Lucknow, poster exhibition, public awareness and signature campaign in Allahabad, a public awareness rally in Bhopal and a human chain formation in Indore. More

The World Habitat Day 2009 was celebrated with a one-day workshop organized by the Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science School of Architecture in association with Institute of Town Planners, India -TamilNadu Regional Chapter on October 7, 2009. There was a tremendous and enthusiastic participation of students and faculty from various Architecture, Planning and Interior Design Institutions in and around Chennai, making the programme a memorable one. A total of 33 papers were contributed by renowned practicing architects, sociologists, economists, academicians, and students of architecture and planning, which has been compiled into a compendium and released.

UN-HABITAT will organise "the Youth Competition on Architecture, Settlement and Urban Identity in the Persian Gulf Region" as a side event of the International Conference on Architecture, Settlement and Urban Identity in the region. The exhibition will feature a display of the artistic ability of the youth in the fields of painting & photography. The main focus of this exhibition will be "Identity and City", "Architecture and Settlement", "Climate" and "Human Kind" More.

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia is organising several programmes in conjunction with the World Habitat Day 2009 celebration on Monday.The events include photography competition, a house building project and an asset management workshop for local authorities. Habitat for Humanity and Ministry officials would undertake repairs on the homes of six hardcore poor over six weeks in Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Kuala Terengganu from September to October 2009.

The University of Auckland has organised a series of events that will take place on World Habitat Day. The events planned include a photography competition, a debate at Fale Pasifika whose theme is "Sustainability puts a handbrake on growth", an interactive exhibition on the theme of World Habitat Day at the George Fraser Gallery, a clothing and food drive for the homeless in Auckland at the Main Student Quad, An exhibition of shortlisted works from the Open Architecture Challenge, an exhibition of projects by students in the Master of Architecture program at the NICAI Student Centre and the launch of the "Sustainability Careers Role Models" project at Powhiri on the Waipapa Marae. For more information please visit www.auckland.ac.nz/whd.

As in the past years, Home Development Mutual Fund (more popularly known as Pag-IBIG Fund) Philippines, through its North Luzon Group headed by Atty. Vilma Q. Flores, will help disseminate information and other materials, to raise awareness about urban settlements on the World Habitat Day. Several activities of the North Luzon branches have kicked off, such as essay writing contests, poster making, focus discussions, inclusion of the topic on urban development during flag raising ceremonies, and the like.

The Home Development Mutual Fund, Dinalupihan Branch, under the leadership of Mr. Vilma Q. Flores, Ms. Josephine S. Reyes, and Ms. Brenda T. Cao will host the 2009 World Habitat Day celebrations in Balanga, a town in the province of Bataan. The theme for this year, Planning Our Urban Future, is consistent with the organization's mandate to promote sustainable urban development and adequate shelter for all.

Vice President Noli De Castro, who is also the chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, will lead the celebration of the World Habitat Day in the Philippines by delivering key note speeches in two activities showcasing sustainable urban development and human settlements. In partnership with the UN-HABITAT, the council will organize a World Habitat Day celebration on October 5, highlighted by the launch of the guidelines on developing the local baselines and targets for MDG Goal 7 Target 11. Later, on October 26, the council, UN-HABITAT, and the Department of Interior and Local Government will jointly hold a Forum on Philippine Urban Development and Climate Change.

Faye F. Melegrito, a writer/consultant for the Public Relations and Information Services Group and a member of the Butter N Toast Toastmasters Club in Makati City, Philippines, will present a speech on September 24 on the theme of the World Habitat Day. This year's theme of "planning our urban future" involves not just decision makers, government agencies, or private companies. It also involves individuals, particularly urban dwellers like Ms. Melegrito and his fellow members in the Toastmasters Club.

Aware of the urgent need for housing in their country, the leadership of Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka will organize a media launch of a research report called "Defining indicators to measure adequate housing in Sri Lanka 2009" as well as a Habitat house build.

The Women's Bank, a women-led cooperative savings and credit programme for low-income communities, commemorates World Habitat Day and their achievements towards improving the lives of the poor, especially in informal settlements. This year, the song, dance and colourful festivities were even more special for several hundred residents benefiting from collaborative projects of Women's Bank and UN-HABITAT in 2009.

The City of Vienna and its Best Practices Centre, collaboration between UN-HABITAT and the metropolis plans to hold an event on 5th of October to discuss this year's topic 'Planning our urban future'. An exhibition is to be held between September 2009 and end of October with the title: In Zukunft Stadt (In the future, the city).

A round table "Dialogue on the urban development - with citizens for citizens", was held in the capital of Croatia, Zagreb to celebrate World Habitat Day on the October 5. Special attention was given to the state of affairs in city parks and alternative solutions offered for better social, health, educational, cultural, agricultural and ecological urban life in the years ahead. The round table was a culmination of the previously held activities organized by the national youth council in Croatia and Zagreb City Council, supported by UN Global Compact members from Croatia.

Sapienza Universita' di Roma, in its capacity as a "Millennium University" plans to hold a public celebration on the morning of October 5 in the main hall of its Faculty of Architecture, located in the heart of Rome's historic centre. The university will also hold the "slum target" session of its Millennium Development Goals course in the same hall in the afternoon, on the theme of the interconnection between the Millennium Declaration slum target, slum regularization and upgrading, and participatory urban planning.

Over 250 volunteers, local and international, will gather in Romania on October 5th for the weeklong build to complete 10 homes in Beius, Bihor County. The Big Build starts on October 5th, designated by the United Nations as annual World Habitat Day to call for the recognition of the state of human settlements and the basic need for adequate shelter for all. Habitat for Humanity's build in Beius marks the observance throughout the week to accommodate various groups of volunteers who will work on the construction of homes for orphans

An international conference was held in Kiev on October 5, 2009 in celebration of World Habitat Day. For the first time in Ukraine, World Habitat Day was marked by the State Committee of Ukraine for planning and architecture, together with the Municipal Management Center (Habitat). The conference was organized by international organizations, local authorities and public organizations in Ukraine, aimed at addressing the pressing local problems and ensuring sustainable human settlements in Ukraine.

The Organization for Environmental Preservation will organise the First Festival of Children Culture in Brazil (In October) in commemoration of World Habitat Day. The aim of this festival is to provide the possibilities and means so that the children can develop their capacity and skills to identify, defend and communicate their identity and culture in their relationships with other children – between rural and urban regions, states and countries – and with adults.

The first world children's cultural festival called Children's Festworld is being launched to commemorate the World Habitat Day and Children's Day in Brazil, and will take place from 8 to 10 October, 2009, in the Colegio Estadual José Valente e Ginásio Domingos Xavier Nunes – Rua Alencar Antunes de Oliveira, Quadra 13 Centro in Nerópolis, Goiás.

In Santiago, Habitat for Humanity has will gather members from different organisations including HIC, Sur Profesionales, School of architects, community leaders, student associations, indigenous associations to celebrate World Habitat Day. The 2009 Global Report on Human Settlements will be launched through special feature in Chile's national newspaper, interviws on tv and radio and a press release on 5 October 2009. WHD will also mark the begining of a celebration of the "Habitat Month" with several activities programmed.

Please visit: http://vivienda.uchilefau.cl for more information.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa will host a public forum at the School of Architecture Auditorium that will explore how Hawaii's unique island values can redefine a new planning framework. The panel will feature leaders in sustainability, Hawaiian culture, community activism, globalization, and resource development. More

A group, Urban Design Associates, based in Pittsburgh is organizing an event for WHD this year. Key activity is a planned drive to provide sleeping bags to the homeless. Urban Design Associates is looking to donors and discounts from manufacturers for the sleeping bags. They are also planning to show the Executive Director's speech on video.

Thuy Ma, the founder of Tweeprints in Tampa, Florida is organizing a local awareness-raising event for the World Habitat Day 2009. Ms. Ma, an architect with a passion for greeting cards design is inviting about 30 artists/designers/architects from different parts of the country to design a Thank You card. Profits made from the sale of these cards will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Hawaii: The School of Architecture, University of Hawaii at Manoa will host a public forum on October 5 at the school's auditorium. This public forum will explore how Hawaii's unique island values can redefine a new planning framework. The panel features leaders in sustainability, Hawaiian culture, community activism, globalization, and resource development. They include Mr.? James Koshiba, Executive Director, Kanu Hawaii; Matt Hamabata, Executive Director, The Kohala Center and Alex de Roode, Executive Director, Sustainable Living Institute of Maui, among others.

Habitat for Humanity advocates created a photo mosaic that was sent to the White House to deliver a message to Congress to make housing a priority and to pass legislation that would prioritize adequate and affordable housing. More

Thomas Calabro from TV's Melrose Place and Trevor Donovan from 90210 came to the Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys build site in Pacoima on October 6 to celebrate World Habitat Day. The stars engaged in some good competitive fun as they challenged their fans to support the American Dream 5K Walk which will be held in Pacoima on October 10th. More

The Obama Administration will co-host with UN-HABITAT the global celebrations of World Habitat Day in Washington, D.C. on 5 October 2009. A group of 15 policy institutes, NGOs, and foundations will join the Department for Housing and Urban Development and UN-HABITAT in organizing a number of high-level events on the occasion of WHD 2009.

Florida, USA: The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development and Flagler Habitat for Humanity on Monday, October 5, 2009 have organised a Media Day which will bring the local media together to cover the events of the day as well as having them volunteer for the day. Media representatives will build side by side with our partner families and volunteers. This will give them firsthand knowledge of the work that our homeowners and community volunteers put into these houses. Invitees to the event are the local Brighthouse Networks station, Daytona Beach News Journal, WNZF, the Beach Radio Stations and Brady Publishing. The intent Palm Coast Mayor Netts, who sits on the Flagler Habitat Board of Directors, and Flagler Habitat for Humanity and County Commission Chairperson Melissa Holland are also expected to participate and will declare Monday October 5, 2009, World Habitat Day, in the City of Palm Coast and Flagler County. The build site location will be at 43 Pineland Lane in Palm Coast, FL with as many as 25 volunteers participating.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Habitat for Humanity International have organised an "Affordable Housing and Sustainable Community Development" panel discussion in recognition of World Habitat Day on October 5, 2009 on the Georgia Technology University campus. The purpose of the panel discussion is to address the progress of affordable housing and sustainable community development. The panelists include Danny Boston, Economics, Georgia Tech; Michael Rich, Emory University; Mtamanika Youngblood, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Dan Immergluck, and City and Regional Planning, Georgia Tech. The event will be held at the College of Architecture in the Reinsch-Pierce Family Auditorium located at 247 4th Street NW; Atlanta, Georgia 30332.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Birmingham Habitat for Humanity at 4:00 P.M. on October 5, 2009 will celebrate the successes of Habitat partners around the world. The featured speaker for this event will be the Director of Habitat Macedonia. There will also be representatives from Habitat in India and Columbia. The purpose of the event is to show local participants that although they may only be familiar with Habitat work in their community, Habitat is in fact making a difference all over the world. The event will take place at Birmingham Habitat for Humanity Offices, 4408 R. M. Schrushy Parkway, Fairfield, AL 35064. Birmingham Field Office Director, Cindy Yarbrough will offer brief remarks.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Habitat for Humanity of High Point, Archdale, and Trinity on Monday, October 5, 2009 will address the need for affordable housing in the local community by holding a kick-off ceremony for the building of a new home for a local family. Employees from HUD will be on site volunteering on this day during which the walls for a new house will be raised. This house will be the sixth out of 11 houses in the Washington Terrace area to be completed, Habitat's 71st home in the High Point Community. The site of the event is 1709 Graves Avenue, High Point, NC.

The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development and Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson (HFH/MJ) will celebrate by staging the demolition of a blighted property at 1516 Wood Street in Jackson. Speakers at this event include Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson Executive Director Cindy Griffin, Mayor Harvey Johnson, Senator Hillman Frazier, Southeast Regional Office HUD Deputy Regional Director Patricia Hoban-Moore, and Brad Davis with the Office of Senator Thad Cochran.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Okaloosa County Habitat in observance of World Habitat Day will take part in an all Women Build on Monday, October 5, 2009 from 8am to 3pm to increase awareness and encourage volunteerism. A local musician, Cheryl Jones of Jones & Company, has written a song specific to the building of Habitat homes and in honor of the work that is completed by Habitat. Kick-off began during the week of September 21, 2009, with a full video production taping of nearly 80 local ladies to produce the one of a kind song along with the full band of Jones & Company. Following approval of the event by the City Council, the immediate start of construction on the home is underway with groundbreaking scheduled for mid October and continuing for approximately six months. The project site is located at 110 Methodist Avenue; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. More than 160 new women volunteers have signed on for the project with more coming aboard each day. Sharing the mission of World Habitat Day through the construction of the Women Build home has increased partnerships with our local affiliate.

On Monday, October 5, at 10 AM, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Mechanicsville Community Association, Knoxville's Community Development Corporation, the City of Knoxville, Knox County, Knoxville Habitat for Humanity, and the Knox County School System will celebrate the improvements to the quality of life enjoyed by residents of the revitalized Mechanicsville.

The celebration will be held in the amphitheater of Danny Mayfield Park in Mechanicsville Commons and will mark the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the HOPE IV planning process that has led to a neighborhood with a healthy mix of homeownership and rental opportunities designed in harmony with the existing historic architecture; new grocery and other retail outlets and employment center in walking distance of residences; improved educational opportunities and student performance in a neighborhood-based school; vital, growing congregations engaged in the surrounding community; an improved tax base for local government; and neighbors working alongside neighbors to continue improving their quality of life.

Speakers include Knoxville's Community Development Corporation's CEO Alvin Nance, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, Knox County Schools Superintendent James P. McIntyre, Knoxville Habitat for Humanity CEO Kelle Shultz, HUD Field Office Director Mark Brezina, and residents of the revitalized Mechanicsville. This event is being held in conjunction with the global observance of United Nations World Habitat Day and its 2009 theme of Planning Our Urban Future.

On October 6 the Department of Housing and Urban Development will participate with partners in a fundraising reception at the offices of Askew Nixon Ferguson, a Memphis architecture firm, located at 1500 Union, Memphis, Tennessee. Partners include Memphis Habitat for Humanity, West Tennessee Chapter of American Planning Association, and Mortgage Bankers Association and all local branches of HUD national partners. Secondary partners include Baron McCormack Regan, Coalition for Livable Communities, Memphis Design Center, CDC Council, City of Memphis, Shelby County, Urban Land Institute, American Institute of Architects and other architects, planners and stakeholders involved in the Affordable, Green and Sustainable Urban Development initiative. Supporting organizations will have display space. Models of Habitat's green buildings will be shown as will the Habitat- produced WHD slideshow. HUD and other supporting organizations will make brief comments. Popular local folksinger Valerie June will perform pro bono.

On October 5, 2009, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity Affiliate have organised a tour of Timberwood Subdivision and Timberwood Park. The subdivision and Park are located on Ravenwood Drive in Nashville. Participants will be able to view 12 Habitat Homes currently under construction and tour recently completed Timberwood Park. The event will be attended by partners who assisted in developing the project including the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Metro Government of Nashville/Davidson County, Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Pinnacle Financial Partners, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati. Chris McCarthy, Habitat Nashville CEO, is scheduled to speak.

Representatives from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Habitat for Humanity International and New World Homes, the U. S. Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the City of Atlanta and other local stake holders will take part in the "Planning Our Urban Future" event as part of the World Habitat Week celebrations. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at the corner of Flat Shoals Road and Kirkwood Drive in East Atlanta. A media-oriented event will demonstrate how to build the ideal affordable, green home that will support the Memorandum of Understanding between HUD, DOT, and EPA for a new vision for transit oriented affordable, green, healthy homes. Representatives from each Federal Agency, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. and local organizations will be represented, along with new Georgia DOT Commissioner, Mr. Vance Smith.

On October 8, 2009 volunteers from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Atlanta, and Habitat for Humanity Atlanta will take part in a "Home Build" event as part of the World Habitat Week celebrations. The event will take place at the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity Warehouse located at 519 Memorial Drive, SE; Atlanta, Georgia. During the event, volunteers will build walls that will anchor general construction related work areas to better train volunteers on the basic skills associated with building a home. The event is not open to the public.

In collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation, CHF International and the Comparative Urban Studies Project at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC will launch a speaker series on The Road to Rio to bring together representatives from governments, multi-lateral institutions, NGOs and other civil society organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector to focus on the pressing urban issues that face the world today. The speaker series is intended to pave the way for productive policy and good practice discussions and create greater public awareness of the challenges and opportunities presented by global urbanization.

The Urban Land Institute in Washington DC will organise a discussion about Sustainable Suburbs: Developer's Perspectives on Transportation and Compact Growth on 8 October 2009. Speakers and panelists include Ellen Dunham-Jones, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marilee Utter, Citiventure Associates; Mark Schneider, Fourth River Development; and more.

The National Building Museum together with Cities Alliance, USAID and the World Bank have organised a exhibition at the National Building Museum. This multimedia exhibit features residents' experiences in slums around the world: Nairobi, Caracas, Mumbai, and Jakarta. More

On 7 October 2009, International Housing Coalition together with Aspen Insitute and Habitat for Humanity will host a discussion on "Urbanization, Slums and US Foreign Assistance". This discussion will focus on challenges faced by developing countries with respect to urban poverty and rapid growth of slums. It will also focues on the opportunities brought about through urbanization - how these alleviate poverty, improve health, and generate economic growth.