Commission on Social Development 58
10 to 19 February 2020
Priority Theme
Affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness
Last updated on March 16th 2020Embedded Files
The Irish are "ROCKING" it at the UN
Ireland at the Commission for Social Development 58 (CSocD58)
Following on from a powerful keynote address at the opening of the Commission who theme of "Affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness" Mary McAleece came back to work the next day and made significant contributions to a side event (below) hosted by Unanima entitled “The Hidden Faces of Family Homelessness: From the Perspective of Women and Children/Girls”. Immediately afterwards another former President of Ireland of Ireland, Mary Robinson was launching a "Drive For 5" with Bono. This important event was hosted by the Irish Government in the hope that the beneficiaries would be girls all over the world. #SDG4, Quality Education is one of the SDGs where Ireland is performing extremely well and so with confidence the Department of Foreign Affairs put our best foot forward at this event.
Whilst all at home are reeling or recovering from recent election shenanigans important government work continues abroad with confidence and and congratulations. Not withstanding the A list contributors there is an important presence of Religious at the UN including the International Presentation Association who are making their presence felt at side and other event. Sr. Jean Quinn, also contributed to the opening event and Sophia Housing have a significant presence at this Commission.
Former President of Ireland Mary Mc Aleese who received UNANIMA International Woman of Courage Award 2019 at the United Nation’s in New York, Tuesday 11th Feb 2020.
Dear Sisters and Friends, the Commission for Social Development takes place from Feb 10th - 19th 2020. Each day I will try to highlight one particular contribution / event in order to offer a sense of the importance of this event. The event this year has as it's theme "Affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness" and will begin with a keynote address from Former President of Ireland and this is my highlighted event of Monday Feb 9th 2020
You can follow the event on twitter by clicking the link below:
Civil Society Forum
Civil Society Forum
- The Civil Society Forum will take place on Friday 14 February 2020 at UN Headquarters in New York, in conference room 4 from 10am-1pm and 3-6pm. The theme this year is “Affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness”. For more information, please visit the website of the NGO Committee on Social Development.
Monday 10th Feb 2020
Monday 10th Feb 2020
Day 1
Monday 10th Feb, former President of Ireland Mary McAleese gave the keynote presentation sharing her personal experience and experience working in Ireland with the homeless population over the years. You can read her full speech here
United Nations,
New York 10 February 2020
Address by Mary McAleese
Commission for Social Development Division for Inclusive Social Development Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
High-level panel discussion on the priority theme:
“Affordable Housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness”
Mary McAleece addresses the UN
Some of the highlights of President McAleece's Speech
"Yes it was high time for this discussion, in this place."
"Yes it was high time for this discussion, in this place."
- The objective of this gathering is to explore the working strategies and best practices capable of delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which commits member states to prioritizing those who have been left furthest behind and in particular to providing access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and services and the elimination of homelessness.
- A safe, affordable and adequate home should be the right and the experience of each human being.
- It was the homeless charities which first alerted us to the changing face of homelessness caused by a rapidly growing population, a dysfunctional housing market much too dependent on a stagnant private housing sector and on an inadequate supply in the public rental sector and the private rental sector which continues to experience unprecedented demand with consequent upward pressure on rents.
- It is hard to credit that in 2013 the Irish Government announced that homelessness would be resolved by 2016. In 2018 the OECD revealed that in fact homelessness in Ireland had grown by almost 150% between 2014 and 2018
- Today we have almost ten thousand people including about three thousand five hundred children and almost a thousand young adults living in temporary or emergency accommodation. True they are not on the streets, but they are not in their own homes
- The numbers of homeless do not include the five thousand asylum seekers who are living in temporary accommodation
- I once described Ireland as a first world country with a third world memory. Drawing on similar schemes in the US and Finland the anti-homelessness strategy known as Housing First was successfully piloted initially by our leading ngo’s the Fr. Peter McVerry Trust and Focus Ireland and now since 2019 forms the basis of our national and local Government strategy on homelessness
- Almost fifty years ago I had a brief encounter with homelessness. It was enough to carve an enduring memory of the chaos and fear of life lived off the grid, dependent on the kindness of strangers and on the hard-to-access slow boxticking of beleaguered bureaucrats. I was the oldest of nine children, the 8 youngest of whom was three years old when sectarian paramilitary thugs machine-gunned us from our lovely comfortable and happy home in Belfast.
- The definition of homelessness constructed by the expert group which met in Nairobi last year in anticipation of this meeting in New York: "Homelessness is a condition where a person or household lacks habitable space with security of tenure, rights and ability to enjoy social relations, including safety. Homelessness is a manifestation of extreme poverty and a failure of multiple systems and human rights".
- The vast majority of those entering homelessness today never thought it could happen to them. In so many cases it was avoidable and it is soluble just not by the homeless on their own.
- The future as Seamus Heaney once said, lies with what is affirmed from under.
- Can we come here in 2030 with other state parties as leaders not laggards in attaining those vital goals? I believe so but that will depend on what we and others around the world do today for that is what will shape tomorrow just as what was done or not done in so many yesterdays helped create this shameful mess.
- Consign homelessness to history.
Tuesday 11th Feb 2020
Tuesday 11th Feb 2020
Day 2
The IPA Executive Director, along with the NGO Representative and the Program Action Leader are attending the Ministerial Forum: 25 years of the World Summit for Social Development. Addressing emerging societal challenges to the implementation of 2030 Agenda.
This Event was co-sponsored by the International Presentation Association.
This Event was co-sponsored by the International Presentation Association.
“The Hidden Faces of Family Homelessness: From the Perspective of Women and Children/Girls” A CSocD 58 Side Event
You can watch the event here
The Hidden Faces of Family Homelessness.
Highlights of this event:
- Mary McAleece reffered to how women and girls affected by homelessness. "Its not houselessness its homelessness, and there's a big difference. Somewhere that's safe, important to your sense of well- being in the world."
- "Greatest source of renewable energy is the human being."
- Major faith systems often carry a view of gender that doesn't promote women and girls.
- A bird has two wings and Mary McAleece referenced this metaphor when she offered that the dynamism and power when a bird is in full flight but that to hold women / girls back it tantamount to a bird trying to fly with one wing.
- Who are trafficked?
- Who are the people who bear the brunt of homelessness?
- Who are the people who bear the brunt of Family breakdown?
- The Answer in each case is women.
- The Catholic Church is the biggest ngo in the world educating and schooling more children than all other faiths.
- The Catholic Church is the only belief system that has a permanent presence at the UN and we should be proud of this.
- And from Philip Alston the special UN rapporteur on Poverty through a video presentation. "Homelessness rates increasing all around the world and the subject doesn't get the attention it needs. Women have been systematically been maltreated or omitted when it came to any conversations in homelessness."
- He also offered "Homeless people are subject to violence and sexual abuse and even in hostels this persists. Women often sofa surf and so their homelessness is not recorded."
- Tony O' Riordan, CEO Sophia Housing offered "the courage and vision of Sisters (including Presentation Sisters )who have been providing land for homeless folk facilitates Sophia Housing. None of this gets into the headlines. The government funds the building of these homes. There is a commitment to build 200 more over the next 4 years. Partnership"
- Sr Margaret O Dwyer (SVP Co Chair Group on Homelessness ) spoke of children (girls mainly) in Street Situations. "Over 100 million children live on the street." She decried the fact that many children on the streets become criminalised. "What is needed is the voice of the children in solutions for them. Also there is a need to decriminalise those homeless with a massive program of education and of course prosecution for the abusers. "
This side event to which we offered our experience at home in Ireland and in the UK will include a presentation by Dr. Despoina Afroditi Milaki of the International Presentation Association (IPA)
Video of this event can be seen here
On Tuesday afternoon IPA NGO Representative, Dr. Despoina Afroditi Milaka was part of a panel at the UN Side Event “The Links Between Inequalites, Inadequate Housing, and Homelessness.” She discussed the results of a grassroots survey on homelessness as well as some of the root causes of homelessness across nations. There was also a sharing of stories of people who are experiencing homelessness. #CSocD58
Wednesday 12th Feb 2020
Wednesday 12th Feb 2020
Day 3
My one event for today is actually one that took place yesterday in the UN Trusteeship Council Chambers and was hosted by the Irish Government and all the big guns were rolled out to launch the "Drive for Five"
So what is the drive for 5?
- She has a desk
- She is confident.
- She learns the skills she needs.
- She is safe.
- She is healthy. (see video below)
This is the video of the Irish Government event that was hosted by Geraldine Nason Byrne. Drive For Five. Mary Robinson and Bono with others formed the discussion panel towards the end, prior to the music performances at the end. Antonio Gutteres (Sec.Gen.) spoke at the launch and his speech can be read here. The highlight of the event were the five testimonies from four young women and a young man (at minute 29 in the video above, particularly impressive).
Highlights from the speakers at the launch of this event.
Mary Robinson decries the fact that there are 130 million girls not in education. Educated girls with 12 years of education with the 5 steps must be a political priority and every government must commit to these 5 steps.
Bono explains that we have been greatly enhanced by education in Ireland and that personally he met his band members and his wife there. What are the obstacles that are in the way of education? Bono referenced the man made crisis of climate change that will not be solved without educated girls. The protection of mother Earth cannot depend on its sons alone.
Alice Albright of the UN Gender Committee explained that forced marriage, fathers withdrawing girls from schools where men teach, girls who had babies not returning to the school are some of the reasons quoted that impact on the education of girls. Governments need to be held to account as to why they are not putting education for girls at the top of the agenda.
There are too many who don't belief in the power of girls.
When Bishop Tutu asked a young girl to tell him about her wedding day she explained, "That was the saddest day as it was the day I had to leave school." (Mary Robinson).
Look at Greta Thunberg, an educated activist who bridged the gap of intergenerational Climate Justice. This is why we need girls to be educated. We know that we are missing their contribution if we don't educate them.
Bono was encouraged to do a song about the drive for five by Mary Robinson. He explained that a marriage made in hell is the marriage between poverty and inequality. "Where you live should not determine whether you live, a single chromosome should not decide whether you should be educated or not." Bono accepts that his role is to be angry but to be angry in the background.
Girls should be asked what they need. We need not to just converse with girls in the classroom but with every citizen. What holds governments back? Government needs to match the ambition of women and girls.
Love is the realising of another's potential (Bono)
Mary Robinson concluded by referencing the fact that a young girl sat outside the Swedish Parliament for a while year and now with millions of girls made a huge difference. Women are to the forefront of Peace building, in Northern Ireland, the Lebanon and in Darfur. Girls and youth are the voices of conscience and have earned the right to disrupt. "Education education and education", is what gives voice to women today it helps them to become agents of change.
Mary Robinson describes herself as "an angry granny now with no time to wait, but I am a prisoner of hope".
The event finished with performances.
As reported on RTE this morning (Wednesday Feb 12th 2020)
Thursday Feb 13th 2020
Thursday Feb 13th 2020
Day 4
- #CSocD58 James Abro at the Multistakeholder Forum: "Houses are now commodities to be bought and sold in a purposely volatile housing market. When you 'flip houses' for quick profiteering you are also flipping people, creating long term human deficits"
- "Let's get one thing straight: there is no such thing as "the homeless". There are only individuals experiencing housing displacement. And the reasons they are doing so are unique and varied as there are stars in our sky."
- What an eye opener, people experiencing homelessness face mental illness and trauma related to just being homeless on top of everything else. -Sharon Fisher. It’s the chicken and the egg all over again #CSOCD58
- @CEOofHappYness implored participants in the multistakeholder forum at #CSocD58 to consider: 1. The Power of ONE, 2. The empowerment of women and girls when addressing homelessness, 3. To broaden the definition of who is at risk of becoming homeless #EndHomelessness #NGOCSocD58
- Ms. Maureen Chukwurah (Worldwide Network Nigeria) shares "our systems and institutions are failing women" & shares direct & indirect policy recommendations such as accurate homelessness measurement, prevention, & skills building to generate income.”
- Disposession means losing your home. War, political unrest, natural disasters and climate change can all drive mass dispossession. #homelessness
- “The only way to stop the cycle of housing insecurity is to provide stable housing.” Learn more about the cycle at: http://safehousingpartnerships.org #CSocD58
- Sr. Margaret O’Dwyer from the Sisters of Charity reminds us that a single full-time minimum wage will not cover housing anywhere in the United States. #CSocD58
- Margaret O’Dwyer (NGO WG to End Homelessness) cites to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that offers that everyone has the right of housing & additional declarations that consistently cite the right to housing #CSocD58
Just to keep in mind the asks of the DePaul Trust in Ireland as the priorities they hope would be on the agendas of the incoming government.
Friday Feb 14th 2020
Friday Feb 14th 2020
Day 5
At the NGO CSocD58 all that have been involved in the Civil Society Forum today as well as #CSocD58 events this week have discussed policy, advocacy and solutions, heard from those with lived experience and those who have collected much needed data.
ATD Fourth World USA "The price is broken; not the people. The system is broken; not the people. Our perception of the reality of #homelessness is broken. Not the people experiencing it." ~ Ms. Maryann Broxton
Did you know? 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing. 15 million are forcefully evicted every year. #Homelessness is a global problem. It requires a global solution. UN #CSocD58 is discussing remedies for homelessness. http://bit.ly/un-csocd58 #SDGs #GlobalGoals
At a time when civil society is shrinking it calls on us all to be a strong voice that in this case questions the optimal means by which we can combat the insidious worldwide #homelessness issue.
Despoina CScoD58.mp4The IPA NGO Representative, Despoina Afroditi Milaki, intervenes during the Civil Society Forum @CSoCD58:”What is more challenging, to resolve homelessness by prevention or to stop it by providing supportive services like housing therapy etc?”
On day in 01/2019 78000 ppl were homeless in NY of which >4000 lived on street. @ same time 40.000 slept rough & 13.000 stayed in shelter in LA. Huge difference in approach but both support on street or in shelter are not durable ways out of #homelessness.
“Older persons should be acknowledged as partners in development. They are substantive contributors to the development and stability of society. More can and should be done to utilize their potential,
A Place to Call Home: Sisters address inadequate housing worldwide
A Place to Call Home: Sisters address inadequate housing worldwide
As many as 60,000 people may be living on the streets at night in Los Angeles. In what is perhaps the most potent and visible symbol of homelessness in the nation's second-largest city, hundreds of people live in tents on Skid Row — a risky and often dangerous life, exposing them to crime, drugs and prostitution. More here from
Global Sisters Report
Global Sisters Report
"Homelessness in all its forms, including family homelessness, has been left behind in the global debate," Daughter of Wisdom Sr. Jean Quinn of UNANIMA International told the opening session at the U.N. this week.
More here from
More here from
Global Sisters Report.
Global Sisters Report.
"Homelessness knows no bounds and occurs in all nations," Quinn said.
It is imperative that a definition of 'homelessness' is agreed upon at the global level.
"Housing cannot be our only response," Mark McCreavy DePaul International
"A safe, affordable and adequate home should be the right and the experience of each human being," Mary McAleece,
Presentation Sisters Response to homelessness that have been mentioned at the IPA.
Presentation Sisters Response to homelessness that have been mentioned at the IPA.
As a collaborative effort to serve those made poor, the Conference of Presentation Sisters established Lantern Light Ministry in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Their mission is to Provide a place of peace, support, and encouragement to the working poor and homeless, in downtown New Orleans, as they rebuild their lives.
Presentation Sisters continue to work towards addressing homelessness in various ways. #CSocD
Presentation Sisters in St. John's Canada along with the Sisters of Mercy established The Gathering Place which is a Community Health Centre committed to building community, promoting equality and providing food, clothing, medical and dental help, and counseling services to vulnerable individuals in their community.
Presentation Sisters continue to work towards addressing homelessness and those affected in many ways. #CSocD
Presentation Sisters’ vision for Maryknoll
Presentation Sisters’ vision for Maryknoll
The Presentation Sisters are to leave a legacy to Tasmanians in keeping with the commitment of their foundress, Nano Nagle.
The Sisters are in the process of gifting a three-hectare parcel of land in Blackmans Bay, known as Maryknoll, to the Archdiocese of Hobart. The Church’s social welfare agency, CatholicCare Tasmania, will develop the property into 22 lots that include a mix of private ownership, affordable and social housing.
“We Presentation Sisters like our foundress cannot ignore the plight of so many and not just the poor, with regard to housing,” said Sr Gabrielle Morgan, Congregational Leader of the Presentation Sisters in Tasmania. More here
End of Week 1 Commission for Social Development
Presentation partnership in housing
Presentation partnership in housing
Sr. Ann Marie Quinn, who serves as the executive director of the International Presentation Association, was a ubiquitous presence throughout the meetings. She said the global focus on homelessness was evident in both the attention paid to the problem by the U.N. member states and in the participation of religious congregations and nongovernmental organizations from throughout the world.She hailed the leadership of the African countries on the issue, calling it a "very positive move.""We're all driven by what happens in our 'home base,' " she told GSR.
This info-graphic from our recent publication "Hidden Faces of Homelessness: International Research on Families," paints part of the picture on Family Homelessness internationally. However, there is so much that we do not know! UNANIMA International's research sets out to show that these statistics are made of PEOPLE who deserve their voices to be heard!#makingahome4everyone #hiddenfacesofhomelessness
Pubilshed on February 29th 2020.
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