Welcoming Luncheon 17 June 2008

Welcoming Luncheon 17 June 2008

By Shavika Maharaj

Attended by over 1000 international delegates, Your City conference held in Durban South Africa, aims to provide a platform for discussion and deliberation over issues relating to youth, crime and policies that contribute to making our cities safer, and by extension more habitable.

Hosted by eThekwini Municipality, and working in conjunction with the provincial government of Kwa-Zulu Natal and UN – HABITAT, this event started off with an opening welcome address by eThekwini Deputy Mayor, Logie Naidoo who gave a warm introduction of Durban to international delegates, urging the public and all delegates to make the most of the conference and in essence benefit from the information received. Whilst the orchestra signaled for the next speaker, the MC for the event (Ms. N. Masondo– Director of Social Crime Prevention in the Department of Community Safety and Liaison for the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal) g delivered an introduction to the night’s guest speakers. A panel of interpreters was available to assist with translation into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Zulu and South African Sign Language.

The first speaker, a Mr. Lous Zamorano, Director General of Urban Infrastructure and leader of the “Rescue for Public Spaces” Programme, Mexico provided an inspiring account on the utilization of public spaces for social and community development whilst Ms M Shaw, the Director of Analysis at International Centre for the Prevention of Crime chose to demonstrate her presentation on the Summit’s background paper via a slide show that worked effectively with visuals ranging from a railway station in Cape town, that street kids are forced to seek shelter in to a representation of the grime in Durban’s very own Warwick Avenue.

Closing remarks were made by Mr. B.H Cele, member of the executive Council for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, KZN, South Africa, who emphasized the importance of communities recognizing youth as having the potential to change societies around the globe for the better. He then invited delegates to join VIP’s at a Welcoming Cocktail Function branded ‘A Hip-Hop Celebration’ at uShaka Marine World.