The Project

Aim
With ”The south of the cities”, the Institute for Theology and Politics (ITP) wants to point to symmetries and asymmetries in cities of the global South and North. Simultaneously, we want to find ways of working against a neoliberal reorganisation of cities in a solidary way. This is to happen in a North-South-dialogue. In doing so, ”The south of the cities” focuses on the role of grassroot organisations and organisations in social movements. It aims at establishing links for a “globalisation from below”.

Thesis and Questions
The thesis of the project is that processes of globalisation are visible especially in the cities. Privatisations, deregulations and the informalisation of work lead to intensified social divisions and fragmentations; they are most clearly to be seen in the megacities.
The project ”The south of the cities” investigates two questions:
1. Where and when are struggles against neoliberal globalisation in cities successful?
2. In the South and the North the state withdraws from former public tasks and is replaced by NGOs or putatively new models of participation of citizens. How do emancipatory organisations deal with this situation? Are they able to counteract the neoliberal policy which aims to incorporate them?

These questions are to be examined in three different areas:
1. (Re-)Appropriation of the city against commercialisation of public spaces, of public goods and the role of state power, in terms of police power. Struggles for social rights and against the policy and ideology of insecurity are also topics in this area.
2. Citizenship
Grassroot organisations and NGOs, cooperating with state and local institutions, are in danger of being incorporated into the neoliberal policy. Are there starting points for a real democratisation of municipal institutions? Which ones have proved to be successful, which ones have failed or are in crisis? What about, for example, the participatory budget management like that in Porto Alegre/ Brazil or in Berlin-Lichtenberg?
3. Migration
Many migrants live in big cities. They often take their right to live into their own hands and ”appropriate” the city, independent of laws, of restrictions, of the freedom of movement, of the right to vote, etc. They play an important role politically, economically and culturally – even though they are often made invisible. That is why migration and the autonomy of migration will be a cross-section topic in our project.

Elements
The project consists of two visiting programmes, each lasting about a fortnight. One will take place in September 2005, the other in February 2006. Furthermore, after each of the programmes, there will be a symposium, and finally, there is this interactive web portal.

The whole project is sponsored by the North Rhine-Westphalian Foundation for Environment and Development.