Celebration of World Cities Day 2018

On the occasion of World Cities Day 2018, on 31 October, under the theme “Building sustainable and resilient cities”, UNESCO will organize a series of events to highlight the key role of cities in promoting social inclusion and diversity: a Roundtable - Artistic Performances - a Film Screening.

The role of cities as drivers for change has constantly expanded as they become major actors in steering positive social transformations, both locally and internationally. As incubators for cultural, social, economic and political innovations, cities are well-positioned to instill a type of governance that fosters inclusion and diversity, and that defends and protects the rights of its citizens. After all, urbanization is not only about aiming to become a smart and green city, but also about being an inclusive city

Notable speakers at the event will include the Mayor of Sheffield (UK), Magid Magid, a former refugee from Somalia, Ted Terry, Mayor of Clarkston (Georgia, USA), a town described as “the most diverse square mile in America,” and Mayor Teresita de Jesús Luis Ojeda, the young indigenous mayor of San Dionisio del Mar in Mexico.

Live video link with the UN-Habitat Executive Director Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif from the Global Observance of World Cities Day in Liverpool (UK) – one of around 20 global events taking place to celebrate the day.

Programme:

Urban Dialogues (10:00 to 5:00 pm, Room IV): Featuring mayors, urban specialists and artists, the session aims to foster reflection and creative thinking on how local authorities, together with their own citizenries, can take leadership in weaving the sociocultural fabric in urban spaces.

The themes of the panels are the following:

Panel 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Cities: Understanding the Human face of Urbanization

Panel 2: Innovation for sustainable urban development: what works, what doesn’t?

Panel 3: The power of art as a vector for inclusion and non-discrimination in the urban space

The Urban Artists are Present (5:00 to 6:00 pm, Segur Hall): An artistic segment will be organized with street artists who have become, in their own right, social activism influencers in the urban space. Displaying the wealth of urban creativity, it will be a testimony to the continuing rise of this artistic genre as a symbol of social realities in urban culture.

“Sky’s the Limit: Painters of the Extreme” (7:00 pm, Room XI): Screening of the documentary by filmmaker Jérôme Thomas, to be followed by a short debate. The film narrates the history of muralism, a growing worldwide phenomenon, its impact on the urban landscape, and how creative expression can contribute to social integration.