Comm: "The 21st century will be an urban one.

"For the first time in human history more than half of us live in towns and cities.

"Over the next 3O years, ninety per cent of all the increase in the human family will take place in the cities.

"Already a billion urban residents are classified as being poor.

"Five years ago, at the UN habitat meeting in Istanbul member states committed to a radical plan for improving the living conditions of the underprivileged.

"This week, at UN headquarters in New York the governments meet again to see what's been achieved since Istanbul.

"To see for ourselves how the urban poor were benefiting from governments' new resolve to work with them, Earth Report decided to go 'down and out' in the world's shantytowns and slums.

"We found that the poor are very far from seeing themselves as 'down'_or_'out'.

"Guided by Homeless International - an organisation working with community groups worldwide - Earth Report's crews were sent to the most deprived districts of a dozen cities. Here they teamed up with slumdweller federations and city groups to record how - against formidable odds - they are making change happen.

"Earth Report's crews returned with a message from the poor to the governments that are pledged to meet their needs: 'Listen to us. We know what works for us". Well, that's our interpretation.

"Today and throughout this month we'll be running their stories.

"If you thought the millions who must survive in the cities on a few dollars a day - or less - have given up believing they can change the system peacefully, prepare to be surprised. And moved."

Caption: Zimbabwe - Facing Eviction

Comm: "Seven years ago Chipo Mutumbu was given a few hours by the authorities to pack up and leave her home.

Caption: Chipo Mutumbu -Zimbabwe Homeless Peoples Federation

Chipo Mutumbu - Zimbabwe Homeless Peoples Federation: "At the end of '93 the government of this country, they said the farm where you are living, you are not supposed to live there.

"They said by today you must leave the farm and when you leave the farm, by one o'clock it should be clear."

Comm: "Chipo had to sleep on a roadside. Eventually she was given a temporary berth in a so-called holding camp along with several thousand others. The evicted were assured that it would only take a few months before they could be found a permanent home. It took 7 years."

Chipo Mutumbu: "During those years some of the people they start to make some co-operatives.

"Chipo is now an active member of the Zimbabwe Homeless Peoples Federation. In alliance with another group, 'Dialogue On Shelter', the Federation has grown to be a 4000 strong nation-wide self help movement. Its most practical strategy is running a savings scheme.

"The federation is helping me, they have given me the loan to build a house.

"This is the toilet and this is the bathroom and this room is a spare bedroom. But I really like it, I love it, I can't say, although it is small, to me it is so big.

"Chipo knows she will soon get that roof and a right to live without the fear of summary eviction.

"The Zimbabwe Homeless Peoples Federation is part of a growing worldwide urban self-help movement. Similar groups share experiences and gain inspiration and solidarity from each others' successes.

"One of these comes from Mumbai in India."

The Right Side of the Track - India

Comm: "Mumbai is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Many thousands are forced to live in dangerous conditions. For 30 000 households 'home' was a narrow strip beside a main railway line.

"In 1989 the people living on the tracks formed the RSDF - the Railway Slum Dwellers Federation. Their aim was to strike an agreement with the authorities on where they should be re-located. And seeing the need for the slum-dwellers to speak with one voice they found solidarity with three other groups - SPARC - Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres, the National Slum Dwellers Federation and Mahila Milan which in Hindi means 'women together'.

"For two years the coalition parleyed with the railway authorities. Indian railways needed loans to improve the lines, but could only get them if the trackdwellers were moved. In March 2000 Indian railways demolished 3000 homes, claiming that they were new houses and therefore not part of the negotiations.

Caption: Digambar Govind Goankar, Railway Slum Dwellers Federation (RSDF)

Digambar Govind Goankar: "When our houses were demolished we felt terrible. We had lived here for so long. In front of our eyes they demolished our houses. We saw all the money we'd spent, all the years we had lived here disappear in a flash in front of our eyes (and families). It was all demolished. We felt terrible. We felt like dying. We had lost our home.

"Where I am sitting now is where my house used to be."

Comm: "But the railway dwellers were not about to give in to despair. The homeless coalition rallied and managed to get 2000 families into apartments in tenement blocks. The remainder put up with temporary or 'transit' housing which they built themselves. Digamba Govind Goankar is now a leading member of a committee representing those who were given temporary accommodation.

"There is talk of future plans to move us all into apartment buildings in three years. The time limit on the transit camp is three years; we will not stay here a day over three years.

"That quiet determination seems to be paying off. By May 2001, in extraordinary collective effort over 13000 families had managed to get themselves relocated to safer homes.

"In the best tradition of Gandhian patience and obstinacy the slumdwellers associations and the people they represent keep coming up with workable alternatives. Slowly but surely trust is building with the government. Goankar is in no doubt the dialogue must continue_"

Goankar: "The government policy is to try and develop slum land. If they want the land to develop, they must first consult the slum people, because they lived there for so long they have to talk to them. The people will be ready to give back the land but before that the govt. has to find alternative accommodation and provide them with all the facilities in that accommodation. Even we as slum people agree in the development of a city.

"I feel I should be loyal to the slum dwellers but we have to work together to save money without fighting with the government without demonstration. That won't help us with us we lived in the slums and then we moved to better houses the same thing can happen all over the world by negotiating with the government we can all work together."

Comm: "The circumstances in which the partnership has been created by the railway and other homeless groups with the Government could scarcely have been more forbidding. Other slum dwelling federations have urged their governments to visit Mumbai to see for themselves how working with the poor can achieve results.

Saving for Safety - Manila, The Philippines

"The poor stay that way when they feel isolated and have no organisation they trust to work on their behalf. Most have no access to credit either. Banks don't like lending money them. It's part of the poverty trap. How do you escape it? The answer is for the poor themselves to save and lend the money themselves.

"Manila's rubbish tips, such as this one in Payatas, are employment and home to thousands of people. They make a living from the throwaway society. Incredibly the wastepickers - as they are known - can also make meagre savings.

"What the people of Payatas want most is to live at a safe distance from the mountains of rubbish. They live in fear of the kind of landslide that killed hundreds in July 2000. No-one knows precisely how many perished.

"The Payatas community formed an association which is a member of the Philippines Homeless Federation. In the aftermath of the landslide they held a rally where they pressed the government for land where they can live safely."

Lucy Jerusalem, The Philippines Homeless Peoples' Federation: "This is where a lot of the houses and victims are still buried_the dump site used to be further away but it's moving closer. The main problem here is concentrated in Phase 2, the danger zone just 50 metres from the dumpsite. We are trying to relocate the families that live here, 50 metres from the danger zone."

Comm: "For Lucy Jerusalem and the other members of the Payatas Association, the Philippines Homeless People's Federation is their advocate and bank. In a country riven by corruption it is one of the few institutions they can trust.

"Lucy's daughter is one of the wastepicker's fund managers. Their aim is not to make a profit but to lend to help scavengers find a secure home.

Lucy Jerusalem: "Dulce is my eldest daughter, she's in charge of the wastepicker's savings scheme from this dumpsite office. She's here everyday to collect the daily contributions from the scavengers. They contribute before the end of the day, before they get a chance to spend the money, so they have something set aside for family emergencies.

"This land belongs to the Payatas Scavengers Homeowners Association, it's in Mont Alban, Rizal Province. The Payatas Scavengers Homeowners Association bought the land in 1998 for 4.5million, 3.9m of that came from our savings programme. There's enough land here to house 306 families living in the danger zone and those who were victims of the landslide on July 10th."

Comm: "The Federation doesn't only work in Manila it has 200 other member groups throughout the Philippines."

Lucy Jerusalem: "Here in Payatas we just have two dreams - to get security of land tenure and to alleviation of/reducing poverty - in Payatas, these are our goals."

Verging on Success - South Africa

Comm: "Half a world away the poor of South Africa share the same dream. When apartheid collapsed, they believed they were on the fast track to a better life. But even in a country where the government is committed to providing homes, creating jobs and a better environment in the townships, change is coming TOO slowly for millions of South Africans.

"Meanwhile a nationwide movement has begun that does not depend on the government. The South African Homeless People's Federation - with its roots in the townships - is working in Durban with a local NGO, People's Dialogue, to help the homeless help themselves.

Sylvia Nzama is a member of the Federation and her story epitomises the struggle which many underwent in their attempt to get housing.

Sylvia Nzama, South African Homeless Peoples Federation: "When I first came to Durban I stayed in the Umlazi township with my husband. We stayed at Umlazi for five years. There was political violence at Umlazi. Houses were burnt down. Even mortuaries were burnt down. We ran away and stayed at the police station for months. From the police station we moved to the park. In Cannon Gate Park we stayed under black plastic bags. We had no shelter. We really struggled to survive."

Comm: "With no where to go the grass verge on one of the city's busiest highways became home for Sylvia and her neighbours. But although down for many months, they were not out - they kept in touch with the Federation and started saving.

"After months in the park, Sylvia and her community finally realised their dream of secure land when they were allocated a plot by the Durban authorities. This was accomplished through persistent pressure by the community, the Federation, and People's Dialogue."

Sylvia Nzama, South African Homeless Peoples Federation: "We like this place. We would like to develop it into a proper township with proper roads and all placid houses. We do daily saving every day. It is the daily saving that will help us one day to address these concerns. We are 155 families; about 55 people have already built houses. 10 people have already dug trenches and build concrete slabs."

Comm: "Just as in the Philippines savings and credit are helping to relocate the community they are also helping secure land and build homes in South Africa. Today the Federation has a network of 1100 savings and credit collectives.

"85% of its members are homeless women. There are now 100 000 families involved in daily savings. Sylvia's community is building houses using a loan fund owned and controlled by the Federation.

"We hope by the end of the year we will have all built houses because no one likes living in a shack. We all want beautiful houses. We are here to visit Mamma Beatrice, our housing saving scheme convenor."

Mamma Beatrice: "What makes me happy here in Gcinulawzi is that, although I still do not have a home, but one day I will get a loan to build my own house. I am sure of that because I do daily saving. I save fifty cents or one rand every day. That's the money that will help me get a loan so I am very happy."

In the Eye of a Needle - United Kingdom

Comm: "A globalising economy has benefited the developed nations most. But even in the rich nations there are pockets of deprivation and here, too, there's a parallel world where society's 'losers' are finding 'winning ways'.

"In Britain a quarter of the homeless end up on the streets as a result of a family break up. With no address it's hard to get work and government benefits. And without a job its easy to fall by the wayside even in Bristol, one of Europe's most prosperous cities. On the streets of Bristol escape for many is alcohol and the heroin needle."

Mike Baker, Groundswell: "This is one of the places called the [inaudible] down here. Where a lot of people used to stay, sleep over, hang out, doss out, whatever, do you know what I mean?

"Erm, nowadays, it's not so many people stay down here, erm, because of the problems of getting moved on all the time. You still get a few people down here now and again, hanging out, sort of just chilling out, drinking and what have you, do you know what I mean?"

Homeless person: "I had my own house, and that."

Mike Baker: "You had your own house?"

Homeless person: "Hmmm."

Mike Baker: "Was it a bad break up?"

Homeless person: "Yeah."

Mike Baker: "Yeah? Was it to do with drugs?"

Homeless person: "No."

Mike Baker: "Or just a bad relationship?"

Homeless person: "Yeah."

Mike Baker: "Yeah - the way John's ended up on the streets is one of the typical situations of becoming homeless, a family break-up, relationship break-up, do you know what I mean? Where you actually lose everything. Um, you lose your home, as he said, he had a house, he's got a missus and a little boy and that, you know, and something happens in that relationship and it breaks up and he ends up out on the street. Um, I can identify with that one myself, um, that happened to me."

Comm: "Mike spent three and a half years sleeping on the streets and it wasn't until he linked up with people from two grassroots organisations - Narcotics Anonymous and Groundswell - that he was able to find his own way to beat addiction."

Mike Baker: "I've found some people who I can identify with, and who identify with me. I found people who can tell me their story, and it was if they were telling me my story.

"Right, we're here. I think it might be an idea for us, sort of, to introduce ourselves, just to say who we are and where we come from. Yeah? So, if somebody would like to start."

Homeless person #2: "Yes, as you know my name's Pete, um this is my first time I've been to anything like this, um, er, and it's really brilliant, I think, the idea that gains the knowledge that you just want people that are homeless to be in control of their own destiny. And I think that's one of the major motivations is to want to do it, to have that little bit of hope in your life."

Homeless person #3: "I'm Harry from London; I'm a recovering alcoholic. The thing is, a lot of the reason for that is there's no direct help from the government as such for homeless people in dire need of treatment centres and places like that and this is what I hope to be striving for, is other people to change."

Comm: "Groundswell brings homeless people together to share their experiences and develop self help initiatives through exchanges across the UK.

Mike Baker: "When I went to my first meeting and I opened my mouth for the first time and I said 'my name's Mike and I'm an addict that's, that's two of the first honest things I've ever said in my life. My, my brother's a Christian, do you know what I mean, he believes in God, he doesn't want to go to Hell, right, most of us have been to hell, and we've come back out of Hell."

Comm: "Groundswell is now in contact with over 2000 groups and individuals who share one thing in common - a desire to develop their own answers without the heavy hand of officialdom.

Some Place to Live - United States of America

"In our final destination, New York, we visit another island of deprivation amid growing prosperity. In a run-down neighbourhood in the South Bronx we find that what was once perfectly decent public housing has fallen into a shocking state of disrepair. Clay Avenue is one of the places which is not benefitting from a booming city economy.

Maria Forbes, Clay Avenue Tenants Association: "Good Morning, my name is Maria Forbes, I've been living in the south Bronx for 39 years and I became a public housing resident in 1995. I needed to become a public housing resident because it was affordable for low-income people.

"Here we are standing in front of a development that was turned over to privatisation. Just look at this: it just doesn't make any sense to see buildings boarded up when there are hundreds and thousands of people on their waiting list trying to get into public housing, low income families who need housing desperately."

Comm: "The world's richest economy is built on free enterprise. Public housing doesn't fit comfortably in a society where the American dream is built on wealth created by private enterprise.

Maria Forbes: "I'm coming to a meeting to help this other tenant association, you know, we all have to stick together and we have to support each other

"They want us now to do community service in our building, 8 hours a month you going to be required to do some form of community service. Ceilings are exposed, the work hasn't been completed so poor maintenance is another thing that we face.

"You talking about people, who have, for 25 years, have been receiving no services, very little attention, so you get in the habit of not being serviced!"

Comm: "Maria Forbes tenants association is part of the Huairou Commission and Groots - a network of grassroots women's initiatives which helps give people a voice and lobby for change.

Maria Forbes: "After 20 years of neglect, these buildings was all so run down so that they had to actually vacate a lot of the apartments because they were inhabitable for humans. This apartment didn't deteriorate after the tenants moved - the tenants was living in these deteriorated conditions. And then they moved so that, you know, something could be done. But take a look at this kitchen! A family was actually using this kitchen.

"If you look here, you will see where there's a whole nest of roaches on the wall here, and that's, they been there for a long period of time. And if you even look up in here, you will see hundreds of roaches crowded around in here, because there's no on going working plan to get rid of the roaches and the rats. So umm, it's just more devastation.

"If it deteriorates to the point where it's no longer feasible to repair, then, you'll point to those developments and say 'we may as well tear that one down 'cos it's too expensive to fix it'. OK, so that's why you have, all over the country, low income housing is being torn down, pulled down, the people are struggling for 'where can we find a place to live'.

Caption: In 1998 a federal law - the Quality Housing Act - prohibited the expanded development of public housing.

Maria Forbes: "We're at my home today, because I want to prove to the world and to the United States the myth of public housing residents, that we're all substance abusers, public assistants, recipients and we're not all of that. I work hard, and even though I'm in a low-income bracket my children have gone to school, gotten their education, they've graduated, they're working. It's not that distortion they see on the news.

"We're on our way to the Emergency Assistance Unit, EAU, to see where people go once they become evicted, displaced, relocated and are unable to find housing with their families. When you go to the EAU, you will see hundreds of families who have been there for months, looking for a place to stay, trying to apply for public housing.

"So, when you applied for public housing, how long did it take you to get into the projects?"

Homeless person: "3 years."

Comm: "In New York the average wait for public housing is 8 years. 120 000 families are currently on the waiting list."

Maria Forbes: "She's been here for a month and a half with all her children, she's been hospitalised, she's almost had her children taken away, her children have missed two weeks of school. I mean, this is horrendous.

"That thing makes me so angry 'cos there's hundreds of thousands of more people in the Emergency Assistance Unit as well as people on the waiting list for low income and affordable housing.

"I want it written into law, and I want people to understand across the world that everyone is entitled to decent low income and affordable houses in order to raise their families and be a human being, just by law that you should have some place to live, somewhere to raise your families, some form of structure, foundation and stability that you will always have a place to live. That should be a law. Someplace to live. That's it."