Paper short abstract:

The paper looks at local-global activism in the realm of housing taking ‘Shack/Slum Dwellers International’ (SDI) in South Africa as a case in point. Focus will be given to emerging rescaling of practices by these transnational grassroots networks and the meaning for housing and urban research in Africa.

Paper long abstract:

The paper looks at local-global activism as a new phenomenon in the realm of housing based on a research project, which included empirical studies in South Africa. The focus will be on the activities of 'Shack/Slum Dwellers International' (SDI) in South Africa, an alliance between local federations and national support NGOs. The SDI model has been studied in terms of their practices such as enumerations, savings, exchanges and relations to the state and international agencies. Here, focus will be given to emerging rescaling of practices by the transnational grassroots network namely on three levels: 1) the organisational shift from membership to settlement-wide representation, 2) the change in their objectives from single projects to city-wide programs and, 3) finally the shift from transnational exchanges to foster regional clusters. The core question raised is how can we conceptualize evolutions of transnational grassroots practice and the meaning for housing and urban research in Africa?

References:

Herrle, P.; Ley, A.; Fokdal, J. (eds.) (2015): From Local Action to Global Networks. Housing the Urban Poor. Ashgate: Farnham (UK) and Burlington (USA).