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Jean-Paul Huchon President of Metropolis |
Councillor Parks Mpho Tau Executive Mayor |
World Mayors, who care about their cities and their people, will gather in Johannesburg, from 16-19 July 2013 to participate in the Metropolis Annual and Board of Directors Meeting. On behalf of Metropolis and the City of Johannesburg we are pleased to invite you to this auspicious event.
The City of Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa. It has the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa, and it is recognized for its innovative public policies. The City also has diverse cultures, languages and ethnic groups.
The event will provide a platform for networking and exchanging of ideas. It also bring together government leaders, city managers, urban managers, experts, international NGOs, academics and other important stakeholders from around the world.
The theme, "Caring Cities", is based on the concept of Ubuntu, an African ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations. Caring Cities are cities that strive to offer a high quality of life, showing a sense of humanity and exchange, providing comfort and dignity for all citizens and deliver solutions that meet the needs of their citizens.
The Mandela Day celebration on 18 July coincides with the event. It will translate this concept into individual and community actions.
The agenda is intended to ensure that key issues of "care" are placed on the global agenda of metropolitan areas. As a result, the thematic sessions will focus on key issues for sustainable urbanization such as food security and resilience, financial sustainability, urban innovation, citizen participation, resource resilience, social cohesion, the informal economy and housing. Several prominent international speakers have already confirmed their attendance.
In addition to the Metropolis Statutory Meetings and the delegates programme, progress on several Metropolis Initiatives and the training program of the association will also be presented. The Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV) will hold its Board of Directors Meeting and the Metropolis Women’s International network will organise its Antenna’s Annual Meeting. In addition, the South African Cities Network and the UN-Habitat’s Global Network on Safer Cities will organize activities aimed at building more caring cities.
We look forward to seeing you in Johannesburg in July 2013 to work together for the future of our cities.
