Introduction for Seminar on Urban Issues and Multi-Culturalization

Good morning! Sisters and brothers: It is both an honor and a privilege as well to come before you today, representing my grassroots organization Picture the Homeless, which prides itself on being led and directed by homeless and previously homeless persons.    The organization maintains its social justice commitment and its independence by not being funded by city, state or federal government sources.

 

I currently serve my group as a board member, and work within three (3) key committees: Civil Rights; Economic Justice; and Globalization. My name is Jean Rice, I was born on July 1, 1939; in Anderson, South Carolina.

 

Both Picture the Homeless and I were born in a climate of oppression and exploitation.

 

Sometime in 2000 or 2001, when I met Picture the Homeless, I learned that this organization was founded on the principle that “homeless people have civil and human rights regardless of our race, creed, color or economic status; that sounds like multiculturalism to me.

 

It is further stated in our mission statement that we refuse to accept being neglected and we demand that our voices and expertise are heard at all levels of decision making that impact us.

 

So to some extent my work in the area of social justice is guided by concepts acquired in Wilson Calvary Baptist Church, in Anderson, South Carolina, where I learned that all of humankind has one creator, which binds all of us together in sisterhood and brotherhood. However to a greater extent my work is shaped and directed by my organizations mission statement and our by-laws.

 

Picture the Homeless joins you who have gathered here today in your noble and ambitious quest to address the global issues of rapid urbanization and multiculturalism. We have been told in J. John Palen’s work, The Urban World; that each year 93 million people are added to the worlds’ population. 97 percent of this growth occurs in less developed nations called The Third World. In 1950, only three (3) cities in developing nations had populations of 5 million or more. Currently there are over forty (40). In 1950, New York, London, Moscow, Paris and Chicago were among the largest cities in the world. Of these only New York remains among the ten largest cities worldwide! In Brazil, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have joined Japan with Tokyo and Yokohama and there are others like Mexico City; Calcutta and Shanghai.

 

What are the consequences of this rapid “over-urbanization”? How do we go about developing policies that address pollution, disease, poor health and unemployment and what about global land reform? Here in the United States, Most of our urban centers have also undergone a demographic transformation, how does this fact impact upon public policy-making?

 

           According to Jeffrey D. Sachs; before we leave this forum today, more than 20,000 persons will have died because they are too poor to stay alive. Of this 20,000 people; 8,000 will be children, dead from malaria, 5,000 adults, moms and dads dead from tuberculosis.7,500 young adults dead from AIDS_ All of these deaths occurring on a daily basis.

 

            This global level of marginalization, this dehumanizing of our fellow sisters and brothers, has led Picture the Homeless to take on a global construct.

           

            After reviewing the results of the North American free trade agreements we went to Florida to oppose the exploitative elements of the proposed free trade of America’s agreement that would have sent the entire hemisphere into a form of neo-liberalism. We went to the World Social Forum to lobby for Global participatory democracy in the policy making process.

 

            On the local level we have engaged the status-quo on issues such as the right of homeless New Yorkers to access public spaces without unconstitutional harassment from elements of local law enforcement; this struggle went all the way to Federal district court, where a settlement was reached.

 

            Another campaign that I am extremely proud of is the one concerning public solicitation; i.e panhandling; as a first amendment right. We also have been able to force a working relationship with the states Attorney General. The issue: the ability of persons who collect recyclable containers to collect the deposit on these items as proscribed by both city and state law.

 

            Through these two campaigns: Picture the Homeless was able to impact upon the lives of hundreds upon hundreds of homeless New Yorkers lives, in a positive manner. Most of the people who receive the benefits of these campaigns don’t even know us. They have never been to our office. No one else came to the forefront to champion their cause.

 

            In conclusion, this statement is indicative of who Picture the Homeless and Jean Rice are. I want to invite all of you to our afternoon workshop, where I will be addressing the issue of the New York Police Departments illegally fingerprinting homeless New Yorkers. Other members of my group will be speaking about other vital policy matters, I’m sure it will be both educational and informative.

 

                                                                                                Thank You.