FAITH4SDGs: Ensuring Safe and Affordable Housing (Goal 11)
FAITH4SDGs: Ensuring Safe and Affordable Housing (Goal 11)
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
In 2017, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake destroyed much of the infrastructure in Chiapas, Mexico, leaving thousands homeless and affecting more than 300,000 families. Approximately, 40,000 homes were partially damaged and 17,000 were completely destroyed. Since the earthquake, Habitat for Humanity has worked on more than 50% of damaged homes in Chiapas. The organization employs qualified architects to ensure houses are seismically safe and involves communities in the design process.
Under Goal 11, KAICIID's Faith4SDGs project is profiling Habitat For Humanity, an ecumenical Christian, nonprofit housing organization which operates in 70 countries to empower the world’s poorest communities to overcome the chronic lack of decent housing. Habitat has an open-door policy: All who desire to be a part of this work are welcome, regardless of religious preference or background, and homes are built for people in need regardless of race or religion.
Join us for a film screening, followed by a Q&A session with guest panellists from the fields of housing and urban planning to discuss how rapid urbanisation is resulting in a growing number of slums, inadequate and overburdened infrastructure and services, as well as what faith communities can do about it.
You are encouraged to submit questions and topics you would like our guests speakers to explore!
SPEAKERS
Luis Armenta Fraire
Chief Operating Officer, Habitat for Humanity Mexico
Born and raised in Mexico City, Luis has 25 years of experience in working for international faith-based organizations. He has worked with Habitat for Humanity in Mexico for the past seven years and currently serves as COO, leading the operational areas of the organization.
Luis also has 15 years of experience in marketing and communications (handling media relations, corporate communication and development), as well as a background in strategic and operational leadership in non profit organizations. Previously he served as Communications and Marketing Director for World Vision Mexico and later as COO. He has also covered humanitarian emergencies in Latin America through his work with World Vision.
Luis holds a BA in Social Communication and also Marketing. He has completed studies in Creativity and Human Development and is a certified Logo Therapist and Thanatology specialist. He was trained as facilitator in Gender and Development and is a certified Zenger & Miller Building & Management Facilitator.
Luis has worked with ecumenical and interreligious groups since 2008 when he was co-chair of the Ecumenical AIDS conference.
Mike Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP
Mike is a landscape architect, planner, urban designer, leader, and author with over 30 years of professional experience. Having both extensive private and public sector experience, he has designed and helped build a wide variety of projects, including urban design projects; National, State, Regional, and local parks; plazas, community amphitheaters, fountains and water features; and residential designs.
Mike has been a recognized leader in the field of Parks and Recreation for many years. In 2011, Portland Parks & Recreation (and Director Abbaté) received the Gold Medal from the National Recreation & Parks Association (NRPA) as the best-managed large municipal park system in the United States.
In 2013, Mike was inducted into the Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects (FASLA), an honor that is bestowed on less than 5% of all landscape architects in the US. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Recreation & Parks Association, and is an LEED Accredited Professional, with expertise in sustainable development and design strategies.
Mike is the author of the book Gardening Eden, looking at the intersection of environmental stewardship and spiritual faith. It is published by Random House/Waterbrook.
Tiago Masrour
Tiago Masrour was senior project manager for the Bahá’í House of Worship in Santiago, Chile until its completion in 2016. The project, which was intentionally designed to reflect the beauty of the natural landscape around it, was awarded the 2017 Innovation in Architecture Award presented by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC).
Masrour has focused on interreligious efforts since his appointment to the Interreligious Council of the Chilean government between 2015 and 2018. He then helped to found the Interreligious Dialogue Association for the Human Development of Chile. Over the past decade he has collaborated with diverse religious communities, governmental agencies and civil society to promote the defense of human and religious rights and the advancement of universal peace. Currently, Tiago divides his time between business management at an IT firm, promoting spiritual education, particularly among youth, and his family. He is also working on his Masters in Global Technology and Development at Arizona State University
MODERATOR(S)
Kaleb Warnock
Kaleb is a Public Affairs Officer and multimedia storyteller at the International Dialogue Centre, where he creates and commissions multimedia stories to promote dialogue and the work of the Centre. In addition he trains staff, KAICIID Fellows, programme beneficiaries, dialogue activists and practitioners in photography skills, visual communication and storytelling for advocacy. He is a graduate of the Lik Academy for Photo and Design, the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and Iowa State University.
