It has been more than a month that the winners of the “Rethinking Bon Pastor” competition, have been announced and it is great to hear that one of the 4 winning proposals is making echo in other parts of the world: this time in London, UK. The initial intention of the competition is actually being accomplished and is that of widening mobilisation and resistance against forced evictions through the case of Bon Pastor neighbourhood in Barcelona.

The proposal WITH-IN WALLS, made by the Bonthinkers group made of professionals with different backgrounds but with the same focus on urban related issues, has been chosen to be part of the exhibition Cities Methodologies 2010 organised by the Urban Laboratory of the University College of London.

The exhibition that goes from the 5th to the 7th of May, is aimed to urban practitioners, researchers, students and others interested in the “making” of contemporary cities. This showcases recent innovations in urban methods from current researchers at UCL, through the juxtaposition of installations, films, maps, models, objects, performances, photographs, poems, talks, texts, walks, websites and workshops.

During the 5th and the 6th , Bonthinkers will be projecting a video that narrates the story of the contested redevelopment regarding the Bon Pastor Neighborhood. It focuses on the historical background of the area, its relation with the general process of the modern city transformation; the resistance carried out by some of the families living there and protesting against forced eviction from their “casas baratas”; the consequent destruction of these cheap houses and the forced moving into the new blocks of flats to be constructed in situ. In the video it is underlined the interest by the International Alliance of Inhabitants and their support through the strategy of opening an ideas competition to spread far and wide; to mobilize people globally about the issue of forced eviction; to give voice to different communities from different parts of the world fighting for the same right to the city.

On Friday the 7TH (at 11.00 am London time, 12.00 am Barcelona time) the group will be presenting the proposal in a public forum, at which live connections with Yves Cabannes, chair of the Advisory Group on Forced Evictions of UN-Habitat, Cesare Ottolini, the co-ordinator of the International Alliance of Inhabitants and some of the Bon Pastor local inhabitants, will be set up to present the current scenario.

All the issues that will arise in this talk/discussion event will contribute hugely to the process of strengthening the voice of those without one.

You are very welcome to come to the exhibition and debate in livestreaming and to keep updated visiting our website.

Repensar Bon Pastor