Thirty years after the Declaration of the Int’l Year of Shelter for the Homeless

By W.D. Ailapperuma

The year 1987 was declared as the ‘International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (IYSH) by the UN General Assembly, on a proposal made by the then Prime Minister and Minister of Housing of the Government of Sri Lanka, Ranasinghe Premadasa, with the objective of drawing attention to plight of the homeless people, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, around the world. This declaration, to a significant degree, raised global awareness to the continuing distressed living conditions of the world’s urban and rural poor, and consequently made conditions of homelessness, a focus of world public concern.

In a subsequent initiative soon after, the Global Strategy of Shelter to the Year 2000, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1988, emphasised an enabling approach to shelter provision and improvement with a view to mobilising, utilising and co-coordinating the resources of families, community organisations, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and governments at different levels working together to improve the living conditions of people everywhere.

The declaration of the IYSH also strengthened Sri Lanka’s role as a leader in providing innovative, people-centered human settlements development strategies. Sri Lanka, under the leadership of Prime Minister Premadasa had by then, designed and was implementing the pioneering ‘Million Houses Program, based on an ‘enabling’ approach. Given added impetus by the IYSH in 1987, and formalised by the ‘Global Shelter Strategy ‘in 1988, the principles set out in the enabling approach marked a considerable break from the provider based housing policies of the past, the world over.

In Sri Lanka, the International Year, referred to as the “International Year of Housing’ for easier communication, was marked by series of activities ranging from Religious ceremonies and extensive awareness campaigns to the establishment of several demonstration human settlement projects. The Year 1987 commenced with the laying of the foundation stone on the first day of January, for the installation of a golden canopy over the sacred tooth relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. This task was completed at the end of the International Year on 31 December 1987. Religious ceremonies were also held on January First at several selected places of worship around the country to usher in the International Year. The Gam Udawa 87 in Kataragama was devoted to the IYSH. 

The series of activities organised during 1987 was spearheaded by an extensive awareness program which kindled the imagination of the people at all levels and in all parts of the country. All public offices throughout the country displayed IYSH banners and sign boards throughout the year while awareness was extended to the public, especially to the student population through seminars, art and essay competitions, and media programs. 

Let us commemorate 30 years since the declaration of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless(1987), which kindled hopes and raised aspirations amongst the millions of homeless around the world and commit ourselves to promoting, protecting and ensuring the full and progressive realisation of the right to adequate shelter for all.

[The writer is the former Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Construction and Director of the IYSH Secretariat, Sri Lanka (1987).]