The city of Monterrey, Mexico, welcomed the continent's communal organizations movement with the meeting of the Continental Front of Communal Organizations (FCOC, the Spanish acronym) on the 13-15 November. They covered a full agenda relating to neo-liberal globalization, problems in urban areas and the exploration of new strategies to tackle such issues.

Delegates from 19 countries of the Americas attended the event – the 9th since the FCOC was established in Managua, Nicaragua in 1987 - .

 The delegates discussed a broad range of themes, which included the exchange of experiences, analysis of international momentum, the rights of urban dwellers, the struggle against imperialism and the FCOC's strategies.

One of the key concerns of the 9th conference was the current impact of neo-liberal globalization on the continent, in particular free trade agreements (Free Trade Area of the Americas – FTAA, bilateral agreements and Puebla Panama Plan), militarization (Plan Colombia, Regional Andean Initiative), and within this framework, the policies of organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, G8 and others.

Rights of urban inhabitants In Latin America, 75% of the population lives in urban areas. In some countries like Argentina, Chile and Venezuela, urbanization rates exceed 85%. Megalopolises like Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro each have more than 10 million people living in them – they are amongst the most populated cities in the world.

Even though this explosive growth has slowed to some extent over the last few years, there has been no such reduction in fragmentation and social inequalities, both in metropolises and in mid-size cities. On one side, the cities are the places where the most privileged classes live in their mansions and closed condominiums, with shopping centers as their main point of reference. On the other side, the city's outskirts and peripheries increasingly grow to become the places where the poor survive, as also in parts of city centers.

Cities are finding themselves immersed in processes of neo- liberal globalization, and polices promoting privatization, deregulation and flexibility; each of which have had severe social, cultural and economic consequences. The serious problems that big cities face like poverty, marginalization, crime, environmental issues, the growth of disorder and the lack of space to live, are becoming commonplace in the medium-size and small cities as well In this context the organizations proposed the need for greater participation in urban and rural planning, to ensure that development benefits all communities and respects the right to a life with dignity; food, education, work, health and recreation for all sectors of the population.

On the issue of the environment, FCOC considers essential the creation of ecological networks and international agreements to recycle and find industrial uses for waste. In relation to security, the organizations questioned the resolutions made at the Hemispheric Conference on Security which took place in Mexico, considering they aim at "the increase of repression and militarization in American countries", and propose instead the concept of citizen security based on compliance with humans rights. The reality of different countries.

 During the international event, which was enthusiastically welcomed by Mexico's popular urban movement, delegates reviewed the situation of Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Chile, Cuba, Canada and Argentina amongst others. In the case of Bolivia, delegates highlighted the involvement of residents of El Alto, La Paz and other towns, in the overthrow of Sánchez de Losada's government. The conference paid tribute to the dozens of people recently murdered by military forces. In honor of these inhabitants and all those who have given their lives for social struggles, the FCOC agreed to set up "the global day of the urban dweller", whose date will be decided soon.

Regarding Colombia, participants indicated that 100 community leaders have been murdered in the armed conflict and that 2 million people have been displaced from their homes. The success of urban social movements in recent regional/local elections was also recognized and delegates confirmed their hope in and support for a peaceful end to the armed conflict. In relation to Mexico, delegates presented several experiences where they have taken on various ways and means of fighting for their rights.

These range from independent management of governments, to forms of collaboration with left-wing parties. In each case the predominant theme has been anti-imperialism and direct democracy. Similarly, delegates emphasized the violation of human rights, for example the detention of 600 prisoners of conscience, the behaviour of parliamentary groups who have committed massacres and the rape and murder of women in Ciudad Juárez that have never been investigated. In the case of Cuba, the role of the Committees in Defense of the Revolution was highlighted.

Their activities include all aspects of human convivence and being always ready to counteract an attack orchestrated by the US. In the same way, the meeting rejected the financial/economic blockade on the island which has been practiced by successive US Administrations. It also called for the liberation of the 5 Cubans imprisoned in the US "in the international fight against terrorism".

Turning to Chile, the conference paid tribute to President Salvador Allende and emphasized progress made since the return of democracy "stressing that we must defeat ignorance and advance in the integral education of the Chilean people".

 Finally, in the case of Argentina the meeting stated that the origins of the crisis, which have led to unemployment, institutional breakdown and corruption, were foreign debt, neo-liberal globalization and privatization.

Facing this situation, it was emphasized that the FCOC in Argentina must support social organization aimed at defending the social/political/cultural interests and the social well being of Argentineans. Winds of change Delegates also focused their attention on debating the changes that FCOC needs to introduce, in light of the new demands which neo-liberal globalization poses.

 Various community leaders proposed the need to "adapt", "restructure" or "redefine" the role of FCOC. Others refused to use these words, they instead signaled the need to find a balance between the role of the organization when it was set up in Nicaragua in 1987, and progress made since then, recognizing both successes and failures. "The fact that FCOC has been going for 16 years is a strength in itself, but today we find ourselves living in a totally different context. There is the globalization imposed by the imperial powers and at the same time diverse movements across the planet propose a globalization of solidarity, whose biggest expression has been made at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. Since the 80s, new productive groups etc have emerged which require to be treated differently" said Roger Muro from the Group of Urban Initiatives, Lima, Peru.

"We must build strategies that allow us to take back our cities, to make them just and sustainable and to strengthen cultural aspects as a cohesion element of our societies" said Guillermo Rodríguez, leader of the inhabitants group of Veracruz, Mexico. The delegate of the Mexican "Popular struggle" movement, Fermin Garcia, proposes that the FCOC should stand up for strategic political aims such as the struggle not only against neoliberalism, but against capitalism and for the construction of socialism.

For the delegate of the national Confederation of Inhabitants' Associations of Brasil, Valerio Lopez, the debate about refoundation or no refoundation of the FCOC is a false one, since the real issue is to "take bigger commitment and place the popular organizations movement in line with the new technological and social realities. What matters is to fight for a continent free from imperialism and GMOs, oppose the FTAA which will cause more unemployment and labor instability".

After this stimulating and sometimes heated debate a conclusion was reached that the FCOC recognizes the need to advance in their program and their organizational structure, so that it can take initiative in the challenges of the world and continental context. In other lines of action it was agreed to give greater attention to women's rights and cultural diversity, and the incorporation of new actors, advance in the training of leaders and develop communication policies and strategies.

In order to have a greater presence and influence in international agendas it was agreed to strengthen the presence of the FCOC in the World Social Forum, promote the creation of the World Inhabitants Organizations, adopt the World Charter for Human Rights in the Cities and establish bilateral relations with the International Alliance of Inhabitants.