Istanbul - Strengthen cities and humanise them through education for democracy was UNESCO's message at Habitat II, the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements that ended here 14 June.

The Organization's ethical message of placing the individual at the centre of public policy was explored at different events organized by UNESCO throughout this conference, also known as the second city summit because it followed a similar meeting in Vancouver, Canada, 20 years ago.

. "The loss of a sense of community represents a major risk for democracy," UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor said in his speech to the plenary session on 7 June. "Restoring to citizens the sense of belonging to the city ... should provide a means of reducing urban violence by eliminating some of the causes. Education for democracy and citizenship ... presupposes learning about values and acquiring behaviour that can be defined, specified and practised. Education is the key for addressing the real challenges and threats," the Director-General said referring to overpopulation, violence and exclusion.

During his speech to the plenary, and at other conference events, Mr Mayor highlighted UNESCO's goal of giving cities a human face. "That means guaranteeing the right to proper housing, which is a human right, establishing a participative form of urban governance, developing an active urban solidarity, in short, making the city serve those who live there," he said.

To accomplish this, a balance must be struck between urban and rural economies and lifestyles, Mr Mayor said. The right to housing is complicated by rural-urban migration and high population growth. Between 30 and 60 percent of urban residents in developing countries live in shanty towns and are part of the estimated 500 million human beings throughout the world who are either poorly housed or homeless, according to UNESCO.

"Improving the quality of life, housing, employment opportunities and formal and informal education are priorities for the rural environment, too," the Director-General said. "It is moreover clear that such improvements contribute to the limitation of urban growth. Population and fertility rates decrease as educational levels rise, he stressed.

UNESCO has adopted two simultaneous approaches to improving city life: sharing knowledge and encouraging practical action through partnerships between the public and private sectors--the state, local authorities and community organizations, he said. "Without the participation of the population as a whole, without the resource of its creativity, without its commitment, no significant and lasting improvements in living conditions in human settlements is possible," Mr Mayor said.

UNESCO is already a link in many of these partnerships through its programmes in education, science, culture and communication that seek to build cities that reflect democratic principles, the Director-General said. Its Culture of Peace programme aimed at conflict prevention and peace building emphasises the exercise of human rights particularly in post-conflict cities.

The Director-General was one of several panellists at "Democracy and Citizenship in the City of the 21st Century," a UNESCO-organized dialogue held 7 June. Chaired by Brazilian anthropologist Ruth Cardoso, the panellists and members of the audience discussed their visions of true democratic participation in urban life in the coming millennium.

"Contradictory trends are taking place in the cities," Ms Cardoso said. "There is a tendency in which popular participation is rising alongside social ruptures. These are manifestations of exclusion that are difficult to repair, as seen in the augmentation of violence and insecurity in the cities."

Isaac Mogase, the mayor of Johannesburg, spoke of the struggle to achieve democracy by overturning the apartheid government in South Africa. "I voted for the first time in 1994," he said. "Democracy is a new concept in South Africa and we are just beginning to come to grips with it. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all people and bring them into the mainstream."

Turkish composer and writer Zulfu Livaneli spoke of his unsuccessful run for mayor of Istanbul two years ago. A true democracy must embrace different groups, sects and races, he said.

Also on 7 June, architects and city planners described their work on urban restoration at a UNESCO-organized round table, Renewal of Inner City Areas. Their discussion was linked to a UNESCO-organized exhibit that showed how cities throughout the world were revitalised and rebuilt following socio-economic changes, wars and natural disasters. About 80 panels of photographs, architectural plans and accompanying text explained how historic city centres were restored, dead industrial zones revitalised and destroyed urban centres rebuilt.

On 8 June, UNESCO's Director-General joined 15 other participants such as Teddy Kollek, former Mayor of Jerusalem, American Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and Canadian architect Phyllis Lambert at Habitat II's Forum on Human Solidarity. Mr. Mayor cautioned against the deepening divisions between rich and poor, cities and countries. "Education narrows the asymmetries in the sharing of knowledge and the asymmetries in wealth," he said. "We have monuments, stones, physical and genetic heritage, but it has not been shared correctly. The best way to ensure our future heritage is through human solidarity."