Posted by Unseen, Unheard, Unhoused: the sociology and architecture of homelessness
Homelessness in Switzerland is invisible to most of us, yet it exists and is growing, from the streets of Zurich to cities around the world.
Whilst homelessness is a known problem in big cities like New York, San Francisco, Washington DC and London, homelessness in Switzerland is somehow kept out of sight. How much do we really know about it?
The Joint Alumni Forum invites you to a revealing evening that may change how you see your own backyard - three voices, three perspectives: a politician who shapes policy, an academic who studies the root causes, and a street worker who meets people experiencing homelessness every day.
We will explore the sociology, psychology, and the architecture of homelessness through an international lens. You may be surprised by what actually helps, and what doesn't. Come with your assumptions. Leave with new awareness.
Panel Speakers
(i) Stadtpräsident Raphael Golta: Mayor of Zurich, Head of Mayor’s Office - responsible for urban development, cultural affairs, housing & equality policy. will give the keynote address on Homelessness in Kanton Zürich and his work in this area over the years. He will also talk about his ambitions to bring the Homelessness World Cup to Switzerland to raise global awareness of homelessness.]
(ii) Dr. Matthias Drilling: Professor of Social Work, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Author including books on homelessness. Dr. Drilling will give a more global outlook on homelessness, iincluding root causes and urben planning - He will also give a perspective on other social problems we are facing in Switzerland and elsewhere.
(iii) Friederike Rass: Geschäftsführerin, Strategie & Transformation, Social Impact & Innovation. Public-Private Partnerships. Friederike will talk about her work with homelessness in the streets, and the surprising revelation that only 15% of homeless women will admit to being homeless or seek social assistance.
Moderators:
Diane Bailey: Executive Board of Harvard Club of Switzerland and Founder/Chairman of the Joint Alumni Forum with an MPA from Harvard JFK School of Goverment.
Jonathan Copley: President of Oxford & Cambridge alumni club of Switzerland and Joint Alumni Forum committee member. Graduate of St. John's College, Cambridge.
***
The Joint Alumni Forum, a social responsibility committee of the Harvard Club of Switzerland and cooperation with the alumni clubs in Switzerland of Harvard, Oxford & Cambridge, Stanford, Yale and Columbia University was established in January 2018 as a forum for discussion, education and debate on various themes encompassing social responsibility (i.e. equality themes, environnment, sustainability, human rights, etc.). The outreach for the speakers series is broader than the alumni of universities in the collaboration, but also like-minded representatives of institutions and interest groups based in Switzerland and members of the public.