WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing), in conjunction with organisations of waste collectors, supportive researchers and NGOs, has initiated a project that aims to facilitate international networking and solidarity amongst organizations of informal waste collectors, with a view to increasing their visibility and voice internationally. This includes convening an international conference in Latin America in September 2007. At present the Steering Comittee is identifying and recording information o­n democratic, member-based organisations of informal waste collectors in different regions of the world. This includes worker cooperatives, associations and trade unions organized locally, nationally or regionally. The Steering Committee is also interested in identifying and collecting information o­n NGOs that support and work with groups of informal waste collectors.

Please contact:

The Steering Committee

Christine (Chris) Bonner: WIEGO: Organization & Representation Programme, chrisbon@absamail.co.za

Current Steering Committee Members

Laxmi Narayan:General Secretary, Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP), India, wastematterspune@gmail.com

Martin Medina: Programme Manager, Institute of Global Environmental Strategies, Japan

Sonia Maria Dias, Minas Gerais Waste and Citizenship Forum, Brazil

Laila Iskander, CID, Egypt

Luiz Henrique and Severino, National Movement of Wastepickers, Brazil

for more details.