Mayors have role in ensuring social peace, Coderre says
The mayors of 23 cities from around the world signed a declaration Thursday pledging to share information on how to prevent acts of violence stemming from radicalization at the close of a two-day summit in Montreal.
In signing the Declaration of Montreal on Living Together, the mayors also pledged to create a permanent forum through which they can share best practises for combating radicalization of their citizens, favour inclusion of all citizens in society and fight discrimination.
The headquarters of this forum, called the “International Mayors’ Observatory on Living Together,” will be in Montreal for the next five years, headed by lawyer and diplomat Raymond Chrétien.
Major universities from the participating cities have agreed to contribute research to the observatory, Coderre said.
“Cities, particularly metropolis- es, are called on to play a more and more determining role on how citizens live together,” Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said in his opening address at the International Civil Aviation Organization building in downtown Montreal.
“It is important to strike a balance between openness and vigilance. You can’t talk about one without the other any longer,” he said.
Citing such tragic events as the attacks in Paris, Tunis, Copenhagen, Ottawa, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu and others, Coderre says it is more important than ever to ensure social inclusion while fighting radicalization.
“We are the best prepared to deal with these questions,” Coderre said about municipal administrations, adding they cannot wait for higher levels of government to act.
“Our duty is to maintain social cohesion, a cohesion that is largely the result of urban programs and policy,” Coderre said.
He said cities must strive to maintain social peace by promoting respect, combating racism and discrimination, fostering the integration of new immigrants, designing cities to prevent ghettos — or pockets of poverty, and maintaining a dialogue with all communities.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo spoke of the challenges big cities face as they grow. Lack of opportunity, segregation of rich and poor, and exclusion of immigrants from society can create tensions that fuel violence if they are ignored, she said.
“Our cities are places of great inequality,” said Hidalgo. “These inequalities can become elements of frustration that can generate violence and some young people will inevitably be attracted to these radicalization forces that we all condemn.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said municipal administrations have to play a concrete role in closing the gap between rich and poor. Washington took action at the municipal level to raise the minimum wage, and invest heavily in subsidized housing, she said.
“Sometimes mayors can move beyond gridlock. Too often, in our legislative assemblies, people don’t get along so they are not moving on big ideas … but mayors can move on joblessness, on minimum wage, on job projects for youth, on giving people affordable places to live. “
Asked what his administration is doing about unemployment, homelessness and affordable housing, Mayor Denis Coderre said, “It’s not just up to us … We need the tools to work with ... We have a new action plan on the homeless, we are talking about social housing ... we have that sensitivity.
“This summit is an opportunity to show that we are part of the solution,” Coderre said.
The mayors also pledged to hold similar summits every two years, with the next to be held in Casablanca, Morocco, in 2017.