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Notes From the U.S. Tour of South African Shackdwellers’ Movement President

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Last month, S'bu Zikode, elected president of the South African organization Abahlali baseMjondolo, or Shackdwellers' Movement, traveled across the United States to exchange lessons with leaders of social movements struggling to end poverty.

Dozens of organizations nationwide collaborated to invite S'bu and create a jam–packed schedule of meetings, strategic dialogues, public speaking events, site visits, and tours spanning six cities.

S'bu met four member organizations of the Campaign to Restore National Housing Rights during his trip. He toured important sites in Chicago with the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign. In New York City, he attended – along with the Northeast Pennsylvania Organizing Center and Picture the Homeless (PTH) – the Poverty Initiative's seventh Poverty Scholars Program Strategic Dialogue and spent an intensive day with PTH. He went on to meet with members of the Los Angeles Community Action Network in LA.

The visit by Abahlali baseMjondolo's president was full of lessons and guidance, inspiration and humility, exchange and critical reflection for many. Along the way, many of our homegrown mediamakers documented the activities and S'bu gave numerous interviews to the press. The Campaign to Restore National Housing Rights' Movement Blog has rounded up images and videos of S'bu's time with our movement, press coverage, and text of several S'bu's spirited public speeches. You can take a glance at this record of our exchange with Abahlali, and find links to access more in–depth coverage throughout, here.