¶ Squatters (1)
Index Entry
Squatters:
"All around the world there are large squatter settlements, as for instance in Puerto Rico, Caracas, and Bombay. These squatter settlements may increase by as many as a million people a year. These settlements are referred to formally as ‘self-help’ groups because they improvise something to sleep under that sheds off the rain, whether it’s high wet-strength, three-ply, corrugated paperboard or rusty corrugated iron. These squatters are on land that by sovereignty-originated deeds of law ‘belongs’ to somebody else. The squatters are continually approached by racketeers who tell them (secretly) that the police are going to show up and evict them, but if the head of the family or the individual will give the racketeer some money, he knows the owners and will arrange that they be allowed to remain,
"In order to cope with this phenomenon, the UN Vancouver Conference passed a very extraordinarily wise and humanly considerate resolution. In travelling around the world and visiting such squatter settlements, I have observed their beautiful community life. People introuble cooperate in a thoughtful and loving way. Their way of life is so beautiful that I have always said that if I ever have to retire I will
