- ATD Fourth World

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to participate freely in the cultural life of a community and share in its benefits.

But those that live in poverty often tell us, time and again, how they would like to be able to, like everybody else, cultivate their minds, develop their talents and participate in the cultural life of their country.

It was within this framework that Mrs. Graffé, an ATD Fourth World activist from Luxembourg, accepted an invitation to talk about her experience of culture at the opening of a seminar entitled “Cultural Diversity and Cultural Rights” organised by the l’Institut de Formation Sociale.

“I’ve known ATD Fourth World since I was 26 years old. Before, I always thought: ’You don’t know how to do that; don’t even think about it, you’re too stupid!’ And I still think that sometimes. If I had just had someone to tell me, when I was younger, ’Go on, you can do it,’ I would’ve tried more.

Coming to the Fourth World House gave me the strength to try more. There is always someone there to encourage you. You’re not on you’re own. Everybody helps each other… Taking part in the cultural activities there means I get to meet new people. You can share your experiences, your ideas and the things you know how to do. I make new friends there and that’s important for me. You can laugh and have fun together. I’ve learned a lot there.

I think that everybody should be given the chance to try different things because if you don’t get the chance, then you’ll never find out what you like to do. But, to even try in the first place, you need support. For example, I took part in a music workshop and found out that I liked playing the congas and that I was good at it. I liked keeping the rhythm. So I wanted to keep doing it and found a djembe drumming course. In the beginning, I would never have dared go on my own; four of us went together. It was important for all of us to go with other people. Later, when I felt that I knew how to do it, I wasn’t afraid anymore and knew I could do it on my own. And it wasn’t far from where I lived. I also got help to pay for the course, because it was too expensive for me.

The djembe drumming is good for me. If I’m wound up or angry, I can go away and really play and I’ll feel better afterwards. It calms me down. I remember one time when we were getting ready for the class and the teacher was late. He said to me that I could start the class while we waited for him to get ready. I couldn’t believe that the teacher chose me in front of all the others.

This year, the djembe drumming course is too expensive and too far away from where I live. But because one of my neighbours takes her son to marching band practice in town, I decided to take my own son there too since he was always hitting things with spoons as if he was drumming. The first time, we just went to have a look, but I can tell that he likes it because he’s always happy on Fridays. It’s good for him.

It’s important that a parent does something with their children. Me, I watch my son play music. It’s important for him that one of his parents is there to see him. I encourage him when it gets difficult. When the teacher begins to teach them something new, straight away my son says, ’I can’t do that. It’s too hard,’ and he’ll refuse to even try. But if I try to encourage him, it works. Now the teacher has seen this and when my son gets things right, the teacher tells him. Now my son tries, even if it doesn’t always work out right. After, he asks me, ’Did I do well today?’

In a family, we have to encourage each other and tell each other when we’ve done well. Now I can see that, for the rest of my life, I’ll always be able to to do something on my own. When I’m not sure about something, I say to myself, ’Have a go on your own. Go on, you can do it…’ I know much more now what I want. I have a lot more confidence in myself than I did before.

Before coming to ATD Fourth World, I’d never been inside a museum or a theatre. Now I know that I want to go; it’s just the cost that stops me. I like going to an opera or going to to see a play, if someone will come with me. Otherwise you can feel all alone. I ask my husband or my neighbour or someone else to come with me. Sometimes we’ve all gone together.

As a family, it’s also good that we adults get the chance to go out as a couple: we can treat each other like a couple and recharge our batteries. It’s a chance for us to relax together.

Many of the people I know don’t get that chance to go out because they can’t afford it or because they can’t find someone to look after their children. But it’s important for them to get out. I’m sure that everybody needs to get out from time to time. But, first, you need to know that you want to.”

This testimony was published in the May 2008 edition of Info Quart Monde, the newsletter of ATD Quart Monde in Luxembourg.