- ATD Fourth World

The International Movement ATD Fourth World has a permanent delegation to the European Union.

The Founder of the Movement, Joseph Wresinski, first entered into dialogue with the European Commission in the autumn of 1972. The delegation to the European Union was set up little time after.
In 1980, an Intergroup called the " Fourth World European Committee " was formed by the first Members of the European Parliament to be elected.
In collaboration with the European Economic and Social Committee, the Movement has organised European Conferences of the Fourth World People’s Universities at two yearly intervals since 1989. These have proved to be a unique opportunity for people in poverty to meet and enter into discussion with European officials.

Actions

1. Providing opportunities for European officials and civil servants to share their commitments and to reflect about the place of the poorest populations in the construction of Europe :

• The Cercle de pensée Joseph Wresinski meets 4 times a year in Brussels to confront the experiences of participants with the philosophy of the founder of the Movement, around a theme based on current events or trends.
• The Association for Fourth World Solidarity is made up mostly of European officials and civil servants. They meet regularly to exchange about their commitments alongside the poorest people in Europe.
• The Fourth World European Committee is an intergroup of the European Parliament. It was created in 1980 to allow Members of the European Parliament to introduce the concerns of people living in extreme poverty into their work.
• The celebration of 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. A commemorative stone in honour of the victims of poverty inaugurated on 29 May 2002 in front of the European Parliament.

2. Creating occasions for European officials to recognise the contribution of the poorest populations in the construction of Europe :

• Through participation in meetings and the writing of documents which highlight this contribution and put forward the propositions of people living in poverty.
• Preparation with delegations of people living in poverty for meetings with European officials, to allow for direct meetings between two groups of people which seldom have the chance to think together.
• The European Fourth World People’s Universities, taking place every two years, bring people and families living in poverty together with European officials.

3. Political action with the aim of having the European Union advance in the fight against poverty in partnership with the poorest populations :

• Through the maintenance of a permanent working relationship with several Committees of the European Parliament and Directorate-Generals of the European Commission.
• By working in partnership with other NGOs at a European level as active members of EAPN (European Anti-Poverty Network), the European Platform of Social NGOs and the Permanent Forum of Civil Society.
• Choosing priority areas for action. Last year, the Movement focused on the Convention on the Future of Europe. Current priorities include : respect of human rights for all, European Strategy for Social Inclusion, reinforcement of the fight against poverty in strategies for sustainable development, support to family , services of general interest, civil dialogue.