- ATD Fourth World

The European Councils of Lisbon and Nice ranked «the eradication of poverty by 2010» among the main priorities of the European Union. Which paths can we take, what should we implement in order to attain such a goal? Without deep analysis, strategic ambition and an agreement to prioritise human development, the objective of «eradicating poverty» will remain but wishful thinking.

In order to contribute to this debate that the International Movement ATD Fourth World’s Institute of Research and the «Futuribles» group organised two days of forward thinking on «Insecurity and extreme poverty in Europe towards 2010». Some of the recommendations and proposals to come out of these days are highlighted here.

A true democracy requires the recognition of the equality of dignity of all human beings, the desire of people to live together in harmony, and a steady progress towards the respect of fundamental rights for everyone, within as well as beyond our borders. The most disadvantaged populations, the most deprived of access to these rights, show us the paths we must take. It is essential to follow these paths, aware of the commitments and restraints placed upon all of us.

1. The European Union must develop with eastern and central European countries (with candidate countries and also with countries which are not yet part of this process) policies which support these countries in their fight against poverty and enable them to ensure true social protection for everyone. Reflection and discussion must be undertaken in order that the foundations of social cohesion can be laid as a priority in the poorest areas of eastern European candidate countries. In all the discussions and plans concerning economic modernisation as well as in the drafting of legislation, the situation and future of the poorest populations must be a reference point.
   
2. The objective of eradicating extreme poverty must be present in the text of any eventual European Union constitution and lead to the implementation of the Nice Objectives in the fight against poverty and social exclusion and the access to fundamental rights for everybody. Every two years the European Commission must present an evaluation report on progress in these areas, to be debated by the European Parliament. The Charter of Fundamental Rights, after improvements, must be incorporated in any eventual constitution or in any other treaty.
   
   In order to evaluate progress in human development, the European Union and Member States must develop «participatory indicators», determined by research projects in association with representatives of people living in persistent poverty, universities and other partners. It is impossible to measure correctly reduction of increase in poverty without the people who experience it.
   
   Therefore, the European Union and the Member States must put themselves in a position to hear the voices and the experiences of people living in persistent poverty and their representatives. This assumes the creation of a genuine civil dialogue open and accessible to all, particularly organisations to whom the poorest people belong.
   
3. In order to realise the access of all to fundamental rights, significant progress must be made in several key areas:
   • Bringing to an end policies that break up very poor families - practised for decades in the majority of countries in the Union - and to substitute them with policies designed to strengthen and support families.
   • Establishing in the European Union and in each Member State, the goal of eradicating illiteracy within a set deadline and to take all the means necessary in order to reach this target;
   • Transforming «second class» rights, for example employment measures for social integration that have been developed in numerous European Countries, into a genuine right to decent work. In pursuit of this goal, multinational businesses based in Europe could engage in pilot projects in link with N.G.O.s.

The European Union and Member States must redefine policy on asylum and immigration, so that tens of millions of individuals and families are not condemned to a clandestine existence, deprived of fundamental rights over the long-term and, because of that, the risk of falling down or sinking into deep poverty. The policy of cooperative development must itself also be redefined in order that Member States respect their commitment to development aid and to reducing the debt of the third world, and in order that this aid really enables the populations concerned to become agents of their own development.