- ATD Fourth World

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We can consider, from a large point of view, the future and the past; but we can equally do it crossing life’s concrete steps to find the essential questions and the true challenges.

My family were lucky, being helped by an ATD Fourth World volunteer and being able to write their story after working on it for over 5 years; we’ve been able to trace from 1747 seven generations of misery and fighting for survival, fighting for our children, for our future; fighting which continues today.

The worst thing that could happen to a family is to be split up; when, because of poverty, the children are put into care, what had happened with my sisters and brothers and myself. Here’s what my mother had said about this: 

“ Misery makes life impossible.  There was a need to do something for our children.  But their adoption made me lose all faith; I was no longer interested in anything.  Very often, the adoption of our children tears the family apart – we were lucky to find those committed at our sides, in order that our children were able to come back home”.

What happened so that we were able to come home and retake charge of our family life?  My mum explains today: “I was clearly given the choice: give up drinking or give up my children.  At that moment, I’d asked myself what are they involving themselves with? But today I’m happy to have been given that choice because I was given the responsibility.  As important it was to give me this calling, was also the fact that I could rely on outside speakers who committed themselves at my side.  Families like ours, everywhere in Europe, do everything to stay together.  At the same time, these families are absolutely aware that on their own they cannot escape poverty.  However, they’re scared because their experience teaches them that the help they receive often hinders their family life.  It’s why these families prefer to keep the maximum distance possible from the social intervenes.

In front off all this, the first question linked to our work today would be: what support, what accompaniment really helps?  One thing seems very clear: paternalism doesn’t help us to go forward because it makes us more dependent as a family.  I know some families who are treated in such a paternalistic way, that they are no longer free to take any initiatives.  For 10 or 20 years, they’ve not moved an inch.  A support, an accompaniment can only be positive if we give each other the possibility to assume our responsibilities, facing the future.

Our family had the chance to arrange a social support through a go-between, somebody with whom we could discuss with and who didn’t come everyday to see us, but whom we could count on if we needed him.

More life is difficult, the longer misery lasts and you find less and less people around you and they take less into account what you think and what you do.  The worst is a situation of poverty – it’s not the lack of money, it’s being looked down on.  We make you feel clearly that you’re not capable of doing anything and if we repeat this day after day, month after month, you’ll end up believing it.    Thus my mother felt so ashamed that during many years, she didn’t dare to take anything on.  This exclusion that we suffered in our family only stopped when others, after years of effort, came looking for us and helped us to recall again.  This commitment allows us today to say: “People like us are not worth less than others”.  Aside from this co-responsibility, facing the future, this lengthy commitment from one to another is the second absolute necessity!  Allow me to clarify this:

During many years, I worked in a laundrette and I’m actually a painter!  Recently, a young trainee came to work in our workshop.  After only a few days, several of my colleagues said: “This won’t work”.  I made them understand very clearly that they don’t have the right to say that this person has nothing to offer.  Everybody is talented, a domain where he’s strong.  Nobody is recoupable.  Does society really take the time to discover the hidden talents of those less qualified and with which they can go further if we believe and invest in them?  Who’s taking the time to discover these talents and to look for training that corresponds with them?  Who’s taking the time to follow up this training? When we say “taking the time”, several questions are asked:

How do we consider the time taken with those that have very few qualifications? As lost time or as a real investment, as a chance to build a real future?

We know that all investment has a price – what risk do we dare and want to take with those that have been for a long time put on the borders of society?

I’ve had to pass myself my painting exams twice – twice in a row, I didn’t succeed in passing.  The workshop responsible then went to the training centre to speak with the chief painter because he didn’t understand what was hindering me from obtaining my diploma.  I began again because they believed in me and because they gave me some space to advance.  Their confidence made it so that I was able to paint much better – I became surer of my jests, not feeling as much pressure on me.  

When we know my background, we know how important it is not to mishandle the situation in order to put ourselves before those whom have harder lives than we do.  It’s this that made me speak out for the trainee in the workshop: “You should have seen me when I first came here: I felt much more useless than you.  I’m sure that you are worth more than you think”.  Today, he’s still working with us.   And I try to make sure that he doesn’t just sand down wood, but that he can paint at the wheel and so the others don’t treat him like the tea boy.

For many generations, for those that aren’t allowed many chances, are rapidly excluded.  For them, the jungle law continues.  If, in Europe, we’d like to live according to the Universal declaration of Human Rights, we can’t continue to exclude other human beings from future generations as if they were not recoupable and without a future.  NO!  We must put ourselves behind their will and thus we’ll go a long way together.

Thank you.
Frans Polen.