Mouvement ATD Quart Monde

What is needed to eliminate extreme poverty?

2010-03-20T07:27:09Z

In their experience, with regard to over 30 countries, North and South, and actions taken, the ATD Fourth World movement has launched several discussions and plans of action:
Extreme poverty is not to be accepted as fate, it is the work of mankind which can be ended. This conviction spurs action in the field with people in extreme poverty and the different social and economic players. It also spurs responsibility on all levels in the society: local, regional, national and international to create ambitious policies for fighting against extreme poverty.

Extreme poverty affects all aspects of life : education, professional training, work, resources, housing, access to health care, participation in social, political, cultural and spiritual outlets in life. Fighting against extreme poverty includes taking into account simultaneously all of these aspects which are so strongly intertwined.

To effectively fight against extreme poverty, it is best to create conditions conducive to the active contribution of people and social groups that live in extreme poverty and fight as hard as they can. Winning their contribution creates an environment of trust and exchange of ideas.

To reach the people and groups affected most by extreme poverty, it is necessary that available persons go to the places where they are forced to live or seek refuge and establish with them lasting and trustworthy alliances. These alliances will help to create and gear up for the necessary changes.

The evaluation of any program and policy for fighting against extreme poverty must be made by calculating the benefits that will be derived for the people and groups that suffer the most and undergo the most severe exclusion. This type of evaluation must be done with them.

Eliminating extreme poverty would therefore be an implementation of ambitious policies on the local, national and international scene, equipped with verifiable financial and human means, which can only lead to a profound change in mentality by everyone.

In the midst of difficulty, sharing knowledge is a time for joy, meeting others, and getting involved

2010-03-19T07:29:15Z

The January 12, 2010 earthquake changed the way each one of them looks at life. Today, people find themselves in a situation in which they didn't plan or choose to be. They live and sleep in small shelters made of tarp or cloth, or else simply out in the open. The families and children who find themselves with nothing do not understand what's happening to them. In the midst of this context that is so difficult to accept, sharing knowledge offers an opening and allows people to meet and listen to each other, sharing both difficult moments and joy. The street library paints a fresh picture of life—that of joy, pride, solidarity, and peace.

Despite the mess of their current lives, the children always remember Thursdays. They can hardly wait for us to arrive, and by 9 a.m. each Thursday, many of them are already there waiting for us. The others arrive soon after, called over by their friends or parents. That's how we got 120 children (between the ages of 2-14) to participate in our activities last Thursday.

Whether it's during reading time, group singing and story-telling, or arts and crafts at the end of the morning, parents are with us to help us keep things under control, helping their kids and other kids and supporting us. They pay attention to all aspects of the given activity. They enjoy watching their children while they work. One mother stated: “The activity that you're doing is very important, for the children have lost touch with books since January 12th. This will help them get ready for classes when they start up again.” The children are proof of solidarity and take care of each other. They make sure that each one has a place to sit to look at books. They go look for those who are not there when the activity is about to begin. When it begins, parents come over to ask what steps they have to take to sign up their children (there are none!). Others invite us to go to other camps where their families are.

When we pass through the camp, children ask us to go to their homes to visit their parents and take us to all the other homes. They have us meet their friends so that no one is forgotten. They all know each other. The children come from different places, but they play together like little brothers and sisters. They make the effort to go look for others, and even for children at the neighboring camp. The parents are always very proud of their children, and very happy to welcome us. Therefore, the library is not an activity that only takes place Thursdays, but all week while the children get ready and build trust between other children, their parents, and us.

The library doesn't only get children and parents involved, but also youths who come to help. Last Thursday, one of these youths was really struck by a young girl's drawing, so she took the time to listen to her, since children express their thoughts through their drawings. They show that they still love their country, despite the disastrous situation in which Haiti now finds itself. A child thus drew a blue and red boat—the colors of the Haitian flag—under the flag, and wrote: “I love Haiti”. Another boy drew the new Haiti of his dreams: a Haiti where life gets back its rights; where there is work; where there is an agricultural policy that values the work of peasants; where school is free; where children can grow up in peace; where there is a housing policy; where all mountains have roads; where citizens unite under a single flag; and where the environment is respected. He wrote in big letters: DEAR HAITI.

In the middle of all kinds of distributions taking place in the country, children teach us that they also wait for other things, like the chance to discover stories in wonderful books or to express themselves with paper and pencils. When we arrive with books, tarps, pencils, and paper, children greet us with as much joy as if a truck full of food or water were arriving. They are also hungry to learn and thirsty to share.

Saint Jean Lhérissaint and Dimas Perez, Volunteers Corps members

What causes extreme poverty?

2010-03-18T16:46:15Z

“Extreme poverty is the work of mankind and only mankind can destroy it.”Joseph Wresinski

This quote greatly explains that extreme poverty is not to be accepted as inevitable or fate. It also gives responsibility not just to a certain class of people, but to all classes and the responsibility and the work to end it to all classes of people.

Everyone can contribute to initiatives that increase or reduce the exclusion of the less fortunate at school or at work, in your social life, peer groups and action by political groups, unions, cultural or religious organizations that contribute or do not contribute to human rights efforts.

In every country, where the freedom of expression exists, ATD Fourth World, does not hesitate to denounce private and public systems, behavior by individuals or groups that contribute to exclusion and extreme poverty and proposes change through humanitarian organizations. The objective is to create an environment for unity in order to re-establish human rights anywhere they are being violated due to extreme poverty.

How many people living in poverty are there?

2010-03-18T16:46:12Z

Some figures from the United Nations Development Programme:

More than a billion people live with less than a dollar per day.
2.8 million people, that is to say almost half of the global population, live with less than 2 dollars per day.
448 million children are underweight.
876 million adults are illiterate, two thirds of which are women.
Every day, 30,000 children under 5 die from avoidable diseases.
More than a billion people don't have access to healthy water.
20% of the global population have 90% of the wealth.

ATD Fourth World produces qualitative studies on extreme poverty through its Research Institute, but it is not a statistics-producing organisation. Since the 60's, ATD Fourth World has asked the authorities, in each country it is present, in Europe then worldwide, to give themselves the means to meticulously measure how many people are victims of extreme poverty and the effects of policies designed to overcome destitution.

Gradually, studies have been carried out. Mostly these are statistics on the income of people and households, but also on access to work, accommodation, healthcare, an education system and adult training. These statistics can be found on the websites of global organisations such as the World Bank, UNDP; or Eurostat, the European statistical organisation and on national statistical sites.

However, most of the time, there is no simultaneous review of data to allow measurement of how many people or households have difficulties (no money, no accommodation, no work, no access to healthcare, no quality education etc.) and for how long. And yet the poorest people and families are known to be in gradually worsening situations.

ATD Fourth World asks statistic-producing organisations to work with representatives of people living in exteme poverty to define together all participative indicators of the fight against poverty and exclusion.

Is poverty increasing or diminishing?

2010-03-18T16:46:08Z

It is very difficult to answer this question, because the answer depends on the definition of poverty that is adopted and the quantitative indicators that are used. Some measures can have the result of supporting people and populations living in precariousness and leaving aside those in extreme poverty, making their life even more difficult.

An example for clarification: A country's "GDP per capita" indicator is used to compare poverty in one country to that in another and also measures poverty from one year to the next in the same country. It is used extensively. It is calculated by dividing a country's GDP indicator by number of inhabitants. If the wealth of the country's 10% richest inhabitants increases, the GDP rises, and therefore the indicator will go up, whilst nothing is to say that the situation of the country's poorest people is improving.

In 2000, the UN launched the Millennium Goals, of which the most well-known is that to reduce by half the number of people living with less than 1 $ per day (in 2009 1.25$). This goal is unfair, because it does not say what aims there are for the other half who remains below this threshold and whose situation may get worse at the same time. For example, it is the poorest people and populations who pay the highest price in food, financial and economic crises.

This is why ATD Fourth World asks that this is not only based on numbers, but also that the views of people living in poverty are taken into account to answer this question seriously. They also ask that if some people's situation improves in a particular domain, we endeavour to understand why the situation hasn't improved for others. Because it is likely that policies can be improved so that no-one is left aside.

What are the definitions of poverty ?

2010-03-18T16:46:02Z

There are many definitions of poverty , which depend on the point of view of those who produce them. Over the centuries, these things have been viewed from various perspectives: religious: the poor, as an incarnation of God; moral: the poor as responsible and guilty for their situation; politics: the poor as victims of an exploitive system; etc.

ATD Fourth World aims to understand and make the points of view of people and populations in extreme poverty about the realities they live with known. Not only the description of these situations, but how these people feel and what explanations they give to themselves.

From this research linked to the poor, came the definition that Joseph Wresinski proposed to France's Economic and social Council, which was then used by Mr Leandro Despouy in his UN report on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights:

“The lack of basic security connotes the absence of one or more factors enabling individuals and families to assume basic responsibilities and to enjoy fundamental rights. The situation may become widespread and result in more serious and permanent consequences. The lack of basic security leads to chronic poverty when it simultaneously affects several aspects of people's lives, when it is prolonged and when it severely compromises people's chances of regaining their rights and of reassuming their responsibilities in the foreseeable future.”(10 and 11 February 1987)

Ne pas accepter pour les autres ce qu'on n'accepterait pas pour soi même

2010-03-18T16:32:28Z

Venu à Dole (France) pour une conférence publique, Pierre Saglio répond aux questions d'une journaliste de RCF sur la précarité en France, la nécessité de tenir compte de la dignité de tous dans toutes les actions. Il insiste sur la nécessité de développer une mobilisation citoyenne au niveau des commune, en solidarité avec les plus pauvres, pour que les élus soient soutenus dans leurs efforts pour que les droits de tous soient pour tous, en particulier en matière de logement, d'école, de soins, etc. - Droits de l'homme

Ne pas accepter pour les autres ce qu'on n'accepterait pas pour soi même

2010-03-18T16:28:19Z

Interview de Pierre Saglio

Le lecteur ne marche pas ?
IMG/mp3/2010-03-17_Pierre_SAGLIO_president_d_ATD_quart_monde_.mp3

Skills for Life

2010-03-18T08:25:45Z

Representation at the European Union

2010-03-18T08:19:02Z

- Working for participation by, and representation of, disadvantaged population groups within local, national, and international bodies.

Conference "Exclusion, a Challenge to Democracy." imprimer

2010-03-18T08:14:19Z

It was democracy in action, December 17-19, 2008, when more than 300 participants, academics, grass roots workers, and persons living in extreme poverty, met for a colloquium at the Political Science Faculty in Paris, France. - Conducting research to expand knowledge.

The Research and Training Institute

2010-03-18T08:08:47Z

Street Libraries in Poland

2010-03-18T08:03:46Z

Make a donation

2010-03-18T07:11:13Z

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