Author: ATD Ireland

“Those most in need can surprise us if we allow ourselves sufficient imagination to learn from them. They teach us that honour and dignity are worth more than our daily bread.” Joseph Wresinski A Christmas Story I would always see him sitting outside on his doorstep while I was on my way to work. To be honest, when he greeted me every day, he made me feel rather uneasy. Whether it was sunny, raining, or windy, his daily comment on the weather came to be our little ritual: “Oh, today will be sunny,” or, “It’s going to rain again.” After his…

The 19th and 20th December 2016, representatives of ATD International coming from Belgium, Spain, France, Great Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, will meet in the European Economic and Social Committee, in Brussels. Participants, including those who live in poverty will take part in a dialogue, along with other people, to reflect on how to build a Europe without poverty and social exclusion. In a context where the European Union still feels the impact of receiving a massive number of refugees, where Great Britain prepares to leave the Union after the Brexit referendum, and where the economic recovery stagnates, it is important to…

Donate now and until Saturday 17th December 2pm for entries in the Christmas Raffle! For every €5 donated you will get one entry ticket in the raffle! Donate €20 and your name will appear on 4 tickets in the draw bowl on Saturday! Discover more about the work of French painter Fabienne Klein. In 36 hours you could become the owner of a priceless masterpiece! Donate now and until Saturday 17th December 2pm for entries in the Raffle! For every €5 donated you will get one entry ticket in the raffle! Donate €20 and your name will appear on 4 tickets…

The 15 year journey to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals are a long journey to free all human beings“from the fear of terror and the fear of want". On Human Rights Day 2016,  All Together in Dignity Ireland invited citizens of all walks of life to meet for the second symbolic "Long Walk to Freedom ", second of a series of 16 walks which take place each year from 2015 to 2030. The now 14 years' journey to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 United Nations Agenda is a long journey to free all human beings “from…

For One World Week 2016 and with the support of National Youth Coucil of Ireland, All Together in Dignity along with students from transition year in Colaiste Eoin created ‘The Global Goals Family Card Game’. This is a game based on a French children’s game called the ‘7 Families’ where the object of the game is to collect the 7 characters from each family. However, The Global Goals Family Card Game is slightly different. We have 17 families in our game, each family representing one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Each family still has 6 characters and each of these…

Ireland is at risk of being out of sync with European equality standards on socio-economic ground. A research published in October 2016 recommends the addition of a new ground under equality law that will prohibit discrimination and promote equality on the basis of socio-economic status. Entitled ’An analysis of the introduction of socio-economic status as a discrimination ground’, the report examines the existence and use of the ground in equality law and policies across Europe. The Equality and Rights Alliance (ERA) which commissioned the report called on the Irish Government to introduce a new socio-economic status ground in equality legislation following…

ATD Ireland with all the members Community Platform will judge Budget 2017 to be announced next week particularly in terms of the following four tests: Test 1: Will Budget 2017 redistribute income towards the poorest 20% Test 2: Will Budget 2017 strengthen access to quality employment? Test 3: Will Budget 2017 restore and strengthen public services which are of particular importance to people on low income? Test 4: Will the impact of Budget 2017 be assessed to ensure that all provisions reduce poverty and inequality? In particular, ATD Ireland would recommend that the Budget 2017: Sets aside funding to support the…

On Peace Day (21 September) and on the very days of the first anniversary of the SDGs members of ATD Ireland celbrated the historic 2030 Agenda in different ways: -   with volunteers from many NGOs we met the public in Grafton Street to raise awareness about this transformative agenda, -  with many ATD volunteers we planned a series of “Leave No One Behind” conversations with Irish citizens to be run in 2017, - with a wide range of organisations from various sectors (development, environment, global education, community groups, anti-poverty, human rights, migration, disabilities, trade unions...) we are preparing the setting…

How can there be less violence and more peace in the world? Despite peacekeeping forces, demonstrations, and calls for tolerance and mutual understanding, our societies remain rife with bitterness that gives birth to violence in many forms. The 3 volumes of the Artisans of Peace Overcoming Poverty series tell the stories of partners in peace-building whose efforts have too often remained unrecognised The 3 books wer written in close collaboration with people living in poverty around the world. Part of ATD’s grassroots work involves not only inviting people in poverty to speak about their personal experiences in their own words, but…