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ATD General Assembly 2021: ATD Fourth World is a human rights movement dedicated to the eradication of extreme poverty and which works in over 30 countries in the global south and north. To help oversee and support this worldwide engagement, ATD Fourth World has an international Board of Directors which has a unifying and governance role. ATD Fourth World International highly recommends to read our uplifting annual report 'Reinventing Our World Starting from People Living in Poverty'. (click here to download the full report.) The Board Directors, together with representatives from the different countries in which ATD Fourth World works, meet…

On 28th May, the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland's Working Group for Basic Necessities, which ATD Ireland is a member of, published a briefing note, “Addressing the Problem of Income Inadequacy and Meeting Basic Needs”, highlighting the link between income inadequacy and the increasing demand from people for basic necessities as provided by the Community and Voluntary sector. The briefing note reveals how low-income households are being forced to make difficult choices, such as paying rent and utility bills, leaving little remaining income for other expenses. As a result, people are having to rely on supports provided by charities and community organisations…

Click here to read our Annual Report 2020 :)

On Monday 12th April, we ran an online workshop for second year Social Work students at Trinity College Dublin. It was facilitated by ATD members Andrew, Ciara and Dann, and Professors Erna O’Connor, Sinead Whiting and Robert Gilligan from Trinity’s School of Social Work and Social Policy.

ATD community activist Andrew speaking to the students over Zoom

The workshop began with a discussion about what poverty meant to the students. We then showed our ‘What Does Poverty Mean?’ film, made for 2020’s 17th October World Poverty Day, which was followed by a discussion on how the film relates to Social Work. You can watch the film here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNFqUHVfgxg. The facilitators highlighted positive practice by social workers, as we did not want to exclude the many positive experiences that people have with social workers. 

The second half of the workshop focused on statements from ATD community activists with direct experience of social work, including Gavin and Lorraine. They also read poetry they had written on the subject. Socio economic discrimination was discussed as an issue many faced when dealing with social workers. The unequal power dynamic between parents and social workers was highlighted, as well as the fear that many people feel towards social workers.

ATD community activist Gavin recording his section of the workshop

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On Wednesday 10th February, we held an online demonstration of our new educational resource, The Hidden Dimensions of Poverty. This tool is based on the international participatory research project ‘The Hidden Dimensions of Poverty’ by ATD Fourth World and the University of Oxford. It aims to educate people of all ages about the findings of this report and the process of participatory involvement of those with experience of poverty. Both the report and the educational resource focus on the aspects of life in poverty that are often overlooked. Those attending the online demonstration came from a diverse range of backgrounds, including…

We recently set up a new poetry page. You can find it here.

Words from Paul (ATD Community Activist) The UN say that Leave No One Behind (LNOB) is the central, transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Why is the LNOB Promise important? The SDGs and the Leave No One Behind promise offer possibilities to everyone and give hope to the people who are often left behind. As this promise is people based and not just for the politicians, it opens the door for ordinary people to engage with and take ownership of the political process. This is heavily needed as we know government policies…

All Together in Dignity– ATD Ireland is seeking a motivated person to join their small and dynamic team for a 3 month internship starting mid January.  The internship is designed to give an opportunity for dedicated and talented individuals to gain experience working for the eradication of poverty, the protection of human rights, the prevention of discrimination and the promotion of the Agenda 2030 through a wide variety of grassroots projects.  ATD Ireland works with people who are living in, or have experience of, extreme poverty. ATD Ireland supports those dealing with homelessness, addiction, poverty and mental health.  This internship offers a great…