On 15 November 2021, ATD community activist Andrew spoke over zoom at a European event titled “Listen to the Cry of the Poor in the context of Covid- 19 and its recovery organised by the COMECE Social Affairs Commission”. The purpose of this webinar was to bring the voices of people who have suffered from poverty and of the Church to the EU institutions to discuss how best to address poverty in the context of the Covid- 19 pandemic and recovery. The Statement of the COMECE (Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community) Social Affairs Commission states that despite declining poverty in the last decade, in 2020 “around 10% of European workers were at risk of poverty, and about 5.5% of the EU population faced severe material difficulties (Eurostat) while nearly 34 million Europeans and families were unable to keep their homes warm”.
Introductions were first made by Ms Partizia Toia, MEP and Association Lazare Belgium.
Along with Andrew, the panellists included, Bishop Antoine Herourard, President of COMECE’s Social Affairs Commission, H.E Ms Marie- Louise Coleiro Preca, Ms Shannon Pfohman and Mr Jiri Svare and the panel was moderated by Alix De Wasseige, COMECE Policy Advisor for Social and Economic Affairs.
The statement produced by COMECE, and Andrew’s speech both recognise how the Covid 19 pandemic exacerbated the experience of poverty, with many losing their jobs, left with extra heating and household costs and suffering from increased isolation, “As we all know this last 18 months, was a difficult time for many people, particularly those who had felt excluded and were dealing with persistent struggles and worries even before the pandemic”.
Andrew introduced the Lockdown Liberties project, and described how it restored hope for our members struggling during the lockdown.
“We were liberated from isolation and distracted from poverty- the reason I use the word distracted – is that poverty is consistent, and the writing set us free from our prison of the mind”.
Transparent
Your constant mocking echoes again and again.
If only silence let peace begin.
Eradicate your torment with the swipe of my pen.
A little trick learnt while confined to a cell.
How the beauty in a poem can free one from hell. (Poem by Paul Uzell)
Andrew emphasises the importance of providing spaces such as lockdown liberties for those experiencing poverty to have their voice heard. Projects such as this can empower people to speak about their experiences. Listening to these voices is the only way we will create any tangible change in society.
“This Lockdown project supported me to be here today and speak out: Finding the strength and confidence to speak out is essential, and an early step in any real partnership for creating change- this should not be overlooked”.
What does it mean to live in poverty?
‘Poverty is not being able to smell the flowers because the stress of life gets in the way.’
“This simple sentence makes us very aware of many of the issues facing people living in poverty”
Andrew then speaks on the Hidden Dimensions of Poverty research carried out by ATD Fourth World and Oxford University, and how poverty is a multidimensional issue.
click here to see the full report.
He highlights one particular dimension ‘unrecognised struggles, skills and contributions’ and relates it to recommendation 8 in the statement of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission:
‘Foster integral and multidimensional approaches that recognize the true value of the ‘poor’ and promote their effective participation in our society’ – yet we prefer to use the term ‘People with an experience of poverty’.
“When I was young, I was written off, by many…due my situation with addiction – but now I have defied all the odds: Now I have the skills and experience because of the struggles I went through”.
He explained how the skills and knowledge of people with an experience of poverty are too often unrecognised and pushed to the side-lines. This prejudice “results in people in poverty feeling they are treated like lesser human beings”. The devaluing of the talents of those in poverty further entrenches the cycle of poverty, greatly impacts mental health and ultimately is of detriment to society as a whole
Genuine participation and building trustful partnerships is key
Andrew then focused on the need for genuine participation, meaning that people in poverty should not only be listened to but also have their concerns and ideas acted upon.
“But people with direct experience of poverty should be recognised as experts on poverty and should be included in any societal debate, we need to address this – and maybe change the tables to be more accessible! This participation is essential but it takes time and efforts to build up the confidence to speak out”.
Discrimination
Andrew and ATD recommended the inclusion of discrimination as a central aspect of poverty in the Statement of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission.
“When you live in poverty and you experience socio-economic discrimination you don’t have any real protection, even though in Ireland we have already 9 discrimination grounds in the equality legislation. We are not protected; we constantly fall through the cracks”.
He then shared two examples of the lived experience of socio- economic discrimination.
“When my wife was in hospital giving birth to our first child, the first person to visit her was a social worker, and because we had a history of addiction, the social worker came down on us pretty hard and this really made my wife afraid that our baby would be taken away by the social worker.
In the end the social worker visited our home and everything was fine.
But should this be the way you bring your first child into the world – with fear and discrimination?”
“The Stigma and Shame of Living in Poverty: Actually, hurts me when I’m walking down the street. And because of me appearance, because I can’t go in and buy new clothes when I feel like it and that you know. Like I actually feel people looking at me. It’s not looking at me, it’s, it’s actually looking at me appearance. I don’t think it’s fair, you know. The effects it has on me anyway is physical and mental. The judgement hurts, the shame. It is all to me embarrassment”.
Andrew concluded his speech by saying, “I would like to stress that we really need to act together for change, with no one left behind, and make us again feel proud of Europe and what Europe can stand for.
Thank you for listening and thank you for this experience – when I said earlier on that many people had written me off- I was one of them. I would have never imagined myself speaking out at an event as important as this. We are here and willing partners.”.
Andrew was very pleased with the event overall and the genuine interaction and listening, saying “I felt we got our point across and these people carry the power to make a difference”.
After Andrew’s address, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference commented: “Thank you Andrew. A very powerful testimony. Looking forward to meeting you to discuss your important work and how we can add a voice of support from the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference”.
Afterwards Alix De Wasseige on behalf of President of COMECE Social Affairs Commission H.E. Mgr Antoine Hérouard, sent a message to ATD and Andrew thanking them for their involvement in the event. “Many thanks for your openness, for sharing with us in a very short time both your experience and your recommendations on how to tackle poverty. We have all been very touched by your contribution, and we will bear in mind what you said”.
It is hoped that the topics discussed at this event will help to guide EU policies and strategies in the near future.
