If Only You Knew – Stories of Change

Download “If Only You Knew” here!

Coraline, Long and Paul presenting “If Only You Knew”
to the President of Ireland (7 March 2018)

Laoise presenting “If Only You Knew”
to Minister of Employement Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty (20 Nov 2017)
Watch the video of the launch here!

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On Tuesday 21st November in the DCU Library in Dublin, Maureen O’Sullivan TD launched our new short collection of stories ‘If Only You Knew – Stories of Change’ .

Discover all the pictures from the launch event here!

The event was the opportunity to mark the International Day for Tolerance (16 November) and the Universal Children’s Day (20 nov).

In collaboration with participants ATD captured the stories of over 30 people who illustrated a “key moment” in their lives. The stories take the form of narratives, poems, songs, and all give voice to an experience where the person exhibits the strength that helps them through the challenges they face living in poverty and social exclusion.

As part of the 2017 Stop Poverty Campaign (see below), ATD Ireland run this storytelling project. Each month from March to August 2017, ATD held sessions where volunteers could share these stories and listen to the stories of others. These sessions were an opportunity to encourage each other to ‘build one’s stories’.

The project “Stories of Change” creatively provided a platform for members and volunteers of ATD’s network to write a story illustrating their life experiences. Publishing a book of these stories validates the experience of people whose voice is often not heard or valued.

Marking the International Day for Tolerance (16 November) and the Universal Children’s Day (20 nov).

Tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our diversity of forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities made up of different people. The stories collected in “If only you knew” invite to improve our skills for Tolerance and are many messages of hope and encouragement told by those who have experiences of hardship and difficulties.
The stories have been written and collected with hope it will help us all to come together and prepare with our children a better future for people and the planet. ATD welcomed the fact that the launch takes place at the occasion the Universal Children’s Day!

The ATD 2017 Stop Poverty Campaign goes on with a call on the People of Ireland. The Irish Government is currently in the process of evaluating the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2017 and aims to publish a new Anti-Poverty plan in 2018. ATD aims to bring everyone who wants to make a difference together, all stakeholders: public bodies, teachers, trainers and researchers, corporates and services, youth groups and pensioners, and the people who fight against the poverty and stigma that they experience. The ATD call is accessible at www.werareone2017.org

Stories of change from all around the world collected by ATD international can be discovered here!