On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we can learn from the courage and expertise of the individuals, families, and communities living in the midst of violence. All over the world, armed conflicts, climate disasters, and dangers of all kinds leave us in a state of shock; yet people are still forging paths toward a future of solidarity and peace. They compel us to hold on to hope.

In Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as in other parts of the world, regions are ravaged by armed conflicts that result in insecurity, scarcity, and forced displacement. Members of the ATD Fourth World Movement continue to reach out to the most isolated families, and they tell us:

“Conflicts not only destroy homes and infrastructure; they also undermine relationships between people.”

That is why they work tirelessly to enable marginalised families to meet one another. And so, “little by little, bonds are being built that foster respect, understanding, and friendship.” These efforts enable children to participate in peace camps so that “they become messengers who spread the values of friendship, solidarity, and peace among people around them.” They point out that the efforts “are not enough to end armed conflicts, but they show that lasting peace is built on the recognition that every person — even those living in the greatest poverty — possesses dignity and the capacity to contribute to change.”

In areas plagued by gang violence, parents worry that their children will be drawn into the gangs. In other places, they fear their children will get caught up in drug trafficking or criminal networks. The parents’ hopes are sustained when they see young people who challenge the situation, like René, who participates in ATD Fourth World activities in his neighbourhood and says:

“I do this because I want to offer children positive role models like I had when I was younger.”

In Europe, people who witnessed the brutal destruction of a neighbourhood where a Roma community had long lived are rallying in support of the families in the community. One of them tells us: “The neighbourhood was wiped out, with a level of violence and rage I had never seen before. We filmed the columns of children and parents being driven out. We presented evidence before the European Court of Human Rights.” In places where differences are exacerbated and give rise to conflict, people are not afraid to stand in solidarity with the most marginalised people, forming alliances to denounce human rights violations, both politically and legally.

In the United States of America, Rose objected to the federal government sending the National Guard to her town and wrote her town council members a letter in which she asked: “Why are our civic leaders not uplifting the profound beauty of our community? Why insist that [our town] is at peak levels of dangerousness? Declaring a state of emergency and calling in the National Guard will not make [the town] safer. Quite the opposite: it will make our wonderful town much less safe, and put kids — mine and other people’s — in real danger.”

She then demonstrates how her family, her children, and her neighbours not only feel safe but actually are safe thanks to everything her community has done to ensure no one is left behind. She also emphasizes that certain rights are being denied to the people who need them most for their basic security.

In 1984, Joseph Wresinski, the founder of ATD Fourth World, shared a reflection on nonviolence:

“Human rights without love, without an unwavering respect for human beings, do not serve the most marginalised people. But equally, love that does not recognize their human rights leaves them in a state of isolation, in painful inequality, and powerless in the face of humiliation.”

Joseph Wresinski and everyone who is resisting today call on all of us to live together in mutual respect in order to build lasting peace.

Chantal Consolini Thiébaud, Joëlle Girard, and Daniel Marineau
International Leadership Team
International Movement ATD Fourth World