President of the International Committee for October 17
Message from the President of the International Committee for October 17 – 2022
Aye Aye Win On October 17th, we will commemorate the 35th anniversary of the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty and 30th anniversary of the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In these three decades, we have made significant...
Where Extreme Poverty Endures, Hope Is Taking Shape
The Letter to Friends Around the World is not simply a collection of testimonies. It is received as an encounter with voices that too often go unheard. Yet these voices carry within them a remarkable strength, capable of transforming the way we see the world and the...
Summary of the 2026 Consultation
Every year, October 17 marks an international mobilisation to give a voice to those who struggle every day against poverty. The theme chosen for this day does not result from a decision made by a small group: it emerges from the words of hundreds of people, including...
International Poster for October 17, 2026
A consultation was launched in February, inviting people who face poverty and exclusion every day, as well as those standing in solidarity with them. As a result of this consultation, a main theme and sub-theme have been chosen for 2026. Below, you will find the...
Concept Note for October 17, 2026
The Concept Note from the International Committee for October 17 is ready! It is the result of the consultation held in February with the network of individuals, groups, associations, and organizations that make up the Forum on Overcoming Extreme Poverty. This...
Press Release: Villarceaux Declaration
AS BILLIONAIRES' WEALTH SOARS, INEQUALITY REACHES ALARMING LEVELS - LARGE PARTS OF HUMANITY SUFFER HUNGER AND MISERY — THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR OCTOBER 17 SOUND THE ALARM. VILLARCEAUX, FRANCE - 6th June 2026 — In a world where a tiny handful of individuals own...
Share Your Views on the Theme for October 17!
Following the exchange of ideas launched during the February 2025 consultation on the main theme for 2026 and 2027, we now invite you to share your views on the theme for October 17, 2026. This will include both a main theme, intended to run for three years (until...
Giving Back Dignity and Providing Opportunities to the Most Vulnerable
I am the coordinator and founding member of the NGO, MEABF Mutuelle de Micro-Entrepreneurs pour l’Amour du Bien-Être Familial (Mutual Organisation of Micro-Entrepreneurs for Family Well-Being), based in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our mission is to empower...
Uniting for the Dignity of All
In this Letter to Friends around the World, we are pleased to share more true stories from people making a difference. They allow us once again to marvel at what each of us, starting from our own reality and sensitivity, can do to build a world free of extreme...
Breaking the Chains of Injustice: the voice of rural women
Seynabou Mbengue, from the Federation of Senegalese NGOs (FONGS – a rural initiative) based in Thiès, Senegal, shared these words with us in the context of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028). Her contribution is also in recognition of the...
17 October: Message from the President of the International Committee
Message of Solidarity 2025 October 17 is a day of togetherness and hope. On this day, our global family of “we the peoples”, children and adults, the young and the elderly in all our beautiful diversity from every corner of our planet — from tiny villages to big...