‘‘We must all work together to advance the rights of those living in extreme poverty and ensure that their voices are heard and their dignity respected.’’ Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights (2008-2014).
In 2012 the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted...
Find out more
More frequently around the world, we hear people living in precarious situations say, as one man from Burkina Faso told us, “Even in extreme poverty, a person has ideas. If these ideas are not acknowledged, people sink even further into poverty.” All people, regardless of their living conditions, look at the world, experience the world...
Find out more
Dear friends,
We are happy to send you this special 17 October edition of our Letter to Friends Around the World. Thirty years ago, 100,000 people gathered on the Trocadero Human Rights Plaza in Paris to answer Joseph Wresinski's Call to Action:
“On the 17 October 1987, defenders of human and civil rights from every continent gathered...
Find out more
Necessity forces you to get out of the house, when you have no other choice. I would like to wake up every morning and go to a regular work place. Before I used to work and I enjoyed that lifestyle of security and a regular income every month.
It allowed me to have a more comfortable lifestyle, to eat out with my wife, do the shopping etc, but...
Find out more
The Letter's Colours exhibition was exhibited at the United Nations in Geneva during celebrations for the 17 October 2016, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
People discovered the exhibition that was on view at the Palais des Nations. Put together by the Forum on Overcoming Extreme Poverty, it publicizes the actions and...
Find out more
Dear Friends,
In 2017, we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Joseph Wresinski's call to action and we've already started preparing for an extraordinary campaign which we would like to invite you to join in. Since the 17 October was recognised as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, by the United Nations in 1992,...
Find out more
The recent deluge of rains and floods has taught us lessons which should adhered to for our well being. We have learnt about compassion and supporting each other during this crisis.
Most importantly about how not to mess with nature, yes, we have stolen away water bodies and converted them into mansions, property holdings and dump yards.
Water...
Find out more
Roma families from Portugal have demolished the ’wall of shame’ which has surrounded a very poor area called the ’Pedreiras neighbourhood’ for almost 10 years. It separated the largest Roma community in Beja from the rest of the Alentejo society.
For safety reasons, the wall which is 100 metres long and three metres high...
Find out more
Dear Forum,
Thank you for your Letter to Friends Newsletter. I'm very happy to receive it.
And I think, that print and paper is very important also. Do you know, many people, who live in extreme poverty can't use computers (because they haven't electricity),and they need the information about the Forum on Overcoming Extreme Poverty...
Find out more
Dear Letter to Friends Around the World,
I learned a lot from your Letter n°92.
Mr Joseph: "We didn't know what we should do. We were trying, searching, learning. Everybody's bravery and intelligence combined."
Blaise N: "If you have capacities, then you can do something. It's a powerful lever that...
Find out more
May 2019 - The consultation is now finished.
We have received 74 contributions from 34 countries, which have enriched the two proposals below. The contributions were presented to the United Nations...
