On 16 October 2019, the eve of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 17 October, the European Parliament’s MEPs Cindy Franssen (EPP) and Pierfrancesco Majorino (S&D) and EAPN hosted a Roundtable on the reality of poverty in Europe, organised together with ATD Fourth World, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) & Emmaus Europe.
The roundtable aimed to help MEPs deconstruct myths and break stereotypes about (people experiencing) poverty, and to build their understandings of the realities of poverty going further than data and statistics.
The event opened with five case studies, bringing the voices of people experiencing poverty directly together with MEPs. The key questions addressed were: What does poverty in Europe look like, and what are the key trends? What progress has been made on poverty levels in Europe in recent years? What role has the Parliament played in this? The European Parliament will respond in the form of interactive discussions.
The context is Europe’s ambition to leave no one behind while making the transition to a more sustainable, carbon neutral economy. People experiencing poverty will need to be protected during this transition, and economic and social rights guaranteed within a more social and sustainable development model.
Agenda & Presentations
- The agenda is available here
- Presentation on the European dimension of the fight against poverty, Sian Jones, EAPN Policy Coordinator
- Presentation on Housing First, an Italian best practice to reduce homelessness, Cristina Avonto, fio.PSD, President
- 2 videos produced by fio.PSD, one on the #HomelessZero campaign, and a promotional one for the same campaign.
Report
- The short event report is available here
17 October campaign
- Our 17 October campaign #BeyondTheData
For further information on content, please contact Leo Williams (Director) leo.williams@eapn.eu | Tel. +32 2 226 58 50