Preparations for this conference involved researchers and activists in the struggle against poverty, including people who have experienced extreme poverty themselves.
On several continents, teams from the International Movement ATD Fourth World contributed to the preparation of this colloquium. Together with partners from various associations and universities, they organized reading and study sessions, debates, seminars and conferences.
Bangladesh: A written contribution entitled People’s Initiatives in Bangladesh and Insights for Poverty and Development Discourse. A Tribute to Joseph Wresinski was provided by M. Md. Anisur Rahman.
Belgium: In January 2008 a conference on the topic of Permanent Poverty, a Challenge for Europe was held at the European Commission. The theme brought together a large number of people, including members of the European Commission. Jérôme Vignon (The EC director responsible for social protection and integration), Bronislav Geremek (historian and representative to the European Parliament) and Jean Tonglet (Director of the International Wresinski Centre).
On February 15 2007 the philosopher Jean-Marc Ferry commented on a text by Joseph Wresinski entitled "Être reconnu" [’On being recognized’] at a gathering of the Joseph Wresinski Circle in Bruxelles. His intervention has been published in the Revue Quart Monde N°203 (August 2007), pages 58-63 under the title: « Reconnaître le plus oublié, clé de toute action en vue d’une société juste ».
France: In August 2008 academics, persons who are committed to the fight against poverty, and members of ATD Fourth World reflected on texts selected from the reading list prepared by the international Wresinski Centre for the Campus 2008 workshop.
A conference on the topic “History of the poorest, to do what?” was held in June 2008 at the Paris Institute of Political Studies’ Center for Historical Research, with interventions by Michelle Perrot, Paule René-Bazin, Francine de La Gorce et Sylvain Pattieu.
A conference on the topic “Rejecting poverty. The relevance of Joseph Wresinski’s political thinking” was held in March 2008 in Paris at the Centre for Political Research of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, CEVIPOF, with interventions by Jean-Michel Belorgey, Gil Delannoi, Emmanuel Didier et Jean Tonglet.
A selection from the contributions of the Campus 2007 dedicated to the actions and thoughts of Joseph Wresinski were published in the Revue Quart Monde N°204. (November 2007) Héritages. L’actualité de Joseph Wresinski.
French-speaking Europe - Twenty members of ATD Fourth World formed five working groups in France, Belgium and Switzerland as part of the on-going Merging of Knowledge and Practices workshops. The workshops aim to bring together people who live or have lived in extreme poverty, permanent volunteers, and committed friends of ATD Fourth World with a number of academics and anti-poverty practitioners for a series of four three-day seminars on a specific theme, the first of which took place in February 2007. The question for them to examine is “Why and how do people living in extreme poverty stand up and, together, make a long-term commitment with their own people in the struggle against extreme poverty and exclusion?” Each of the five working groups will bring the material they gathered on this subject to be analyzed, examined and then compared with the actions, thoughts and vision of Joseph Wresinski.
Haiti: A regional conference called Democracy in the face of poverty: Relevance of Joseph Wresinski’s thinking took place at Port-au-Prince in February 2008. This meeting was organized by ATD Fourth World in cooperation with FOKAL (Fondation Connaissance & Liberté) and l’Institut Français of Haiti. The proceedings of this conference are available from the International Wresinski Centre.
Netherlands - A one-day session was held in Amersfort in November 2007, which brought together academics and persons who have experienced poverty for an exchange on selected texts by Joseph Wresinski; it thus provided an opportunity for dialogue between two different “worlds”. The proceedings are available in Dutch and French.
Poland - In February and March 2007, a series of debates and exhibits were organized in Kielce, Krakow and Warsaw on the themes “A Way Towards Liberty and Democracy”, “The Poorest as Partners in Democracy” and “Exchanges on the Approach of Fr. Joseph Wresinski”. Switzerland - In May 2006, at the University of Fribourg, fifty people attended the symposium Ressourcen im Einsatz für die Menschenwürde (Resources for a Commitment to Human Dignity). The proceedings are available on the internet.
Thailand: In October 2008 the local UNESCO office and friends of ATD Fourth World organized a workshop on “The inclusive society: a human-rights based approach to poverty eradication.” Representatives from vulnerable communities, the government, NGOs, academics and journalists were present.
Switzerland - In May 2006, at the University of Fribourg, fifty people attended the symposium Ressourcen im Einsatz für die Menschenwürde (Resources for a Commitment to Human Dignity). The documents are available on the Internet.
