17 October 2002
A selection of events around the world
This selection is based on information available on the www.oct17.org web site.
Select one of the links below...
| Australia | Burkina Faso | Belgium | Canada |
| Congo | Denmark | France | Germany |
| Guatemala | Haiti | Ireland | Italy |
| Luxembourg | Madagascar | Mauritius | Peru |
| Poland | Switzerland | Thailand | |
| United Kingdom | UN Santiago | ||
| USA |
United Nations, Santiago
ECLAC and the United Nations Country Team for Chile have decided to jointly organize the seminar "Poverty and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean: The United Nations perspective" to commemorate both the 10th Anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and the 57th Anniversary of the Organization.
The seminar, to take place on 24 October at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, will be chaired by Mr. Carlos Portales, General Director of Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The programme will feature three presentations: "Poverty and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean" by Mr. José Antonio Ocampo, Executive Secretary of ECLAC; "Poverty and social equity in Chile" by Mr. Thierry Lemaresquier, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Chile; "Actions taken by the Chilean Government" by Ms. Cecilia Pérez, Minister of Planning and Cooperation of Chile.
The seminar will also include the presentation of the video "The United Nations in Chile: from commitment to action." There will also be an award ceremony for the “Ojo con Chile” photographic competition, organized by the United Nations Country Team for Chile with the aim of promoting the issues addressed at the recent World Summit for Sustainable Development.
United Nations, Geneva
2002 is the year Switzerland enters into the UN, which will give a particular significance to the events which will take place in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations and also outside of the building. A gathering will take place from five o’clock till six o’clock with testimonies, short videos, music and children's messages.
In New York City, the United Nations will host a ceremony at the replica of the commemorative stone in honour of the victims of poverty, located in the garden of the UN. The ceremony, which will be held on October 17th from half past twelve until quarter to two, will include the message of the UN Secretary General, testimonies from adults living in poverty and a performance by children. This ceremony is co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of France to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso to the UN and ATD Fourth World.
On October 20th, the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) will present the annual awards for the Poverty Eradication strategies. Six individuals representing five regions of the world will be awarded for their work on the theme "Taking Action to Secure Earth's Future" in the presence of Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General and Mark Malloch Brown, UNDP Administrator. See the programme of the commemoration ceremony.
The Australian Reproductive Health Alliance has organised the ‘Planet Without a Plan’ youth conference in Brisbane. This one day conference is designed to inform young people about issues relevant to the environment, sustainable development, population and reproductive rights. As the conference coincides with the International Day, the main focus of the day will be the issue of poverty.
Burkina Faso
A delegation of families living in poverty will go from the State capital Ouagadougou to the rural village of Manega to discuss with village elders the issues surrounding the education of children. The delegation will then create an illustrated book, sharing their conclusions.
In Brussels, several groups have organised a public event on the theme of the right to housing at the Place de la Monnaie. There will be an information stand in front of the European Parliament, rue Belliard 77, from two till six o`clock. The stand will be situated next to the October 17th Commemorative Stone, which was inaugurated in May 2000. A large public card "Defenders of human rights" will be created. Everyone is invited to bring or send their photograph and to write a few words about their commitment to overcoming poverty in their everyday lives. All these will be put together in a patchwork titled : "Human rights are my business and I do something about it".
The Mayor of the city of Edmonton, Alberta, officially proclaimed October 17, 2002 ‘International Day for the Eradication of Poverty" in Edmonton, noting that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of themselves and of their family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services; that everyone has the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond their control”. The group STOP, Striving To Overcome Poverty, will display shadow figures around the town. During the two weeks approaching October 17th, testimonies of people in poverty will be displayed on the shadow figures.
Congo (RDC)
The day will be marked by The League for Democracy and Good Governance in Kinshasa.
Denmark
In Aarhus, the first European Round Table Conference on Poverty and Social Exclusion will start on the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This conference is organised by the Danish Presidency of the European Union (Ministry of Social Affairs) with the support of the European Commission. In the plenary opening session of the Round Table, Mr Emmanuel Reynaud, Director of the International Labour Organisation, will highlight the significance of the World Day. He will be followed by a presentation by members of the European Anti-Poverty Network and from the International Movement ATD Fourth World and a short video will give voice to people experiencing poverty and exclusion. In addition, a display to present events and messages that will mark the day will be set up in a centrally placed location at the Round Table. Its aim will be to create a link between the participants at the Round Table and other events across the globe.
Events are planned in more than thirty cities. In Ales, a meeting of local groups (Vivre ensemble aux Promelles, La Ruche, Rencontre et Amitié, Sésames, Mosaïque, le Collectif d’Action contre le Chômage, Emmaüs, local councillors and journalists) will be held to mark the day and discuss the anti-exclusion law. In Britany, around Brest, one hundred schools and colleges will be working on the project “Friendship is in the bag” launched by Tapori, the children’s branch of ATD Fourth Word. In Strasbourg, a European gathering of young people organised by the “Secours Populaire” will begin on October 17th and will make a call for the end of discrimination against people in poverty.
A meeting in a primary school in Berlin-Friedrichshain will discuss questions regarding the futures of children living in poverty and how their families struggle with the problems in their childrens’ lives: How are parents able to teach their children when they themselves did not have a proper education ? How much help or friendship does a child or adult need so as not to remain alone in poverty and ignorance? Who is responsible to help realise the possibilities that there are for training ?
Also in Berlin, a meeting has been planned at the Reichstag (the German Parliament building) where newly appointed MPs will speak about continuing the fight against poverty in Germany and the possibility of creating a new commemorative stone to acknowledge the International Day. (A former stone which was laid close to the ruins of the Berlin Wall had to be removed because of major renovation work done to the Reichstag).
On October 13th, a public meeting will be held on the theme ‘Friendship is an escape from poverty’ at the University of San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City. It will gather members of poor families and those who support them. The meeting will discuss the effects of solidarity and friendship in poor neighbourhoods, for example, how friendship helps people escape poverty or how it helps them through difficult times. Everyone will be invited to create a friendship braid to symbolise their refusal of poverty. On October 17th posters will be displayed on house doors with friendship braids attached.
An event is planed at Lakou in the courtyard of the welcome centre for the homeless boys of Port au Prince. (The welcome centre is a place where the children can sleep, wash and also receive schooling.) The focus will be on the lives of homeless children in many countries, including Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Bangui (Central Africain Republic). The children of Lakou will present a short play. Families and musicians from Lakay will sing a song created by one staff member who was homeless as a child.
People living in poverty, those engaged with them in the fight against poverty and social exclusion and friends from all walks of life will gather at at the Famine Memorial on Custom House Quay in Dublin.
Several organisations have organised a meeting at the October 17th Commemorative Stone which is close to the St John of Latran Basilica in Rome.
Luxembourg
A public event is planned in Luxembourg City at the Place Claire-Fontaine. The theme of the gathering will be "Guaranteeing the happy development of children in the family."
There will be a meeting in front of the Mahamasina church in Antanarivo, the Madagascan capital. Those who wish to express their commitment against poverty will gather and walk to the cathedral of Andohalo, where Cardinal Armand Gaétan Razafindratandra will hold a service.
There will be an open day in a pre-school at Petite Rivière Noire. This school gives priority to the poorest and the day will pay tribute to all that the families do to educate their children.
A month of exhibitions and events has been organised by many groups and institutions. It is called “month for the eradication of poverty” and will take place in the large city of Cusco, running from September 27th till October 26th.
The International Day will be marked by events in four cities: Warsaw, Kielce, Poznan and Torún.
In May 2002, a gathering of 80 people from six European nations took place in Madrid. The six delegations were comprised of both people living in poverty and those who work alongside them. One of the goals of this gathering was that each person should share their experiences of the fight against poverty and then work with the others to form concrete propositions to build a “Europe for everyone”. The participants were able to exchange these propositions with public officials who were present for a working day with the group. On October 19th at the Plaza de Chamberi, the results of this European gathering will be presented through a video, by a puzzle created during the gathering and several other methods.
In Fribourg a walk will start from the "gare des marchandises" and will end in front of the town hall. The procession will include a large model bird, to symbolize a yearning for peace and liberty.
At the Bangkok World Trade Center a display will present photographs, messages and drawings done by the famillies living in the deprived areas of Saphan Phut and Bangkok Noï. The public is invited to write or draw on a large cloth to express ideas for overcoming poverty.
United Kingdom
To mark the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17th, the organisation ATD Fourth World has launched a campaign called “Ringing out against poverty”. Churches of all denominations will ring their bells at twelve o’clock on October 17th for a different call to worship: a call for the recognition of the worth and dignity of every man, woman and child condemned to live in poverty in the UK and around the world.
In London, a commemoration will be held to mark the day at 6:30pm in the "Tibetan Peace Garden".
In Hull, a gathering at the Wilberforce memorial will proceed on a silent march to the Northern Cemetery where a service will be held at the commemorative headstone for all those who died and were buried in nameless graves. A delegation of people fighting poverty in Madrid will join the Hull commemoration.
In Wales, the anti poverty team at the City and County of Swansea and Swansea Poverty Action Network have invited two community development organisations from South Africa, Connections and MUKA, to mark this day. The event will be a unique chance to exchange experiences, successes and top tips amongst community development workers in South Africa and Swansea. The public will be invited to think about what poverty means to them. Via e-mails people's "3 top tips" will be collected on how, together, we can all contribute to poverty eradication, both locally and globally.
United States of America
Boston, Massachusetts: Casa Nueva Vida will commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty through activities with children and their parents on October 16th. Delegates from Casa Nueva Vida will then accompany delegates from the Coalition for a Strong United Nations to the commemoration at the United Nations in New York on October 17th.
Appalachian region: There will be a celebration at 6:30pm. for the Appalachian region at the Elementary school of Clinchco, Virginia (this is not a celebration for children but we have the use of the school auditorium and cafeteria.) The title of the celebration is: "Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain."
There will be testimonies prepared with young adults who are struggling to get out of poverty in the area and abroad, songs by local musicians, and a slide show made from statistics collected about poverty and related issues. The celebration will be followed by a potluck supper. Participating: St Joseph Catholic church; Clintwood and McClure Methodist church; Clintwood Baptist church youth group; Appalachian Women's Alliance; Citizen's Committee for Dickenson County; St Mary's Health Wagon; Binns-Counts community center.
Musicians: Ken Childress; Linda Dixon; Amber Baker; Maria Victoire.
There will be a one-hour radio program on Tuesday October 8, at WMMT radio in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
New Orleans: From 5 to 6.30pm at the " Cafe Reconcile ". Children from the street library will display the mosaic they have created for the cafe. Each child made a tile from the question " What makes children happy? ". There will be speeches from officials, children and parents. ATD Fourth World, Caritas, and other groups participate. There will be a buffet and workshops for children and adults based on " the road to the end of poverty", and from handprints, a discussion " what does this day mean to us? ".