International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

BASW Chief Executive, Dr Ruth Allen and BASW member, Omar Mohamed recently attended a ceremony at the Council of Europe’s Conference of International NGOs to mark International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. They share their thoughts and reflections in this blog.

Around the world people gather to remember, to listen to those living in poverty and to reaffirm collective commitment to end poverty.

October 17th is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The theme for 2023 is ‘Decent work and social protection – putting dignity in practice for all’.

Last week, as part of a visit to Strasbourg to represent the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) in the Council of Europe’s Conference of International NGOs (CINGO), our member Omar Mohamed and I attended a ceremony to mark eradication of poverty day. Omar, a member of BASW Council, was attending particularly as a ‘youth delegate’ and in his capacity as lead for the IFSW Europe ‘new social workers’ project which has brought together the voices of social workers in training and in their early years of practice, collating and presenting insights into the pre- and immediately post-qualifying work and learning experiences of new social workers across Europe and beyond.

Omar and I gathered with CINGO and other colleagues outside the Council of Europe main building (the Palais) where there is mighty stone slab etched into which is a statement in French recording how people from around the world gathered in Paris on 17th October 1987 to pay homage to the victims of hunger, ignorance and violence and to affirm the conviction that poverty is not inevitable. Thus was how the international day for the eradication of poverty was born.

Omar and colleague Giorgi from Georgia - another ‘youth delegate’ with CINGO – in front of the original International Day for the Eradication of Poverty founding stone outside the Palais of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg

Through the initiative of human rights and poverty organisation All Together in Dignity (ATD) Fourth World and CINGO, the Irish government funded an additional plaque which provides an in situ English translation of the 1987 statement. The Irish Ambassador to the Council of Europe, Caitríona Doyle, unveiled the plaque. She was joined by Christos Giakoumopoulos, Council of Europe Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law who said in his speech:

‘A Human Rights approach to poverty looks not just at resources but also at the capabilities, choices, security and power needed for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other fundamental civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Human rights have no meaning unless they begin with the right to life at a tolerable level of existence.’

Christos Giakoumopoulos, Council of Europe Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law

The English translation of the founding stone

It was a privilege to be with many colleagues at this ceremony. Such events are symbolic and one can think – how does this relate to action? But being moved by words and by the palpable joint commitment of those present - many of whom work every day to protect human rights and directly alleviate poverty as social workers also do - is important. As is taking a few moments to connect emotionally to the human reality and tragedy of poverty and its antecedents – oppression, war and violence, inequality, discrimination, lack of access to resources – that so many global citizens are living with and which is in our news every day.

To find out more about this event, about CINGO and the Council of Europe which is the leading institution for the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe of which the UK is a founding member, see here: https://www.coe.int/en/web/ingo/-/the-conference-of-ingos-commemorates-the-fight-against-poverty-1