Emmaus International is publishing its first Global Report on its fight against poverty

In its first Global Report, Emmaus International is making the voices of the most excluded heard, presenting alternatives and demands, and launching a new appeal against the causes of poverty.

To mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, on 17 October, Emmaus International is releasing “Our Voices”, the first Global Report by Emmaus on its fight against poverty. Another report? No, a wake-up call! Because as Abbé Pierre, our founder, explained “the voice of those who are voiceless should keep the powerful awake at night”. Faithful to this tradition 50 years on, the Emmaus movement wants to make its voices and its claims heard.

We believe that 150 million more people will fall into extreme poverty in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis (source: World Bank), with production and consumption models leading to rapid environmental degradation and increasing human suffering. Against this backdrop, Emmaus International is highlighting the solutions put forward by the 425 Emmaus groups around the world. Throughout this report, you will discover the islands of hope these solutions represent for excluded people and for all those who believe in the existence of credible alternatives to the dominant model.

What do the Emmaus organisations have in common in Brazil, India and France, and in each of the 41 countries where we work? Common requirements and claims to tackle poverty and exclusion. This report reiterates – as it seems to have been forgotten – that poverty is neither inevitable nor a natural phenomenon. It invites decision-makers to draw inspiration from the real-life experiences of Emmaus organisations worldwide and to listen to the solutions that they propose. Because fighting poverty means transforming the system that causes it!

To find out more about this report and sign our appeal, visit: ourvoicesmatter.emmaus-international.org