A Finnish president and 2020-2024 policy directions for Emmaus Europe!

The Regional Assembly of Emmaus Europe is held every four years and brings together the 20 member countries so that they can choose shared policy directions and elect our representatives.

Close to 200 Emmaus representatives from across Europe met this autumn in Saint Sebastian and elected our movement’s first ever female president.

Carina Aaltonen has been involved in Emmaus Finland for 25 years and at the international level of Emmaus since 2007. A former minister of social affairs and the environment on the Åland Islands, which are located between Sweden and Finland, she is heavily engaged in initiatives focusing on the environment, human rights, and lifting people out of extreme poverty.

Emmaus Europe is going to commit to these objectives over the next four years and has selected four main focus areas:

Showcase and bolster our resilience to climate change.
Combat rejection of others and develop shelter and support in order to build lasting peace.
Promote exchanges of practices, peer learning, and increase support for new groups.
Bolster both practical and intangible solidarity in the movement.

She will be able to draw on a largely new regional council motivated to accomplish these policy directions.

News

Activist performance to advocate for compliance with Article 13 of the UDHR

The Regional Assembly of Emmaus Europe took place on 28-31 October in San Sebastian in the Spanish Basque Country. This major European gathering constituted an opportunity to arrange an activist performance with the Article 13 Collective and Emaús Fundación Social, campaigning for freedom of movement and respect for the human dignity of migrants.

Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.”

Defending human rights / Migration News

Newly elected MEPs to make Europe Poverty Free

On the occasion of the 2019 European elections, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) called on all candidates to commit themselves to ensuring a social and sustainable Europe, without poverty.

Supported by Emmaus Europe, this campaign consisted in asking the candidates to the European elections to sign a statement in which they commit, during the next legislature, to take the necessary measures to eradicate poverty in the European Union.

EAPN and its European member organisations, including Emmaus Europe, sent a letter to the newly elected MEPs that signed its pledge. In this letter, we are asking them to transform their commitment into actions, to ensure that the eradication of poverty in Europe is high up on the political agenda!

We made three specific requests for our allies in the European Parliament:

Support the continuation of the Intergroup on Poverty and Human Rights, and mobilise their political group in favour of this.
Participate in the ‘Roundtable on the Fight Against Poverty’ on 17 October, International Day Against Poverty.
Recognise the important role that people experiencing poverty play in the fight against poverty and commit to attend the 18th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty.

We look forward to working with them to make Europe Poverty Free!

European Union Tackling Poverty / Solidarity

Appeal to support the Mediterranea initiative

Emmaus Italy is launching an appeal to support the Mediterranea initiative developed by a network of Italian organisations and associations.

The initiative primarily aims to show solidarity with migrants in the Mediterranean and denounce European governments’ migration policies. In October 2018 Mediterranea launched the Mare Jonio, an Italian-registered rescue and monitoring ship.

Emmaus Italy wishes to become a direct developer of this initiative by raising the sum of €25,000. Emmaus Europe is financially supporting the initiative and is asking for donations to support the project.

Defending human rights / Migration Italy News Tackling Poverty / Solidarity