Comment les habitants les plus pauvres peuvent-ils devenir des acteurs reconnus ? DE MUYLDER Régis, MOTTE-DIT-FALISE Colette
- Régis De Muylder. Secrétaire général d’ATD Quart Monde Wallonie-Bruxelles, ASBL.
- Colette Motte-dit-Falise. Coordinatrice de la section régionale de Liège d’ATD Quart Monde, Wallonie-Bruxelles.
Summary: The poorest people are living in such conditions of exclusion that their chances to participate are severely compromised. Our experience has led us to highlight conditions that must be met if their participation is to be made possible. The poorest people need places where they can think and find ways to express themselves, where they can prepare their contribution to the dialogue. Differences in opinion – which originate from different kinds of life experience – must be respected. Working methods must be adapted to take into account the living conditions of those experiencing the most difficulties; this includes adjusting the pace at which the work is done to suit all participants. It needs to be accepted that all of this takes time. For many years now, such a dialogue has been established in the French-speaking Community of Belgium between members of the child protection service administration and people living in poverty from two associations. This dialogue has allowed for mutual understanding to develop and has contributed to concrete changes in practice.
Mots-clés : participation, pauvreté, aide à la jeunesse, partenaires.
Keywords : participation, poverty, child protection, partners.
