Humanitarian organizations, citizens, and political leaders are outraged by the drastic reduction in funds allocated to the European Program of Aid to the Most Deprived (PEAD) that has just been decided.
Should we not be more outraged that our societies consider it normal to base their poverty-fighting policies on food surpluses?
The increase of modern soup kitchens, which receive a lot of media attention, reflects well on the benefactors and volunteers who generously dedicate their time, but it dishonors our political leaders and humiliates their beneficiaries.
These individuals are forced to queue up but say, when given the chance to speak, that they lose their dignity and hope for the future.
Should we not instead be outraged that, at the same time, fundamental rights such as supplementary CMU (1) are becoming increasingly less accessible, and that the dignity income—RMI then RSA—is so criticized and has been falling behind the cost of living for over 20 years?
Poor populations in France and around the world are tired of relying on the goodwill of others and policies with very short-term visions.
What they ask for is to be able to live with others, not in temporary and stigmatizing accommodations.
What they ask for is to be able to work to provide for their needs, not more food aid that humiliates them.
Above all, they ask for a school where their children and young people can be freed from the inevitability of poverty. Their deep desire is that the young ones do not experience the intolerable life they have endured. Today, all studies show that the impact of social background on school failure is increasing. If we don’t tackle this fundamental issue, we are preparing the misery of tomorrow.
The rejection of soup kitchens and short-sighted political responses has proved that there are other paths towards eradicating exclusion: through sustainable collective actions, access to education, realization of rights for all by all, and the mobilization of everyone against social discrimination.
