“Poverty issues should be mainstreamed into every single piece of legislation”- Solal Billon - ATD Fourth World
Solal Billon is advocacy officer for ATD Fourth World, an international movement that fights poverty and its root causes. ATD Fourth World has been working directly with people living in poverty on the ground, building trust and building solutions with them.
What does the change you are trying to achieve look like? Why is the EU important?
Our main field of action is on the ground. We help people living in poverty and those left behind by building trust and by understanding their reality and their needs. We are active on many fronts, because poverty is not just a question of money; it’s a cross-cutting issue. We prioritise addressing socio-economic discrimination and involving people living in poverty in European legislative processes.
I have been campaigning for social and environmental justice around the European elections and beyond. We aim to ensure the renewal of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights. We want to bring the concerns of people experiencing poverty to the attention of its members.
The EU matters. It reaches a lot of people. The decisions taken by the EU have a real impact on the lives of its citizens, especially those who live in poverty. There is evidence of the negative impact on vulnerable communities of many EU policies. We need to put poverty high on the political agenda of the European institutions to ensure that the fight against poverty is mainstreamed into every single piece of policy and legislation.
Which challenges are you facing?
There are many challenges, including the lack of financial resources. One of our biggest challenges is securing access to the EU institutions. We’ve witness a lack of interest in tackling poverty. Our actions are also affected by the influence of the far right.
We have to change the way society thinks of poverty. We will not be able to solve the problem of poverty without changing mentalities.
One tip you want to share with other public interest advocates?
My experience has taught me that it’s essential to fight together with other organisations in order to have a greater impact and to be listened to by each and every institution.