EAPN - European Anti Poverty Network’s Post

🗣 𝗗𝗲-𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 As it is turning away from its foundational values of solidarity and non-discrimination, rooted in international and regional frameworks on human rights, the European Union has entered a crisis of democratic and moral legitimacy. An obvious symptom of this crisis is the development of an overly securitised and criminalising approach in its public policies concerning people in vulnerable situations (people on the move, racialised populations, homeless and people in poverty, etc.). This approach results in discriminatory practices which are not only contradictory with the values of the EU and its member states, but are also ineffective and counter-productive in addressing what are, in essence, social issues. As a civil society organisation working at the international level, we believe there is an urgent need to shift the narrative in the European political space away from its current security obsession, and towards a decriminalised and non-discriminatory approach, centred on human rights and social justice. European institutions and member states should stop considering poverty and migration as threats to national security or public order. Instead, they should consider them as social issues that can be resolved through public policies that address the root causes of people’s vulnerabilities. Civil society should unite in tackling these discriminatory and criminalising policies and in developing and promoting a counter-narrative through research, awareness-raising and advocacy. The policy brief reflects the outcomes of a panel discussion held during the European Citizens’ Summit, which took place in Brussels in March 2024, in which ASF, European Alternatives, FEANTSA and Prison Insider took part. 🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 ➡ https://lnkd.in/eifJ6jT3 European Alternatives FEANTSA Prison Insider #EuropeanUnion #EU #Migration #Poverty #Advocacy #CivilSociety #PettyOffences

Happy to share this Avocats Sans Frontières policy brief on "De-securitizing and decriminalizing migration and poverty: Advocating for a non-discriminatory approach in European policies", written with Elodie Hut !🤓 The #EU is facing a crisis of values, democracy and moral legitimacy, as reflected by the overly securitized and criminalizing public policies concerning people in vulnerable situations (especially people on the move, racialised populations, poor and homeless people). In this paper, we advocate for a major shift in the European narrative, towards a decriminalized and non-discriminatory approach, centered on #humanrights and #socialjustice. European institutions and member states should stop considering #poverty and #migration as threats to national security or public order. We believe civil society has a major role to play in tackling these policies and developing and promoting a common counter-narrative through research, awareness-raising and advocacy. This brief was inspired by the panel discussion held during the European Citizens’ Summit, in which Avocats Sans Frontières, European Alternatives, FEANTSA and Prison Insider took part in March 2024 in Brussels. 👉 Read here: https://lnkd.in/eMZ7xBaA

Rising poverty, widespread racism, widening digital divides and growing intolerance against migrants - these are some of the biggest challenges the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights highlights in its annual report on the state of human rights in the EU. What needs to be done to tackle them? ✔ leave no one behind ✔ safeguard human rights at borders ✔ protect civil society ✔ tackle racism https://lnkd.in/daXaenpD

It was so heartening to hear new UK Development Minister Anneliese Dodds set out the government’s modern approach to tackling global #poverty and #climate at ODI’s event with Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and Future Advocacy last night. The Minister spoke of the importance of resetting the UK’s relationship with the Global South so it’s “rooted in genuine #respect and #equality.” The Labour Party manifesto also stresses that the UK will be a defender of the international #RuleofLaw. Seeing the immediate reversal of the Rwanda plan was a great relief, but much more is needed to rebuild much-needed #trust and #credibility for the UK globally. Over the past few years we have seen a rampant assault on hard-won basic rights, and belief in the rules-based system has been progressively eroded. There’s no doubt that the UK has played its part in this – as evident in the clear #doublestandards that have been exposed in the responses to the crises in #Gaza and #Sudan. Against this backdrop, the new Labour government must – as I stressed in yesterday's discussion – step up to deliver on its ambition to be a defender of international law, starting with dropping the UK’s challenge to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants over alleged war crimes in Gaza, and suspending arms sales to Israel as previous Conservative and Labour governments have done in past escalations of violence, when the scale of death and destruction had actually been lower. The new government should also become a strong ally of #socialmovements both at home and abroad that are fighting hard to protect our #rights and advance equality, especially for #women and the #LGBTQI+ communities.   Huge thanks to our event partners and my fellow panellists H.E. Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Ambassador of #Brazil to the UK, Chukwu-Emeka P F Chikezie MBE (Invest Salone), Claire Melamed (GPSDD), Joe C. (Labour Party) and Olly Buston (Future Advocacy). #UKDev #UKDevelopment #SustainableDevelopment #IHL #HumanRights #Equality

📚 New report - “We lead justice efforts”: How victims organise, advocate, and resist 📚 We are thrilled to launch our new report on how victims and survivors pursue justice across six countries: #Colombia, #DRC, #Guatemala, #Indonesia, #Syria and #Tunisia. This report focuses on informal justice initiatives, from #activism to #advocacy. What have we learned? 1️⃣ Long-term, equitable and multi-level partnerships are crucial for transformative change 2️⃣ Meaningful inclusion helps victims/survivors (re)claim political agency 3️⃣ Solidarity is a founding driver behind organising 4️⃣ Activism is most sustainable when coupled with access to resources 5️⃣ Informal transitional justice efforts generate meaningful change 🔗 Explore the report: https://bit.ly/3v2bThn  Learn more: https://shorturl.at/nNTY0 🗣️ Join us online on Friday, 15 March 2024 (10:30am CET) at the Justice Visions conference to learn more about the key findings: https://lnkd.in/e9vKXGum #TransitionalJustice #VictimParticipation #Resistance #ImpunityWatch #Solidarity University of Birmingham Impunity Watch BSocialCol Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Habib Nassar Christalla Yakinthou Ahmad Helmi Louis Monroy Santander PhD Prof Dr Philippe Tunamsifu Shirambere (Ph.D/LLD)

What is happening in Kenya has been a ticking time-bomb for most African countries. Next to Kenya, Gen Z in Uganda are marching to parliament to denounce rampant corruption. In South Africa, a youthful Naledi Chirwa, an EFF Member of Parliament articulately addressed the parliament in presence of president Ramaphosa detailing all Ramaphosa’s broken promises to the youths of S. Africa. These episodes are likely to be replicated in many other African countries. Expectedly and evidently, the Gen Z legitimate voices are being suppressed and many youths are being persecuted; flaming intergenerational conflict further.  But this crisis was foreseeable. In 2022, we registered “Action for Solidarity Rights” (www.solidarityrights.org), a none-profit organization. Intergenerational equity was considered as one of the objectives in the organization’s constituting statutes. Our focus is distinct from other intergenerational equity orthodox domains such as environment, climate justice, natural resources. We focus on governance where we commit to ensuring that current political and economic incentives are balanced for both present and long-term needs; insisting on transparency and accountability of decision makers about their choices that commit future generations. We clearly establish the relationship between governance, debt, corruption and intergenerational conflict and seek to address this crisis by creating platforms where intergenerational dialogue and debate can take place. We believe that a critical mass of informed citizens, particularly the youth can formally and peacefully hold their leaders accountable, and challenge clientelism through democratic means.

Read our Co-Executive Director Andy Fearn's 🆕 Fabian Society article on tackling the root causes of identity-based violence following this summer's racist riots. This year, the UK experienced the most serious far-right riots in a generation, with violent attacks targeting migrant, refugee, and Muslim communities. These events underscore the urgent need to address deep societal fractures. Tackling hate requires more than arrests—it demands long-term investment in community cohesion, resilience, and addressing root causes like inequality, structural racism and economic precarity. As the government moves forward, building stronger, more inclusive communities isn’t just a moral obligation—it’s essential for a united, resilient society. This is no small task, but the time is ripe, and the expertise lies right at the heart of our communities. Read more about the path forward here 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ezZ3GR5k

Case Study: Youth in South Africa’s TRC 🇿🇦 South African youth played a crucial role in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (#TRC), driving the #antiapartheid struggle and fostering national healing. 💪 Their stories revealed the full extent of abuses and promoted #HumanRights. 📚 Read their inspiring story and learn how youth can make a difference in Join us to learn how youth can make a difference in transitional justice! 🌐 https://linktr.ee/yhreth #YHRE #Ethiopia #ICTJ #YouthInTJ #TruthCommissions #Youth4JusticeEthiopia #TransitionalJustice

We are honoured to attend the 4th edition of the AU-EU seminar on #TransitionalJustice organized by African Union, European External Action Service and International Center for Transitional Justice. Experts gather to discuss how transitional justice can have transformative impacts at individual, societal and institutional levels to effectively deal with the past and prevent the recurrence of human rights violations. Themes such as Mental Health & Psychosocial Support, education and institutional reforms are discussed through various panels. Such events are critical to gather insights and inform our work in the context of our partnership with the African Union for the implementation of the AU Transitional Justice Policy. #AUTJP #TransitionalJustice #AU #EU #AfricanUnion #MentalHealth #PsychosocialSupport #Education #InstitutionalReforms #HumanRights #JusticeReform #PolicyImplementation #Africa