70th anniversary of abbé Pierre's call for help
It will be 70 years since Abbé Pierre launched his appeal on 1st February 1954!
A key date in the construction of our Movement. It was a very powerful event with international repercussions, which gave rise to: standing in solidarity of a population, campaigning, public awareness raising, and building a global movement to fight poverty and its causes.
Because yes, beyond the immediate solidarity triggered by this appeal, in 1954 the Emmaus Movement took its first steps to become what it is today.
After all, beyond the differences in context between the 1950s and the 2020s, what have been the real trends in poverty since 1954? What is the state of poverty in the world today?
These issues were discussed at length in our 2021 Global Report, and in any case, we know full well that poverty is the consequence of political choices!
That’s why we must continue to fight together, to challenge our decision-makers to ensure that public interest is at the heart of our public policies, and that the economy once again truly serves human beings and their environment.
To commemorate this seminal event and to encourage a large number of people to get involved, here are some actions we suggest:
A major call for “IndignAction”
To turn our outrage into action, we’re offering to members of the Movement, as well as organisations, partners, committed public figures and citizens, the chance to make videos (1min – 1min30 secs max) with their own appeal, modelled on Abbé Pierre’s appeal.
Thanks to a specific app, anyone can make their own appeal to raise awareness about a cause close to their heart, and propose political or civic action.
For greater consistency and visibility, there are three steps to follow:
- Start the appeal by “My friends, your help is needed” like Abbé Pierre did in 1954
- Continue with reasons for outrage. Examples: poverty, housing, access to rights, exiled persons, climate, etc.
- Then finish with a call to action. Examples: getting involved as a volunteer in an organisation, lobbying politicians, etc.
Once the video has been finalised on the app, it will be moderated by us on a platform and then sent in January to the email address you indicated on the app, then we will add the visual identity and layout especially designed for the event. You can then share it on social media from 1st January by adding the hashtag #IndignAction.
Rallies all over the world
On Thursday 1st February, let’s give our Movement a voice by organising militant rallies around the world! Symbolic actions, demonstrations, concerts, speeches, open mics, readings of extracts from Abbé Pierre’s texts or the appeal, etc… anything is possible, and we’re counting on your involvement and imagination to make this anniversary a success!
Finally, we invite you to send us feedback on the events you are organising so that we can list them on the website dedicated to the 70th anniversary.
Contact: communication@emmaus-international.org
