Experiencing solidarity as a political commitment is a guiding principle instilled by Abbé Pierre when Emmaus International was founded and reaffirmed in the fifth founding text of the movement, adopted at the General Assembly in Jesolo in April 2016. Therefore, for decades, the movement has sought to act against the causes of poverty and actively participate in the structural transformation of societies.

From the very beginning of the movement, the Emmaus groups realised that the sum of the alternatives implemented locally was not enough to tackle the causes of poverty, and that they had to be able to collectively build a political voice and develop proposals to change society on a global scale in order to create a fair and united world.  

Now, more than ever, the Emmaus groups are facing an unfair global system which creates exclusion and conflict, a financialised economy and the privatisation of common goods, along with the alarming degradation of our planet. 

In light of this finding, in 2016, ten years after the death of Abbé Pierre, the Emmaus groups came together at the World Assembly in Jesolo, Italy, and committed to boosting our international solidarity in order to combat poverty. Together, they defined three common struggles and priorities:

” When it comes to poverty, resignation is not an option. As it is neither a natural phenomenon, nor an inevitable evil. Poverty and inequalities are the result of political choices. “

“Emmaus: Our Voices”, Emmaus International’s first Global Report on its fight against poverty