What does “fighting against poverty” mean ? - Joséphine Ouédraogo

The part of Abbé Pierre’s vision of Emmaus that particularly struck a chord with me was the idea that the movement ought to free the poor from the vice of moral and material poverty in whose grip society forces them to live.

The Emmaus movement offers a new status to each of its members by allowing them to use their talents, energy and time to work others free from poverty’s clutches.

It must do everything in its power to avoid becoming trapped in classic development strategies which place emphasis on aid, finance, social and economic investments and the top-down approach – strategies championed by those who believe themselves to be experts in the fight against poverty.