On October 17th, 2017, Omar Lebron, a graduate student of Fordham University’s Master of Arts in Ethics and Society program, moderated the event “Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies” at the United Nations in New York to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Please read Omar’s thoughts below and watch the video from the event.
In ATD (All Together in Dignity) Fourth World Movement, extreme poverty is the focus as its base feature in a primary methodology in the developmental policy approach, addressing forms of poverty in collaboration with the United Nations.
Humiliation is one espoused value addressed by removing titles associated with poverty as each of those who volunteer living in extreme poverty are “Human Rights Activists.” Immediately a title of respect is given to not only the individuals within the social group, but also visible and accountable as such for the entire outside world to witness. It is in removing these indignant titles of poor or destitute persons that respect towards one another begins to allow a framework providing an avenue of eradication of poverty. The real-time effects are evident in the eyes and prideful assumption of arms of the men and women who now wake up having a purpose to disallow the evolution of extreme poverty and its forms to prevail within their everyday lives, as parents, neighbors and citizens. Respect and dignity are the new cultural developments centered within the core values of those ascribed to live in extreme poverty conditions. Dignity is the new norm associated against humiliation.
Exclusion is another consequential form of poverty as all persons, despite the government they dwell in, are exempted from making and participating as change agents. The idea to impact a new way of life by assigning those who live within the confines of such conditions as experts is a functional and rational approach when issuing policy and procedural frameworks. ATD works tirelessly to develop a set of allies with the policy makers locally, nationally and internationally. As a non-governmental organization to the United Nations, ATD Fourth World looks to bring voice to those living in extreme poverty and thus removing its moniker of “Fourth World” known as the silent majority. Those ravished to live in silence is where extreme poverty serves as a violent way of life depriving those who cannot willfully defend themselves against these violations. Inclusion is its most powerful component and partial eradicator of the deafening form of poverty known as silence.
To read more of Omar Lebron's article for the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education, please click here.
Please visit fordham.edu/ethicsandsociety for more information about Fordham University’s Master’s in Ethics and Society, or to apply. For inquiries about the Master’s in Ethics and Society program, please contact Bryan Pilkington, PhD, Director of Academic Programs at bpilkington1@fordham.edu. 
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