ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (80)666
Vol.1980/0213

Disclaimer
Conformément aurèglement (CEE, Euratom) n°354/83 duConseil du1erfévrier 1983
concernant l'ouverture aupublic desarchives historiques delaCommunauté économique
européenne etdelaCommunauté européenne del'énergie atomique (JOL43du15.2.1983,
p.1),telquemodifié par lerèglement (CE, Euratom) n°1700/2003 du22septembre 2003
(JOL243du27.9.2003, p.1),cedossier estouvert aupublic. Lecaséchéant, lesdocuments
classifiés présents dans cedossier ontétédéclassifiés conformément àl'article 5dudit
règlement.
Inaccordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No354/83 of1February 1983
concerning theopening tothepublic ofthehistorical archives oftheEuropean Economic
Community andtheEuropean Atomic Energy Community (OJL43,15.2.1983, p.1),as
amended byRegulation (EC, Euratom) No1700/2003 of22September 2003 (OJL243,
27.9.2003, p.1),this fileisopen tothepublic. Where necessary, classified documents inthis
filehave been declassified inconformity with Article 5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr.354/83 desRates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L43vom 15.2.1983,
S.1),geändert durch dieVerordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr.1700/2003 vom 22.September 2003
(ABI. L243vom 27.9.2003, S.1),istdiese Datei derÖffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
erforderlich, wurden dieVerschlusssachen indieser Datei inÜbereinstimmung mitArtikel 5
dergenannten Verordnung freigegeben.

COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(80)666final
Brussels,4thNovember1980
INTERIMEVALUATION REPORT
ONTHEPROGRAMME TOCOMBATPOVERTY
(ReportfromtheCommission totheCouncil)
C0M(80)666final

INTERIM EVALUATION REPORT
ONTHEPROGRAMME TOCOMBATPOVERTY
I.GENERALREMARKS
Thepresentreportreplacesneithertheevaluationreportprepared
byESPOIR-whichwillconsistofaglobalevaluationoftheprogramme
ofpilotSchemesandstudies-
northefinalreportspreparedbyeachofthepilotschemesnordoesit
replacethedefinitiveresultsofthestudies.Thesevariousdocuments
shouldreachtheCommissionattheendofNovember1980.
Thisreportrepresents anintermediate stageinthecontinuous
evaluationprocessoftheprogrammetocombatpovertyaftertheCommission's
tworeports-whichwerebothtransmitted totheCouncil-andbeforethe
Commission'sfinalreportwhichwillbedeliveredtotheCouncilbetween
nowandtheendofJune1981.Initsfinalappreciation oftheprogramme
anditscontextwhichwillconstitutethisfinalreport,theCommission
willalsoconsiderthenationalreportsdealingwiththedifferentpolicies
implemented intheMemberStatestocombatpoverty(*).
Thisinterimreportwillnotconcernitselfnomorethanwillthe
finalevaluationreport,withthesenationalreportswhichhaveadifferent
setofobjectivestotherestofthep-ogrammetocombatpoverty.Theimportance
ofthesereportsisevidentgiventhatthelessonstobelearntfromthe
schemeswillneedtobeexploitedatthepoliticallevelandtobeinserted
intothepoliciestocombatpovertyatnationalandCommunitylevels.
(*)ThefinaltextswillbeavailableattheendofNovember1980andthey
willformthesubjectofacomparativeanalysisatalaterdateoutside
theframeworkoftheinterimprogramme.

-2-
Thelimitstotheevaluationhavingthusbeendefined,itis
usefultohighlightafewoftheimportantaspectswhichgivetheprogramme
tocombatpoverty,andinparticularthepilotschemes,acertainunity
andcoherancewhichtranscendsthediversityofthedifferentsituations
towhichthepilotschemesaredirected,beforeproceedingtoageneral
synthesisofthelessonstobelearntfirstfromthepilotschemesand
thenfromthestudies.
Thefirstoftheseaspectsconcernsthehandicapswhichaffectthe
poor,handicapswhichconstitute manyofthefactorsofpauperisation and
ofthepovertyindicators.
Materialhandicaps :
-ofaneconomicnature:
(veryhighratesofunemployment,personsinreceiptofsocial
assistance,lowsalariesresultingfrominsufficient ornon-existant
qualifications ,jobsatthelowerendofthescale,highlevelsof
indebtedness );
-inhousing:
(fewornosanitaryamenities,oldandoftenverydelapidated,toosmall,
situatedinfringeareasoftenwithlittleornosocio-educational
infrastructures );
-inhealth:
(highlevelsofsomatic,psycho-somatic andpsychological illnesses,
highratesofalcoholism );
-insocialsituation :
(verylittlecontactwithsurroundings,resignation,isolation,discri­
minationcomingfromothers:atschool,atworkandingeneral);
-inthefarmly:
(averyhighlevelofone-parentfamilies,debasementoftheimage
ofthose"men"whoareunabletoassuretheprovisionofbasic
necessities,agreatnumberofoldpersonslivingalone,theheavy

-3-
burdenplacedonwomenduetothenumberofchildrenandtofinancialproblems
conflictsbetweengenerations aggravated bymarginalisation ,highcrimerates-
inparticularamongstchildrenandyoungpersons-);
intrainingandbehavious :
(highrateofilliteracy,highlevelofscholasticfailures,lackofeducational
andprofessional qualifications ,lackofknowledge,agreatdealofsocially
unacceptable behaviour,resignation,lossofindividuality).'
Handicapsthusenduredcannotbeconsideredinisolation,oftenan
interactionexistsbetweenthemvwhichservetoreinforcethemonareciprocal
basis.Theycanbefoundinvaryingdegrees,inallofthepilotschemes.
Asecondaspect,importantbecauseofitsmultipleconsequences,isthe
changewhichhasoccurredintheeconomicsituationduringtheperiodinwhich
theprogrammetocombatpovertywasimplemented .Thesocio-economic climateof
thepastfiveyearshasbeenmarkedbyflucturations intheeconomy,whichhave
affectedratesofinflationandunemployment andwhich,generally,haveledto
curbsonpublicexpenditure .Suchaclimatehasnotbeenveryfavourablefor
theprogress,withouthitch,ofthedifferentpilotschemeswhichwerelaunched
ordevelopedatatime-1974-to1975-whichwasconsideredprosperous.This
willhavetobetakenintoconsideration inthefinaljudgementoftheprogramme.
Fortheleastfavoured(theFourthWorld)therepercussions havebeen
evenworse.Infact,inmanycountriesthetendencyistomaintaintheexisting
situationbyhelpingthosemostrecentlycaughtupinthecrisisratherthan
thosealreadyenmeshedforalongtime.
Thereisahardeningofpublicopinionandoftheattitudesofthemass
mediatowardsthispartofthepopulation whichseemstoprofitdisproportionately
frompublicexpenditure andsocialassistance,whilstindustrialrecessionis
settinginandtheperceptionofpovertyindevelopedcountriesisincreasing.

VarioussurveyscarriedoutintheMemberStatesrevealthatbesidethe
"traditional "poor,thereisemerginganewkindofpooraboutwhomsociologists
aretalkingmoreandmore,viz.thoselivingaprecariousexistenceasaconse­
quenceofthecrisis,inflationandunemployment .The"new"poordifferfrom
thetraditional "excluded"poorinthattheycomefromthefringeofthe
middle-class wherepeoplehavetheleastqualifications fromanoccupational
pointofview.Ifthesepoorarenotyetsubjecttothemajorityoftheabove-
mentionedhandicapstheytooareexperiencing exclusion.Forpovertyispri­
marilyanaccumulation ofexclusions.
Finally,informationcollectedonvariousoccasions,inparticular
fromtheleadersofthepilotschemes,raisessomequestionsastotheeffective­
nessofsocialpolicies-particularly thoseofsocialprotection-andtheir
adaptability tonewcircumstances suchas,forexample,ahighlevelofunem­
ployment.Itwouldseemthatsomesocialassistanceschemesdesignedforsuch
eventualities provetobeinsufficient butthisneedstobestudiedingreater
depth.Anerrorofjudgementatthisjuncturecouldhavefar-reaching consequences
atatimewhentheeconomiccrisisisthreatening toworsen'andtoincreasethe
numberofnewpoor,andcouldleadtoamoreorlessviolentchallengetoour
society,followingthedestruction orthetearingofthesocialfabric.
Inthefinalappreciation oftheprogrammetocombatpovertyitwill
bedifficulttoignorethephenomenaandchangesoutlinedabove.Norcanone
ignorethetimethathasbeenneededforthedifferentschemestoreachthe
pointofworkingsmoothly,asitisobviousthatthetimerequiredtoproduce
resultsisnotnecessarily thesameinthesocialandeconomicsectors.
Inthesamewayitwillbenecessarytoretainthefactthatthe
programmeisbyitsverynatureanexperimental oneandthelessonsdrawnfrom
itneed.tobetestedandgoneintoin-greaterdepthsothattheycaneventually
begeneralised andapplied.

-5-
Despitethisexperimental character,theprogrammewithitsdiversity
ofpilotschemesanditsCommunity-wide areaofcoverage,neverthelessconstitute :
anunequalledsourceofinformationwhichwillbehighlyinstructiveforall
futureactiontakento-combatpoverty.
Thefollowingsectionsofthereportproceedtogiveaprovisional
evaluationoftheprogramme.Thefirstpartoftheevaluationwilldealwith
thepilotschemeswhilstthesecondwiththestudies.Thiswillbefollowed
byafewconclusions whicharealsoofaprovisional nature.
II.EVALUATION OFTHEPILOTSCHEMES(*)
Forthesepurposesanoutlinecomparisonismadebetweenallthe
schemesaccordingtocertainnumberofaspectswhichcharacterise anddefine
them:
(a)Originsandcontextoftheschemes
(b)Targetpopulations andgroups
(c)Objectives
(d)Structureandorganisation
(e)Typesandspheresofactivity
(f)Research
(g)Europeandimension.
Forthesevariousaspectsthecomparisonwillbeaverygeneralone
withoutquotingtheprojects(partA)(**). ,
Threeotheraspectswillbetreateddifferently,aspectswhich
fittheobjectivesoftheprogrammeastheyaregiveninthe1stArticleof
theCouncilDecisionof22July1975orwhichgivethefirstindicatorsas
(*)Foradditionaldetailitwouldbeusefultoconsultthesecondreporton
theEuropeanprogrammewhichwaspresentedbytheCommissiontotheCouncil
inOctober1979.
(**)Withtheexceptionofitem(e).

-6-
tothemainresultsofthepilotschemes(PartB).
Thefollowingwillbetreatedsuccessively :
-theparticipation ofthepoor,
-innovations­
-results.
A-A_GL0BAL_E VALUATION
(a)Originsandcontextofthepilotschemes
CertainoftheschemesexistedbeforetheEuropeanprogramme.
.Theprogrammeenabledthemeithertoexpandorundertakenewactivities.
OtherschemesonlysawthelightofdaythankstotheEuropeanprogrammeas
withoutittheywouldprobablyneverhavebeenlaunched.
Thegeographical locationoftheseschemesisveryvaried:agroupof
houses,aneighbourhood ,atown(oftenthecitycentre)or,inthecase
oftheIrishnationalprogramme,' anumberofareas.
Ontheotherhandalltheschemesarelocated
inplacesaffectedbyeconomic(anexodusofindustry,andadeclinein
cottageindustriesandcommerce)andsocialblight(alow-incomepopulation,
oftenwithhighproportionsofimmigrants).
(b)Targetpopulations andgroups
Thenumberofpeopledirectlyinvolvedinaprojectvaries,ofcourse,
asafonctionofthegeographical areacoveredandtheobjectivesofthe
schemes.Itcanvaryfromacoupleofdozenpeopletotensofthousands.
Asageneralrule,thetargetpopulationfortheschemesisthat
whichsufferstheabovementioned heavyhandicaps.Butinthiscontext
mostoftheschemeshaveaparticulargroupfromthepopulationatlarge
astheirtargetpopulation :thechildrenofdeprivedfamilies,the

-7-
inhabitantsofcertain(economically andsocially)marginal/built-upareas,
theinahabitants ofhousingwhichisoldanddecaying(families,theaged),
"theunemployed,smallfarmers,small-timefishermen,batteredwomen,children
deprivedofeducation,immigrants,personswhofalloutsidethesocialprotection
system,thesub-proletariat (orFourthWorld).Ifoneconstructed agridshowing
thetargetpopulations andthehandicaps,ashasbeentriedbyseveralofthe
projectleadersworkingtogether,onecantellataglancethatlookingbeyond
theapparentdifferences thereisanaccumulation ofhandicaps.Mentionmustalso
medateofthoseschemeswhicharedealingwiththeproblembyactingonthe
populationasawhole-thepoorandthenon-poor.
(c)Objectives
Herealso,diversityistherule. '
Amonsttheobjectives onefindsthesrugggleagainstthegrowing
dehumanisationofourpresenturbanstructures andtheefforttopromoteaway
oflifewhichdevelopscollectivecreativity.Onealsofindsthestrugglefor
therecognition ofrights,theestablishment ofawarenessandthedevelopment
ofthemeansofactionofthedeprivedbyremovingthebarriersofexclusion.
Includedalsoisthereductionofthelevelsofsufferingandmarginalisation
whichspecifically affectchildren,women,oldpeopleinpovertyandthose
-whoareunemployed.Onealsofindseffortstoreducethegenerallevelof
passivity,ofdependence,ofdesintegration ,ofwithholding information and
ofexposuretoharmfulinfluencesinthelivingandworkingenvironment .
Afurtheraimistoincrease,amongstthepublicatlarge,theawareness
oftheproblemofpoverty.Afinalobjectiveistocontributetothedevelopment
ofmoreeffectivelong-'termpoliciesforcombattingpoverty. '
(d)Structures andorganisation
Theseareafunctionofthevariousparametersinvolvedandmainly
ofthetargetpopulations andobjectivespursued.Thereisavery

light-weightstructurewheretheschemeisLimitedinsp^ceandfield
ofaction:afewpersons-salariedorvoluntary (sometimesboth)
fromoutsidethetargetpopulation,orsometimescomingfromwithin
it,generallyassistedbyadvisorsand/orresearchers .
Atanotherlevel,socialworkersappearonthesceneand
sociologists,administrators andadecision-making structuresuchas
aCommittee,ageneralmeeting,aManagement Committeeandoften
aCentralTeamwhoassurethedaytodayleadershipandrunningof
thescheme.Finally,wherethereareseveralschemesofasimilar
natureinaparticularcountryonefindsacentralorganisation withmore
orlesscompletedecentralisation attheregionalorlocallevels.
Itshouldalsobenotedthatingeneralorganisations whicharemore
developedhaveattheirdisposalgreaternumbersofpersonnel (for
action,organising andresearch).
(e)Typesandspheresofactivity
Thevarietyandrichnessofsocialexperimentation andthe
activitiesofthepilotschemesmeanthatgreaterattentionmustbe
giventothisaspect,especiallyiftheresultsoftheschemesare
tobejudgedinPartB.
1.The_gHot_scheme_in_the_Ma roj.J.es_(BrusseJ.s)
ThroughtheMarollesDevelopmentAssociationthisschemeaimsto
furthereconomicdevelopment mainlybyobtainingemploymentwhichthe
leastfavouredarequalifiedandabletohold,andbyrenovatinghousing
forthepoorestresidents.ThesameAssociationisinvolvedinvarious
activities (office-cleaning ,sewing,renovation,gardenerswhoalso
havealeadershiprole,acraftsmen'scooperative,therepairandsale
ofscrappedtelevisions whichcomefromavarietysources).
Otheractivitiesinvolvetheimmigrantpopulation,activitieswhich
inthecaseoftheArabpopulationaremainlyofaculturalnature
whilstwiththeSpanishpopulationtheyincludesocial,culturaland
healthprogrammes.Particularattentionispaidtosecondgeneration
immigrants.Otherspheresofactivityincludethedistribution of

-9-
information intheneighbourhood ,assistingtheinhabitants toidentify
t
withtheirneighbourhood (byorganising socialevenings,fetes,celebra­
tions,amateurtheatregroups,achoirforadults,etc).Otheractivities
includehealth(amedicalcentrehasbeensetup-directcopyofthe
ItalianNaples-Guigliano project),thelaw(legalinformation and
adviceisprovidedtoinforminhabitants oftheirrightsandhowto
usethem)andeducation(avocationaltraining-school forthebuilding
industryforyoungpeopleatalooseendandadaptation classes).
2•Ib®_deveIogment_of_need-reIated_modeIs_of_socia^_service_(Cologne)
Tothisendthreetypesofactivityhavebeenengagedin.Thefirst
consistsofastructural analysisofpovertyandadescription ofthe
livingconditions ofthepoor(mainlyusingastandardised questionnaire
forsome600personseitherinreceiptofsocialassistance orentitled
toit). -
/0f
Thesecondconsistsofananalysistheadministrative allocation of
assistance (highlighting theproblems)usinganintensiveinterview
techniqueconducted bysocialworkersandmeetingswithexperts.
Thethirdactivityconsistsofthedevelopment ofstrategies tocombat
poverty(inparticular withtheelaboration ofrecommendations relating
tosocialassistance andsocialwork). v
3.Working,.withthe_hpmeles^(Duisburg^Essen )
Giventhespecificnatureofandtheproblemsrelatingtothehomeless,
particular areasforintervention wereretained : ,
-community workandsocialworkintheneighbourhoods affected,
-workwithchildrenandyoungpeople,theon-goingtrainingof
field-workers , .
-individualassistance,familycounselling.

-10-
4.The_so£2a^_i ntegrat2on_of_refugees_and_2[nmi_2£aQts__(Amber2 )
Variousformsofactivityhavetakenplaceinvolvingchildrenoflow
scholastic attainment -youngpeople-theagedandusingcommunity work.
I
5.Actionfordeprived children(14tharrondissement,Paris)
Theoutcomeofallactiondependsuponprevention .Forthisreason
alldecisionsrelatingtointervention inafamilyarestudiedona
concertedbasisandtakeninfunctionofnewpossibilities (forexample,
maintaining childreninthesamegeographical area).Concreteaction
istakentofosterawareness (filmsonyoungchildren),totrain
(fosterparents(*)andtheteamswhobackthemup)ortoinform
(themembersofthoseservicesdirectlyaffectedbytheproject:
socialservices,infantschools).
6.Comgrehensive_attack_on_govert^_(A iTiDi_Rjie2ms)
Toattainthegeneralobjectiveoftheprojectwhichconsistsofa
comprehensive attackonexclusioninRheimsitwasnecessarytocreate
aFourthWorldMovement (providing somewhereforpeopletoexpress
themselves,fortrainingandfortherepresentation ofthesub-proletariat
asasocialgroup)andtoquestionandmobilizepublicauthorities and
institutions (inparticular education,vocationaltraining,housing,
socialsecurity).Itwasalsonecessarytostimulatepublicopinion
inordertosetupanetworkofsolidarity aswellastolauncha
researchprogrammewhichwouldbeabletoenlightentheactionsideof
thingsonamediumandlong-termbasis.
7.Communitydevelogment centred_ugon^oun2_chHdren_ (Noi_s^-_le-Grandi!,
Herblay,Toulon)
Activities herehavetakenondifferentbutconvergent shapes.Action
focussedfirstofalluponchildrenandtheirfamily,socialandeducational
environments (forexamplepre-schools,holidaycampsandclassesinthe
countryside,expansionofachild'sawarenesswithoutings,musical
sessionsandthediscussion ofbooks-butalwayswiththeparticipation
ofparents).Actionhasalsocentredonawakening andregrouping
(*)ThesefosterparentsareknowninFranceas"assistantesmaternelles'
(maternalassistants).

-11-
familiesinthepooresthomes(usingthepresenceofapa^Jiatricnurse
orfamilyassistantworkinginthefamilyitself,takingmedicalaction,
dialoguingwiththoseteacherswhoareconcernedwiththeseparticular -
children).Partoftheactivityhasalsoinvolvedgettingtoknowthe
childrenandtheirenvironment,aswellastheirdevelopment (observing
participants intheirenvironment,atschool,inoutsideactivities;
testingparticipants onaregularbasis,etc.).Finally,actionhasbeen
takentodevelopeducationalmethodssuitedtothistypeofenvironment .
J
8.The_imgroyement_of_housi£g_and_li ving_concHtions_(Roubai x,Guemene-sur-
§£2£ÎI_§Q£LQl§Q2 §
■ t
InGuemene-sur-Scorffthreetypesofactivityhavebeenimplemented
focussingontherestoration ofhousingforpeoplewhoareretired,
thecreationofshelteredhousingusingoldhotelswhichhavecommunal
facilities (clubs,medicalcare)andthirdlyrestoringhousingona
programmedbasis.
InOrangethepilotschemehastakenshapeintwodirections :
-adiffusedandlimitedprogrammereplyingtothemosturgentneed
toimprovehousingfortheaged,familiesandimmigrants;
-asinGuemene,takingonaprogrammed schemetoimproveliving
conditionstreatingunhealthybuildings.
InRoubaixthefocusisnotonhousingbutratherontakinginitiatives
infavouroftheleisure-time activitiesofchiIdrenandfamilies,and
vocationaltrainingforyoungpeopleandadults(speciallyadapted
vocationaltraining,babyclinics,asocialworkeralwaysonduty,
'betterschoolingforyoungchildren). ~
9.TheIrish_national programme
Thisprogrammeconsistsof17locallybasedprojectsand4groupprojects
withanationalinterest. . *

-12-
ALargenumberofprojectsprovideassistance,consultation and
informationservicesofdifferenttypes:housing,socialprotection,
socialassistance,healthcareorthedevelopment ofvocationaltraining
andspecialeducationalskillsforspecificsectorsofthepopulation :
oldpeople,travellers,thehandicapped,youngpersons,women,families,
personslivingalone,children,theunemployed.
Therearealsoprojectsconcernedwithparticularsocio-professional
groupsindifficulty :smallfarmersandsmallfishermanwheretheobjective
istoachieveeconomicviabilitywithspeciallyadaptedtrainingandthe
development ofmarketingoutlets,etc.Certainprojectsprovideconsultation,
information andassistanceserviceswithregardtoaccesstosocialsecurity
andsocialassistance, ?
Otherprojectsfocusonobtaininggroupandlocalcommunity
participation inthephysical p.lanningoftheirneighbourhood .
Someprojectshaveobjectives whicharespecifically economic
andtheyaimtosetupsmallindustries (basedonlocalcraftsmanship )or
smallcooperatives (handlingtheproduceofsmallfarmersandsmallfisher­
men).
1
Onemustnotforgetthoseprojectsaimingtosetupinformation
andresourcecentres(genericandspecialised).
10.Centreforsocialmedicane(Na^nes-Gi
Therangeofintervention hereisextensive :health,education,
employment,housingandurbanstructures,information,communitylife,
underdevelopment andemigration.
I'
11.CommuneofPaduà
Herealsotherearemanykindsandsectorsofintervention :
.forminors(actionwithregardtothehealthandwell-beingofthepopu­
lationupto18yearsofageandassistanceandintegrationinthesocial
fabricofthosewhoarehandicapped);
.fortheworkingpopulation (comingtogripswithproblemsofemployment
andleisuretime,incloseco-operaiion withtheappropriatesocialorga­
nisations); "'

-13-
.forelderlypeople(reducingtheirsocialisolation);
.forthepoor(guaranteeing topersonsinstraitenedcircumstances -whether
long-orshort-term-themeansofovercomingtheirstateofneed).
12.Communi_t£_De\ /e.lo£ment_ATD_-_Breda )_
Theactionisdirectedprimarilytowards:
-groupingtheadultsaroundcommonthemesandproblemswithaviewtoseeking
outcommonratherthanindividualsolutions;
-establishing adialoguebetweenthepoorestfamiliesandindividuals ontheone
sideandotherpersonsorgroups,publicauthorities andprivateinstitutions
ontheotherside;
-improvingtheunderstanding ofthelife-styles andthought-process ofthe
poorestofthepoor,ofthecausesandconsequences oftheirpoverty,their
exclusionandtheirhistory.
13.Theioi_nt_fannly_day_çentres_grojeçt_^Uni^ed_l<i£ç|dom )
Whilsttheseprojectshaveacommonthemeeachproject(ATD-London,
DowntonFamilyCentreRotherhithe,CamdenFamilyServiceUnit,Croydon
Gingerbread,DefoeDayCareCentre,LondonVoluntaryServiceCounciland
LiverpoolPersonalServicesSociety)hasitsowncharacteristics andmethod
ofworking.
TheATD-Londonprojectsharesmanysimilarities withtheATD-Parisprojects
andespecially withRheims.
DowntownRotherhithe
Thecentreconsistsofameetingplaceandfocalpointforsociallife
breakingthroughtheisolationofyoungwomenandtheirchildren.Italso
providesasourceofpracticalassistance whenneeded.Acesstoadvice,
information andcounsellingisprovidedaswellasawiderangeofeducational
activities forthemothers.
CamdenDrop-InCentre
Thisalsoconsistsofasocialmeetingplacewheredifferentkindsof
activitieshavedeveloped :cookerylessons,housekeeping,artsandcrafts,
outings,outsidevisitsanddiscussiongroups.

-14-
Gingerbread (Croydon)
Themainactivityisoneofcaringforthechildrenofsingle
parentfamilies-whoseagesarebetween5and11years.Thiscareisassured
dailyafterschoolhoursandduringschoolholidays.Inaddition -acertain
amountofinformation andpracticalcounselling worktakesplacerelative
tothenumerousproblemsfacedbyone-parentfamilies.
DefoeDayCareCentre
Activitiesarefocussedonvariousspheres:employment,housing,
welfarerights,healthandeducationinfavourofparents(alargenumber
ofwhomareloneparents,studentsandnight-workers )throughthecareand
socio-educati vestimulation ofchildren(fortheyoungestthereisa
nurserywhilstforthosefrom2-5yearsthereisa"nurseryschool,etc.).
LondonVoluntaryServiceCouncil
Theactionundertaken bytheCouncildiffersfromtheabovementioned
whicharemorelocalisedandlimited,asitaimstocreateandanimate
familygroupsusingpersonnel,salariedorvoluntary,providedforthis
purposebytheCouncil.
LiverpoolPersonalServicesSociety
Activitiesinthisprojectarefocussedonhousingrenovation
andonasocialeducationprogrammewhichprovidesthosefollowingit
with^heopportunitytolearnbasichousekeeping andbudgetaryskills.
ForthispurposetheNewbyStreetFamilyClubhousewassetup.
o
o o
V)

-15-
Duringtheirlifespanallthisgroupofschemeshavereceived
advicefromtheInstituteofCommunityStudies.TheInstitutehasensured
theexchangeofinformation betweenschemesandhascreatedpermanent
linksbetweenthem.Ithasalsobeenresponsiblefortheevaluationof
thesedifferentschemeswhichareconsideredasaglobalone.
14.AreaResourceCentres(SouthWalesandLondon)
Thesecentresprovidenumerouslocalgroups,withwhomthey
haveestablishedcontactwithawiderangeofservicesinthefieldsof
employment (job-hunting andthecreationofemploymentforyoungpeople)/
housing(housemaintenanceandrenovation),andhealth(byfacilitating
accesstohealthservices).
Welfarerightsandeconomicinformationisalsogiven,
thesebeingconsidered anintegralpartofcommunityeducation,aswell
aslegaladvicetolocalgroups. > '
15.CraigmillarFestivalSociety(Edinburgh)
Thepriorityactionareaschosenbythisprojectwere
employment,housing,education,socialwelfareandtransport.Implementation
isthroughaseriesofworkshops.Butthearts-thestartingpointfor
thisproject-continuetoactasacatalystinfusingeachsectorwith
anenthusiasm tocreate.
16.Soci^aI_and_communit^_deveIogment_B£02r amme_(Edinburgh)
Inordertostimulate,assistandhelpthelocalpopulationto
increasetheiroptionsforactionsandchoiceaseriesofactionswere
launchedconcerninginformation (withlocalnewspapers,discussions,and

-16-
debates),housing,improvement oftheenvironment,theemploymentof
womenandyoungadults,communalfacilitiesfortheyoung(playareas),
fortheaged(helpandinformation )andthepromotionofcommunity
organisations (associations,festivals,supportofcampaignsin
favourofschools).
17.Tribunalrepresentation umt(Wolverhampton )
Startingwiththeassistance andadvicegiventopersons
encountering problemswithsocialsecurityandsupplementary benefits,
thescopeofthisprojecthasbeenextendedtoincludehousingand
employment.Theprojecthasenabledthoseleastfavouredbysocial
protectionschemestobeidentified :therecentlyunemployed,theaged}
personswhoaresickorinvalided,one-parentfamilies.
18.Welfare_Ri_ghts_proj_ect_(Belf ast)
Actionhereisconcentrated onpovertyinaverynarrowsense
relatingtolackoffinancialresourcesandhousingproblems.
(f)Research
Alltheschemeshave,tovaryingdegrees,undertaken
research.Herethedistinction mustbemadebetweenresearchinthefield-
withintheframeworkofandrelative totheproject-andthatwhichis
undertakenatatheoretical level,mostoftenbyinstitutesanduniversities .
Researchundertakeninthisway-and,therefore,itsresults-
dependsgreatlyuponthefieldcoveredbytheschemeandtheisolatedor
interdependent natureoftheproject.Someresearchthereforehasvery
limitedresultsoreffectsandisdifficulttogeneralise.Otherresearch
hasanexemplaryvalueandmeritsbeingtestedinothersituationswhich
areofasimilarnature,atnationalorcommunitylevel.

(g)TheEuropeanDimension
ThebasicideaunderlyingtheprogrammewastomakeprojectLeaders
consciousoftheirinterdependence onanationalorCommunity-wide basis
andonasectorialorglobalbasis.Theleadersthereforeneededtobe
awareoftheneedtoestablishcontactsinordertoexchangeinformation
andtheresultsofdifferentexperiences .Inthefirstphasecontactswere
established thankstotwoseminarsConeheldinBrusselstheotherin
Chantilly)withouttherebeinganyvisibleandsustainedevidenceof
reciprocalinterestorconsciousness ofacommonfate.
Inthesecondphase,duringwhichmostprojectshadovercometheir
startingproblemsandwerenowoperatingfairlysmoothly,agreaterinterest
inthevariousprojectsbegantoappear.Meetingsbetweenleadersinagiven
country,orseveralcountries,increasedoftenassociatingprojectsofa
similartype,orevenofdifferenttypes.Certaininitiatives weretakento
givethesemeetingsacertainpermanence andtoenhancetheirutility(*).
ESPOIR,chargedwiththeglobalevaluationofthepilotschemesandstudies
had,foritspart,createdanumberofindirectlinksbetweentheprojects
throughitsvisitstoprojectworkers.Itwouldbeunwisetoignorethe
influenceoftheregularworkingsessionsorganisedbytheCommission on
theEuropeandimension.Thesesessionsbroughttogetherstudyandproject
leadersandtheESPOIRteamaswellasthenationalreportersengagedto
analysethepoliciestocombatpovertyintheirowncountries.'
InthequestforthisEuropeandimensiononemustnotforgettheworking
groupwhoassistedtheCommissioninanadvisorycapacityinorderto
launchandimplementtheprogrammesuccessfully .
(*)Theestablishment in1979ofESCAP(EuropeanSocialandCommunityAction
Programme),aspontaneousvoluntaryorganisation whichbroughttogether
atEuropeanlevelagoodnumberoftheoriginalprojects.

-18-
Mentionmustalsobemadeoftheimportantpartplayed,both
directlyandindirectly,bytheCommissioninoriginating,developing,
inspiringandsupervisingtheprogramme.Despitethesmallnumberof
staffatitsdisposalforthepurpose,theCommissionhasbeenan
essentialelementsinthisEuropeandimension,ashasbeentheEuropean
Parliament whichhasalsogivenit'sfullsupportonnumerousoccasions.
InthiscontextthelastseminarheldinApril1980,whichassembled
foraperiodofthreedaysmanyofthosewhohadworkedontheprogramme,
revealedbyitsveryatmospheretherichesstobegainedfromexchanging
experiences,thevalueoftheideasputforwardandthetruththateveryone
hadrealisedthattherereallywasanEuropeandimension.
B.THEIMPLEMENTATION OFTHEPROGRAMME'SOBJECTIVES
InArticle1(a)oftheCouncilDecisionof22July1975(*)
threeobjectives weresetforthepilotschemes:
-testanddevelopnew-methods ofhelpingpersonsbesetbyorthreatenedwith
povertyintheCommunity;
-(tobe)...plannedandcarriedoutsofaraspossiblewiththeparticipation
ofthoseconcernedand
-(tobe)...ofinteresttotheCommunityasawholeinthattheydealwith
problemscommontomorethanoneMemberState.
Tothesethreeaspects:innovation,particpation andCommunity
interest,mustbeaddedafourthwhichisindispensable inordertocomplete
theevaluationofthepilotschemesandthatistheresultsobtainedbyeach
scheme.
(*)Decision75/458/EEC-OfficialJournalof30/7.1975.

-19-
(a)Innovations
Anumberofpilotschemes,whoseoriginsantedatetheLaunching
oftheprogrammemarrytraditional meansandmethodsofsocialworkwith
newermethodswhicharebettersuitedtothetargetpopulation andthe
handicaps whichtheysuffer;handicapswhichmustbealleviated ormade
todisappear.Innovation,however,ispredominant inthoseschemeswhich
beganin1975orlater.Hereareafewillustrative examplesdrawnfrom
I .different schemes.
I
Marolles(Brusse^?)
Theoriginality ofthisprojectrestsmainlyinitsmethods.Conside­
ringurbanpovertyasoneofthetypesofrelationship (exclusion)which
theneighbourhcod' sinhabitantshavewithurbaninstitutions ,itsbattle
planconsistsofmodifyingurbanpractisesinsuchawayastoreduce
thepartplayedbyinstitutionalised societyandtoincreasetheautonomy
ofthepoorestinhabitants .
Themeansusedconsistofcreatingorreinforcing integrated local
groups,especially thosewhoaimtoimplementactionprogrammes whichmeet
thewishesexpressed bytheinhabitants themselves concerningtheirhabitat,
thelocaleconomyandculture.
2.Cologne
Theschemeusedaparticulardefinition ofpersonslivinginpoverty
foritssurvey.Povertywasdefinedasbeingwhenthenetincomeofahouse­
holdfellbelowthepovertylinedetermined bylevel,ofneedascontained
intheFederalLawsrelatingtosocialassistance .Takingthisasastarting
point,twotargetgroupsemerge:thoseinreceiptofsocialassistance
benefitsandthosewhodonotclaimsocialassistance althoughtheyare
entitledtoit.Thesurveycoveredarelativelyrestricted area:two
neighbourhoods inCologne,ofdifferentstructural types.

-20-
3.Amberg
Thesocio-pedagogical andsocialpoliticalmethodswhichneed
tobetakenmustaimtocombatpovertyandunequalchancesonapreventive
basisifnotonacompensatory one.Thetransmittedsocialcycleofpoverty
andotherhandicapsmustbebrokenbyamultiplepackageofsocialmeasures.
Whereverpossibleinthisprojectsuchmeasureshavebeenconceivedwith
anovatorynatureandasbeingabletoserveasmodels.
4.Rheims
Theprincipalinnovationfoundhereistheattempt,onacity-wide
basis,atcreatingadialoguewhichencompasses thesub-proletariat ,social
institutions andthepublicauthorities aswellaspublicopinioninorder
toobtainpolicieswhichincludethepoorestandwhicharebasedontheir
needsandaspirations .
5.Ireland
Thenationalprogrammeisinnovatory TIseveralways:firstly,with
thecreationofaNationalCommitteeconsistingofvolunteers andcivil
servantswhereeveryonehasequalsayandsecondlywiththelaunchingof
anationalprogrammewhichcombinesnumerousprojectswithawidestrategy
'againstpoverty.Besidesthisatthelocallevelteamshadtotakeinto
accountlocalneedsandresourcesandtheydiscovered newformsofaction
tohelpandassisttheprojects.Finallyworkingmethodswhichincludea
cooperative approachandtheuseofcreativeartswithintheframework
ofamoregeneraltypeofactionwerealsoinnovatory.

-21-
,6.NagLes;Gi_u2liano _
Theinnovations centreon:
(a)themethodologyusedtoanalyseneedsandplanningfromgrass-roots
levelbasedon"homogenousgroups"inthepopulation;
(b)demonstrating thatitispossibletocombatagainstthegenerallevel
ofpovertyfoundinthewholeofapreviouslydefinedpopulation
(ratherthanthatfoundonlyinparticulargroupsofpoor).Thisis
doneusingthepoorestas'startingpointandtheythusbecomethe
vehiculesforageneralisedactiontocombatpovertyaswellas
directbeneficiaries .
(c)theidentification ofpocketsinthepopulationusefulinthefight
againstpoverty-connectioned withspace,theinhabitants andresources;
\
(d)theelaborationofoperationalguidelineswhichcanbeusedjimmediately by
differentpopulationgroups.
7.Downt^wn.Rotherhithe
Thecentreisoperatedsolelybypersonneldrawnfromthetarget
population..it-isalsounusualinitsprovisionformothers-andchildren
simultaneously .
8.Camden
This"drop-in"centrewasthefirstofitskindintheFamilyService
Unitorganisation andithasservedasamodelwhichhasbeenreplicated
elsewhere.Anotherinnovationhasbeentheinstitution ofmoreegalitarian
relationsbetween"clients"andsocialworkersthanisnormallyfoundwith
traditional socialwork.
London_Voluntary Service_CounciIAreaResourceCentre
I
In1976thewholeconceptofarearesourcecentreswasinitself
aninnovation.Thecreationofacommunityworknetworklinking33London
boroughs,acrossinterestsectorsandevenacrossprofessions (education,
health,etc.)isalsouniqueandausefulexampleattheregionallevel.

-22-
10.§οο^3^_3ηά_£θΓηηπυη2ΐ^_άθνθ^θ2Π]θηί_2Γθ2Γ9[ηπηθ ΛΕάπηβυΓαΙι
Fromamongstavarietyofinnovations onecanquotethetangible
assistancegivenforcommunitydevelopment ineachoftheareasconcerned
withtheprogramme.Thecommunityworkshopsprovidedmeetingrooms,infor­
mation,adviceandsecretarial services.Anotherinnovation :thecreation
ofajointcommitteetoenablethelocalviewpointtobepromotedamongst
othercommittees.Contrarytothenorm,localgovernmentadapteditsplan
tolocalopinion.
11.Wolverhampton
Priortothecreationofthissupportunit,advocacyservicesfor
thepoor,andinparticulartheirrepresentation beforesocialsecurity
tribunalswasunknowntoCitizensAdviceBureaux.Todaythisisareco­
gnisedpartoftheadvicebureaux'swork.Thequalityandquantityof
servicesofferedtothepoor-hasalsoimproveda'-dincreasedandinformation
andadvisoryserviceshavealsobeenprovidedforothercommunityand
statutoryagenciesoutsidetheNACABnetwork,(suchasCommunityRelations
Councils,communitygroupsandlocalAuthoritySocialServicesDepartments).
(b)Participation ofthepoor
Participation intheplanning,implementation anddaytoday
runningoftheprojectsaswellasintheirevaluationislesserorgreater
andofgreaterorlessersignificance infunctionoftheprojectsthemselves
andtheiroriginalobjectives.Participation doesnonethelessexistinall
theprojectsandhereareafewexamples:

-23-
1.The_ATO;Fourth_WorLd_Movement_(Pari s^_Rhe2[ns^_Breda z_London)
GiventhatoneofthegoldenrulesoftheMovementisparticipation
%
itisofcoursefoundinalltheirprojectsbutonemustnotmakelight
ofthedifficulties encountered whenseekingtheparticipation ofsub-
proletarian familieswhohavealwayssufferedexclusionandespecially
exclusionfromdecisionswhichaffecttheirverylives(education,
housing,etc.).Moreoverthosewhoaremostdynamictendtodissociate .
themselves fromtheiroriginsinorder"togeton"tothedetriment
ofthosewhoremainandareleftleaderless .Itisforthesereasonsthat
severaloftheprojectshavespecifically developedculturalaspectssothat
thepoorestmayhaveaccesstoculturalactivities whichwillenablethem
tocommitthemselvesfreelylater.
2.Marolles,Brussels
Herethereisevidenceofparticipation atalllevelsandin
differentformssoastobecompatible withwhateachpersoncanoffer.
Atitslowestlevelitcanbefoundinthesurveytodiscoverwhat
theopinionisintheneighbourhood ;itisfoundatmeetings,inthe
differentgrass-roots organisations cateringforspecialinterests
(forexample:theactiongroupagainsttherentswhicharetoodear,
thelocalfetes,inthefolkgroups,insport,etc.).Participation
existstooattheinstitutional levelwiththeconstantquestto
ensurethattheGeneralAssemblyisextendedtoalltheinhabitants .
Pushedtoextremesthequestionispointless asactionisinstigated
bythepoorestinhabitants oftheneighbourhood asmuchasbyany
groups.Itistheprincipleofthe"dialecticintegration"practisedhere
(thatistosayreciprocal andsuccessivemodification ofwhatisbeing
integrated andwhathasalreadybeenintegrated).

-24-
3.Ouisburg-Essen
Theattainmentoftheobjectivesinthisprojectnecessarily
impliesthatthetargetpopulationcriticisetheirsituationwhilst
seekingtobringaboutchange.Theymustthereforerecognisethat
forthemthepossibility ofactionexists.
4.Paris(14tharrondissement )
Theservicesinvolvedwiththisprojectfirstofalladmitted
theirclientsandtheirchildrenonaprogressivebasisandthenwelcomed
them.Somefamilieshaveevenmovedintothe14tharrondissementsothat
theycanbenefitfromthetypesofactivitytakingplacehere(asign
ofconsumersatisfaction ).
5.Guémene-sur-Scorff,Oranae,Roubaix
Ineachofthethreeprojectlocationstherewasadesiretouse
methodswhich,allthingsbeingequel,wouldencouragethetargetpopulationto
participate insolvingitsproblems.,Thisdesirewastransformed into
arealitywiththecreationofclubsforoldpeoplewhereinone
capacityoranothereverymemberplayedanactiveroleatsomestageintheir
development.'
Thereisalsoparticipation fromthosefamilieswhoaresocially
handicapped andtheyareslowlyemergingfromthesupervisiontowhich
theyaresubject.Italsoemergeswiththepermanentworrythatneeds
mustbewellformulatedifsatisfactory suitablesolutionsaretobefound.
6.Ireland_(National programme)
Theparticipation ofthepoorhasbeenoneofthebasicprinciples
oftheprogrammeandithas.beenremarkablystrong.Thisisprobablydueto
thefactthattheprojectleadershavebeenworkingwithveryflexible
instructions .Itwasnotnecessarytoencouragethetargetpopulationto
participate inprojectactivitiesasitwastheprojectstaffwhowere
participating inthepopulationsactivities.Fromitssmallestproject
tothemostcomplexonetheprogrammecommittedthepopulationtoplay
anactivepart.

-25-
7.Naples-Giugliano
Themethodology adoptedisbasedonananalysisofneeds(this
analysisbeingmadebyteamsandpopulationgroupstogether)andtheactive
participation ofgroupswhichare"homogeneous orhavesimilarneedsin
ordertoelaborateandimplementsolutionsforthedifferentproblems
tackled.Butthemaincharacteristic hasbeentocreatepressuregroups
andtomakethepopulat ,onactiveinthedirectpreparation andimplementation
ofmeasureswhichneedtobetakentomeetitsneeds.
8.DefoeDayCentre-Hackney,London
Fromitsverybeginningsthisprojectsaughttheparticipation of
theusersandprojectworkersintherunningofthenursery.Theresults
herehavebeenexcellent.Thefactthatthemanagement teamcomefromthe
areawheretheprojectislocatedplaysanimportantrole.
London_Voluntary_Serv2ce_Counci^_FamiJ.y_Grou |3S
Thefamilygroupsprojecthascreatedformsofparticipation .
Thegroupleadersandworkersinthisprojectcomefromthetarget
populationandwereselectedfortheirvitality,humanwarmth,goodsense
andcompletecommitmenttotheirlocalcommunities.Theyhavenoparticular
qualifications ,theyhaveknownpovertyandtheycontinuetoliveinthe
sameconditionsastheirclients(withthesamehousingandlackservices)
andinthemidstofthem.Thisgreatlyfacilitatescontactsandconfidences
onareciprocalbasis.
10.London_Voluntar^_Seryiçe_Çounci l_Area_Resourçe Centre
Thecommunityworkprojectdoesnotbenefitfromsuchfavourable
circumstances astheotherLVSCproject.Infactgiventheregional
natureoftheworkitisimpossibletoestablishdailycontactsandbe
flexible,aswouldbethecaseatthelocallevel.Thecommunitywork
servicehadtouseitsimaginationtofindmethodswhichwouldobtain
committmentofresponsibility fromdisadvantaged groups.

-26-
11.Edinburgh (CraiamiLLar)
Herethepoordefinewhattheirproblemsareandwhatremedies
andchangesareneeded.Theproposalsthataredrawnuparetakeninto
consideration bytheRegionalCouncilwhothensubmitsthemtotheappro­
priatecommittee.
(c)Results
Theresultsobtainedbytheprojectsrepresentawiderangeofachie­
vements:innovation,participation bythepoor(boththeseaspectshavealready
beendealtwith)achievements whicharenotalwaystangibleones.Itiswith
regardtothislastpointthatwewouldliketogivesomeinformation :
1.Marolles^Brusse_ls
Progressively,theattentionofthegeneralpublichasjbeendrawnto
thenewdimensionsofpoverty.Itisnolongerconsideredassimplyalack
ofincomebutasanactiveprogression ofprogressive exclusion.
Differentgrass-rootsgroupsweresetup:aproductionunit,the
"AtelierMarollien"(Marolles'workshop),"RadioMarolles",thefetes,etc.
Thethoughts/andthereforetheactions,oftheCommitteehaveturnedtowards
anewconceptionofsocialpovertyandofwaysofcombattingit.Inparticular
thereisaconsciousness oftheEuropeandimensionofpoverty.
2.Cologne
Thisprojecthasproducedconsiderableinformationwhich
enablestheLikelysituationsandformsofpovertytobemeasured.Aboveall
ithascontributedtotheimprovementoftheactualsituationwhichthepoor
findthemselvesinbypromotingandsupportingtheirpoliticalparticipation .

-27-
Thisobjective wasmetbycreatingpersonalassistance groupsandinterest
groupsinthefieldofsocialassistance.ThisinitiativetakeninCologne
hasinthemeantimebeenreplicatedthroughouttheFederalRepublic.Itis
howevertoosoontosayifthecreationofthesegroupshasbroughtabout
anyfavourable andrealmodifications insocialassistance.
3.Dui_sburc]-Essen .
Fromamongsttheseriesofresultsobtainedbythisprojectwewould
liketonotethoserelatingtochildrenandyoungpersons.Thankstothe
workoftheintensivegroupsitispossibletoobservetodaythatallthe
childrenhavedeveloppedstrongfeelingsofbelongingtoagroupandthat
theyparticipate intheworkinamuchmoreautonomous andconsciousway
thantheydidatfirst.Theirmotivationtolookoutwardshasvisibly
increasedandnewpolesofinteresthavedeveloped.Ontheotherhand,
atschoolresultshavenotbeenaspositive.
Regardingtheyoungtherehavebeenchangesintheirbehaviour.They
havedevelopedgreaterawarnessoftheirworthanddonotdependon
"leaders"asmuch.Theirattitudesofpassivityandresignationareslowly
disappearing (forexampletheyaremoreactiveinjob-hunting).
Therehasbeenanoticeabledecreaseinthetensionexistingin
therelationship withtheirparents.Likewisetherehasbeenadecrease
inagressivenessbothinthegroupmeetingsandelsewhere.
4.Paris(14th_arronçhssement)
Alltheactivities havecontributed to:
-loweringtheagewhenthefirstinterventiontakesplacewithchildren
from7yearsto3yearssothatitispossibletotakepreventivemeasures
ratherthantrytorepairdamagethathasalreadyoccured;
-maintainingfamilylinksandtheinterestofparentsfortheirchildrenas
wellastheirparticipation ;
-avoidingthetraumaofseparation;
-scrappingcertainantagonisms whichexistedbetweenservices.

28-
ATD(Nois^;le;Grand r_Herbla^_TouLon )
Manysignificantresultshavebeenobtainedwhichprovethat
"irretrievable families"donotexist.
Accordingly,intheviewofpsychologistsitwould.appearthatthe
FourthWorldchildrendeveloppsychologically accordingtoapatternthat
isstatistically compatiblewiththatofthegeneral"unselected"child
populationandthatthereisnostatisticaldifferenceinthedistribution
ofintelligence betweenthe.twogroups.Educatorsdealingwithyoung
childrenhavenotedthattheircollaboration withparentsandnursery
workershasbeenanimportantfactorinvisibleprogressachievedinthe
targetgroupsofchildrenasawhole.Betterschoolattendanceisapparent,
althoughfamiliesstilldonotfeelateasewhereschoolisconcernedor
whentheyareinit.
Elsewherethegeneraltrendsosendchildrentoinfantschoolfromthe
'ageof4hasalsoaffectedthoseofthesub-proletariat .
Finally,ithasbeennotedthatteachersintheinfantschools
concernedhaveshownincreasedinterestandhavemadeagenuineattempt
toachieveabetterunderstanding ..
.Ireland(the_natbnal_gro2ramme )
Itisdifficulttorevealalltheresultsofsuchanextensive
programme.Theprincipalresultisthattherearelittlepocketsof
,disadvantaged personstobefoundthroughoutIrelandwhohaveacquirednew
confidenceinthemselvesaswellas.acapacityforcopingwiththeproblemswith
whieh

-29-
theyarefaced.Theprogrammehasalsoservedtoawakenpublicconsciousness
tothefactthatpovertyexistsinIreland.Atthelocallevelmanyactivities
whichwerebornfromtheprogrammehavetodayacquiredautonomy.Amongst
otherstheseincludecooperativeenterprises andcreditunions.Inaddition,
throughitsworkingmethodstheprogrammehasinfluencedsocialworkersand
otherswhohelpthepoor.
Finally,theprogrammeasawholehashadeffectsinmanydirections.
Inparticular,intheeconomicsectorithassupportedagreatnumberof
projectsandactivities whichproducedeconomicadvantagesfordifferent
groupsandcommunities (fromtheacquisition ofwelfarerightstothe
development ofsmall-scaleindustries).
7.NagJLes^Giuçjliano
Toquoteamonstothers:
-approvalbytheRegionalParliamentofalawcombattinginfantmortality
financedwith10000millionlirafor1980;thetextofthelawwas
elaboratedwiththeparticipation oftheprojectinaparticipatory way;-
-theregionalmovementfortheapplicationoftheabovementioned law;
-theCommuneofNaples'adoptionoftheversatilemodelproposedbytheproject
forneighbourhood socio-medical centres; .
-thelaunchingofseverallocalandnationalinformation/initiativecampaigns
concerningseveraloftheproject'sthemes;
-theintegration innormallocalschoolsofsome200childrenwithproblems
ofphysicalorpsychological development andadecreaseinthenumbersof
localchildrenandadultswithpsychological problemsbeingshutupin
institutions ;

-30-
-thesettingupofcooperativesforyoungpeople;
-theachievementofmanyinitiativesconcerningLiteracy,vocational
training,schooling,hygiene,leisure,culturalactivities,health,
communitylife,urbanspaces,information,socio-cultural stimulation,
musicalcultureanddrugaddiction.
8.ATD(Breda)
Themostprincipalresultsweretobefoundinthewayinwhich
peoplehadbecomeinvolved.Agreatnumberofthefamiliesconcerned .
emergedfromtheirhabitualapathyandshowedspectacularly their
capacityforactioninthesocialandculturaldomains.
9.ATD_(London)
Themostimportantandfundamentalresultwasthatasagroup
familiesprogressed fromrecountingtheirpersonalexperiences and
needstoexpressingtheircommonhistoryandcollectiveidentity.
Anumberofadultsdevelopedtheircapacitytospeakinacoherant
wayinpublicwhichhelpeddispellthemyththatthepoorpopulation
iseitherisensitivetoitspovertyandexclusionorinanycasetotally
incapableofexpressingitselfwithanycoherence.
10.DowntownRotherhithe (London)
Withoutassistance fromprofessionals thisprojecthassucceeded
waybeyondtheejtpectations whichweresetdownatthebeginning,with
themanagement anddaytodayrunningoftheCentreinthehandsof
thetargetpopulation.Alargenumberofthefamiliesconcernedhad
childrenbelowtheageof3.Thesenseofbelongingtoacommunity
fosteredbythe>Centre

-31-
hasextendedintothelivesofusersoutsidetheCentreandhasenabledthem
toovercomethelong-standing tensionswhichexistbetweenpeoplewhohave
livedintheareaforalongtimeandnewcomers.AttendanceattheCentre
hasalsohelpedtoreducetheisolationandpovertyoftheattendors
enablingthemtoexpressthemselvesfreelyandtoacquirenewknowledge.,
Attendancehasalsocontributedpositivelytothedevelopment oftheir
children.
11*§lQ2££!2IÊâÇL(Çroydon )
Thecriterialaiddownatthebeginningoftheprojectwithwhich
tojudgesuccesswerethedemandforplaces.
In1980,256childrenand184adultsattendedtheplayschool,of
whom97childrenand78parentsattendedonaregularbasis(inthemain
theyarefromone-parentfamilies :andinthemajorityofcasesitis
thelonemotherwhoheadsthefamily).
I'
Amongsttheparentssomeattendedforayearorless,butthe
majorityattendforaperiodof2to4years.Itseemsatthesametime
thatthefinancialsituationofmanyoftheparentshasimprovedprogressi-
,vely(theyhaveobtainedbetterjobs,orapromotionortheyhaveundertaken
furtherstudies).
Finally,thechildrenseemtohaveacquiredgreateremotional
stability.
12-ÇraigmHlar^Ed^nburgh )
... . «IThepublication oftheGentleGiantwhosharesandcares:Craig-
miliar'sComprehensive PlanforAction*whichwaswrittenandprintedbythe
targetpopulationitselfandwhichhasbeencirculatedaroundtheworld,
hasprovokedvisitorstocomefromallova"theworld.Inaddition,using
governmentjobcreationschemesCraigm'illar hasbeenabletogiveachanceto
dozensofpersonsthankstothesettingupofvariousworkshopsandclubs,
ahostel,etc.

-32-
MentionmustalsobemadeoftheAnnualFestival-whichlastsafortnight-
ofparticipation intheannualInternational EdinburghFestivalandtours
withthetheatregroupandchildren'scircus.
Theprincipalresultmustbethesupportbroughttothemoraleand
initiativeoftheCraigmillar communityinaworseningeconomicclimate.
13•London_\/o].untar^_SeryT -çe_Çounç2l_Area_Resource_Çent re_
Theprojecthasenabledregionalresourcestobecreated.The
communication systemexistsasdoesthehealthnetwork.
Anumberoflocalschemessupportedandadvisedbytheproject-
asmuchasitwasable-havenotprovidedthefavourableresultsene
wouldhaveexpectedattheoutsetinparticularthosecentredonpublic
housingandemploymentbecauseofthecurrenteconomicclimate.
14.SocialandCommunityDevelopment ProgrammeEdinburgh
Oneofthesignificantresultsofthesocialandcommunitydevelopment
programmeisthatitisstillinoperation.Manysympathetic onlookershave
beenpessimistic throughout.
Onthreeoccasionsthecontinuation ofthisprogrammewasthreatened
becauseofthepressureputonlocalauthoritiestocutbackontheirexpen­
diture.Elsewhere,greaterexperiencehasbeenacquiredinthefollowing
areas:housing,employment,education,communitynewsandcohesion,etc.
15.Belfast
Oneachievement wasthattheobjectivesdefinedfortheprojectwere
attainedinthetimelimitsthathadbeenset.Inadditionhundredsoffami­
lieshavebenefitted fromtheproject.Theprojecthasalsocollecteddata
ofconsiderable importancetopromoteunderstanding intothenatureof
povertyinNorthernIreland.Theprojecthasalsoprovidedaclearanalysis
oftheproblemsofpovertyinthispartoftheUnitedKingdomandmadea
numberofproposalsandrecommendations foritsalleviation.

III.THEPILOTSTUDIES
Whilstwedonotyethavetheresultsofthestudiesitis
possibletogiveinformationrelatingtothemwhichisadditionaltothat
whichcanbefoundintheCommission'ssecondreportontheprogramme.
Bystudieswemeanthosewhichwerefinancedentirelybythe
Communityandnotthosecarriedoutwithintheframeworkofpilotschemes
whicharealsoofinterestbutofamorelimitednature.
(a)Unemployment andmeasurestocombatpoverty
Thisstudywhichisbeingcarriedoutinthreecountriesaims
tocomparetheefficacityofpoliciesdesignedtocombatpoverty
fortheunemployed,inparticular,aswellasothervulnerablegroups
inthepopulation.Thestudyfocusesonunemployment asevenif
numericallythisisnottheprincipalcauseofpovertythereis
reasontobelievethatitplaysanimportantrole.Infact,the
increaseinunemploymentisaccompanied bynewformsofpoverty
(hundredsofthousandsofordinaryfamiliesaretodayexperiencing
povertyforthefirsttime).Inaddition,the,continuousintroduction
ofnewtechnologies intheCommunitygiverisetothebeliefthatthe
<unemployment problemwillplayamajorroleduringthenexttwoor
threedecades.
Ineachofthecountriesstudiedacitywaschosen(Saarbriicken,Rheims
andBristol)usingastatisticalanalysiscarriedoutonthebasisof
commoncriteria.Thesecities,whicharereasonablytypicalof
theircountries,havesomecommoncharacteristics .Theyarecities
whichdonothaveahistoryofchronicunemployment butwhich
haveexperiencedanincreaseinunemployment duringthepastfive
years.Insideeachcityanareawasselectedwhichcontainsahigh
percentageofpersonswithfewornoqualifications ,peoplewhoarethe
mostvulnerabletounemployment .

-34-
Thesurveywascarriedoutbyinterviewwhichwasinturn
completedbyageneralheadofhouseholdsurveydoneona
samplebasis(2926inBristol,3637inSaarbriickenand
3171inRheims).Thegeneralsamplesurveyaimedin
particulartoreachthosepersonswhowhilstnotbeing
officiallyregisteredatunemployment oremploymentoffices
werenonetheless unemployedorseekingemployment.Italso
aimedtocomparethesituationoftheunemployedwiththat
ofotherpersonswhoarepotentiallyvulnerabletopoverty.
*Besidesinformation onincome,thesurveysoughtother
information onvariousaspectsofemployment (jobplacement
andvocationaltraining)andotherdimensionsofpoverty
(housing,illhealth,restrictedleisureandsocialisolation)i
Amorelimitednumberofadditionalinterviewstookplace
withtheunemployed (bothwithheadsofhouseholdandmembers
oftheirfamilies).
(b)Persistentpoverty .
Thefinalobjectiveofthisstudywastogainmore
information ontheexteriorformsofpovertywhichriskbeing
persistentaswellasbeingtransmitted fromonegeneration
tothenextinthecontextofthepopulationingeneralandof
socialinstitutions .Thepointofdepartureforthestudywas
apopulationthathadbeenentirelyclassified,inthiscaseall
familiesandhouseholdshavingachildbornin1970.
Thegeographical catchmentareaforthestudycovered
sevenregionsinfivecountries.Foreachofthesevenregions
i
arandomsamplewasconstituted whichcontainedfamiliesand
householdsrangingfromtherichesttothepoorest.Thissample
wasusedtoconstructnoriskandriskofpovertytypologies.
Takingthisasastartingpointasecondsamplewasmadeof
"highriskofpoverty"persons.

-35-
Thestudyconsisted ,ofthreephases}someresultsfrom
thesecondphase,"bothdiscriptive andevaluative,arealready
available.Inthefirstinstancetheanalysisoftherandom
sampleoffamiliesrevealedthreetypicalgroupsoffamilies
(noriskofpoverty;riskofpoverty-largefamilies,
oftenofimmigrantorigin;andahighriskofpoverty-where
oneparentfamiliesareoverrepresented ).Italsoenabledan
evaluationofthevolumeandlevelsofpovertyinrelationto
thereferencepopulation.
Thestudyconfirmsthehypothesisthatpovertyismulti­
dimensional .Italsoprovidesaninstrumenttomeasurethelevel
ofdeprivation infamilieswhichcanbetransposedtoother
contextsorpopulations ,inadditiontoamethodfordetecting
familieswithahighriskofpovertyinthegrandregion(the
regioncoveredbythestudy).
Finally,itdeliversawholecollectionofinformation
likelytobeusefultosocialpolicyconnectedwithpoverty,but
thiswillhavetobeconfirmedinthefinalphaseofthestudy.
(c)Researchonthesize,aspectsandcausesofpoverty
Thisstudyisbasedonasampleof3000familiesper
country.ItisthefirstEuropeansurveyofsuchmagnitudeon
socialpolicyproblems.Havingbeenundertakenattheendof1977
thesurveygivesmuchdetailedinformationastolivingconditions
onthethresholdofthe1980s.Theobjectivesofthisstudyare
multiple:
-toestablishapovertylineintheMemberStateswhichwould
takecertainsociological andeconomicaspectsintoaccount;
-thedistributionofincome(aftertax)infamiliestogetherwith
adifferentiation accordingtospecialsub-groups :education,
region,workinghours,age,numberofincomeearners,etc.....

-36-
Thepurposeofth,isistocompareincomedifferencesintheMember
Statesandatthesametimetoestimatethepercentageofpersons
belowthepovertyLine;
-Theextentofdifferenttypesofpoverty;
-Thepartplayedbymodifications insocialsecurityschemeswhich
reduceorincreasepoverty.
(d)Studiesongypsiesandother"nomads"
Theyconsistofacomparativeanalysisofthemainproblemswhich
facedifferentnomadicpopulations (andthoseofnomadicorigin)in
thevariednationalcontextsoftheFederalRepublicofGermany,
BelgiumandintheNetherlands .Thepopulations concernedconsist
inBelgiumofsome-10000travellers andgypsiesofwhombetween
20and25%aregypsies,inGermanytherearethe"Landfahrer"
(travellers)(about10000)andthegypsies(30000);inFrance>
150000personsofwhom1/3areitinerants,whilstintheNetherlands
thereareapproximately 20000"woonwagenbewoners "(caravandwellers)
andgypsiesofwhomabout5%aregypsies. ■.,
Themainproblemsfacingthesepeoplearisefromtheirwayof
lifeandworkwhichischaracterised ,toagreaterorlesserextent,
byawilltoreproduceastructureofsocialrelationswhichduring
arelatively longtimeconditioned thematerialandculturalsurvival
ofthesegroupsinanenvironmentthatwasmoreoftenthannotahostile
one.Furthermore thepoliciesofdifferentMemberStatesinvolvedin
thestudyhaveforverydifferentreasonsledtosituationsofgreat
materialinstability,culturalinstability and,ingeneral,conflict
situations withthedominantsocialorder.,
Ineverycasethelifestyleof"nomads"(andthevalueswhich
arelinkedwithit)arethreateneddirectly,eitheritbecomesmaterially
impossibletocontinue,oritishamperedbyrulesandregulations
oritisabsorbedsocially.Infactsome

_37_
oftheformsofsocialinsertionfor"nomads"begina
wholeprocessofmaterialandmoralpauperisation that
contemporary livingconditionscanonlyaccelerates

CONCLUSIONS (*)
Theconclusionsthatmaybedrawnatthisstagefromabroadsurveyofthe
pilotschemeswhicharenowcomingtoanend,mustbeofaveryprovisional
naturefor\:hereasonsgivenatthebeginningofthisreport.However,thanksto
theinformation anddataalreadyavailable,onemayexpectthattheseconclusions
willnotbechallengedinthefinalevaluationreportevenif,aswillprobably
bethecase,theywillhavetobeclarified,completed,enlargedandstudied
morethoroughly. ,
Thisexperimental programmeischaracterised byitsdiversityandatthe
sametimebytherichnessofvarietyintheactivitiesundertaken bytheschemes
aswellasthevarietyofexperiences andinformation whichithasprovided.It
demonstrates thatanumberofschemeshavepointsincommoneitherintheir
targetpopulations orthetypesofactivityorfieldsofintereststheytackle.
Thusthereissomekindofunityintheprogramme.- '
Moreover,whendueallowanceismadefortheindividualcharacterof
eachscheme,thegroupofprojectsasawholeconformsinthemaintothe
objectivessetbytheCouncilregardingtheparticipation ofthepoorandthe
testinganddevelopingofnewmethodstohelppersonsbesetbyorthreatened
withpovertyintheCommunity.
FinallyovertheyearstheprogrammehasacquireditsEuropeandimension.
AssuchitprovidesacommonheritageforalltheMemberStatesanditwouldbe
difficulttofinditsequivalentelsewhereatthepresenttimeataninternational
level.
Itappearsthatwithveryfewexceptionseachprojectencountered numerous
obstaclesduringimplementation duetothebehaviourandreactionsofthetarget
population,thegeneralpublicandoftheofficialinstitutions confrontedwith
theschemesorwithpeopleworkinginthefieldofsocialwork.Theprogramme,
(*)Whilstawaitingsignificantresultsfromthepilotstudiestheseconclusions
willonlyrelatetothepilotschemes.

-39-
■.«e
* *
andhencetheindividualpilotschemes,sufferedfromafurtherserioushandicap
asaresultofthetimerestriction imposedatthebeginning,viz.,alimitof
twoyearslaterextendedbythreeextrayears.Formanyprojectsthisgaverise
togreatdifficulties inplanningtheirobjectivesandmeansofachievingthem.
Iftimecanberegardedasaconditioning factorinthecarryingoutofindividual
projects,howmuchmoresomustbethechangingeconomicclimateinwhichthe
programmeasawholeevolved.
Despitetheseareasofshadow,aprovisional assessmentoftheentire
ventureshouldberatherfavourable.Itremainstobe■seenwhatisthebest
useforthepositiveandnegativelessonsthataretobedrawnfromit.It
wouldinfactbehighlyprejudicialforall:politicians,socialadministrators ,
publicandprivateinstitutions,citizensandfordisadvantaged personsin
particularifoneweretocastasideandforgettheaccumulation ofresults
producedbytheEuropeanprogrammetocombatpoverty,ortoignorethemwhen
makingpoliticaldecisions. •
V.THECOMMISSION'SPROPOSALS FORTHEINTERIMPROGRAMME
Bnthebasisoftheprovisional conclusions mentionedinPartIVofthe
presentreportandtakingintoaccountthatthetimeavailableisSorterand
thefinancialmeansarereducedforaninterimprogrammeasopposedtowhatwas
envisagedoriginally ,"theCommission,whileretainingthesameapproach,isnow
ledtoproposeaninterimprogrammeofmoreLimitedcontentthanthatoutlined
intheproposalsalreadysubmittedtotheCouncilandmademoreexpliciteon
variousoccasions.
i • ViUtilisingtoagreatextenttheexperiencederivedfromthefirstprogramme
tocombatpoverty,thisinterimprogrammeshouldcomprisesuchitemsas:.

-40-
1.Ananalysisindepthofthemajorobstaclesencountered inthecourseofthe
progression of,thepilotschemesandtheattainmentoftheirobjectives .This
analysisshouldincludeproposals astowaysandmeansofreducingorover­
comingtheobstaclesencountered .
2.Ananalysisofthedifferentstrategies adoptedbytheactiongroupsfromthe
view-point ofcommunitydevelopment orsocialreconstruction .
/ > .
Thishasnotbeenmadeclearsofar.
Whatlessonsmaybedrawnasregardssubsequent choices?
Theworkofgatheringinformation relevanttothispointisbynomeans
complete.
•3.Aninventoryoftheproblemswhichmoreandmoreimmigrants andtheir
childrenface(inparticular thesecondandthirdgenerations )andofthe
solutionsadoptedorplannedbytheMemberStatestocopewiththem..
Anumberofpilotschemesandstudieshavehighlighted themoreacutenature
ofpovertyexperienced bythissectorofthepopulation .
4.Afirstinventoryofpovertyproblemswhicharisefromthemovementof
populations toorawayfromthecentreofcitiesandwhichupsettraditional
population structures .Thisrepresents oneoftheelementsofabroader
studyastotheconditions necessaryfortheestablishment andmaintenance
ofawayoflifewhichwouldbesuitableforpopulations whichlacksocial
cohesionwithinthespatio-social structure (built-uparea-town,quarter).

-41-
5.Theanalysisandpossibleapplication ofimportantstudiesmadewithinthe
frameworkofthepilotprojectsonsimilarpopulationgroupsorproblems.
6.Researchtodefineaframeworkandcriteriaforcollaboration betweenaction-
researchandscientific-research ,usingseminarsasapossiblemeanstowards
thisend.
Theimplementation oftheinterimprogrammewouldbegreatlyinhanced
bythemaintenance oftheactioncentreswheretheywereestablished under
thefirstprogrammeandwheretheircontinuedexistencewouldprovidesome
pressuretowardsstimulating changeandinnovationinnationalpolicies.
Apartfromthisimmediateconsideration ,thedisappearance ofsucha
potential-laboriouslybuiltupoverseveralyears-wouldaddconsiderably
tothecostifitwerefoundnecessarytostartoveragainatalaterdate.
Consequently,havingregardtothelimitedexpenditure envisagedforthe
interimprogramme,itwouldbedesirablethattheMemberStatesfortheirpart
shouldmakeaneffortatthenationalleveltomaintaintheinstrument created
ontheoccasionofthefirstprogramme.
O