This is an original experience in Quebec. A law passed in order to fight against poverty is measured and monitored with people who are living this situation in an oficial setting.
And yet, it is thought that 10% of those living in Quebec cannot meet their basic needs. The combination of insecurity, discrimination, prejudice and a general lack of recognition makes their lives impossible.
Against that background, people from all walks of life and community organisations got together in a massive citizen-backed movement to create the Collective for a Poverty-Free Quebec. ATD Fourth World has been involved in the Collective since its inception and contributed to one of its founding pillars: the systematic reliance on the experience of those living in poverty in order to articulate their demands.
As a result of those efforts, a law was passed in 2002 which requires the government of Quebec to draw up an active policy to fight against poverty. Within the framework of that law, a consultative committee was created, comprising 15 representatives of civil society. It issues opinions and submits recommendations to the government. Its work is based on a key idea driven by the Collective: to take account of the views of those living in poverty when taking decisions affecting them.