2021
3rd International Forum of Street Social Workers
WHEN THE STREET SPEAKS
The street worker members of Dynamo International – Street Workers Network (DISWN) once again came together in Brussels to take part in the 3rd Socal Street Workers International Forum, called “Words from the Street”, on 18-22 October 2021.
The Words from the Street forum aims to foster international mobilisation in order to develop structural and lasting responses to the issues faced by the most excluded communities, who are often in street situations, in Europe and around the world. The forum also aims to enable young people and street workers to speak out, as they witness first-hand the reality of life on the streets.
The forum, based on a participatory methodology, allowed each participant to propose a workshop and to generate a lot of ideas in a superb organised chaos. Over the course of the five-day event, and using grassroots reality as the starting point, the participants talked, enhanced their practices, created together, recharged their batteries, and formulated recommendations that were presented at the European Commission on Friday 22 October 2021, the forum’s final day.
PARTICIPATING ASSOCIATIONS*
ALBANIA: Nisma për Ndryshim Shoqëror (ARSIS) | BELGIUM: ACODEV / Allee du Kaai – TOESTAND / AMO CARS / AMO Jeun’Est / AMO La Boussole / AMO Le Signe / Amo Passages / Belgisch Netwerk Armoedebestrijding: BAPN / Bureau International Jeunesse (BIJ) / cabrio | LiSS / CEMO / Centre COMETE asbl AMO / Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles / Citadelle asbl / DEI-Belgique / Dynaco asbl / Dynamo AMO / Dynamo International – Street Worker Network / Dynamo International asbl / Jes / Jugendbüro / LHAC / Mobile School NPO / Relais santé du pays de Charleroi / Réseau Wallon de Lutte contre la Pauvreté / SAM vzw / Service de la prévention de Bruxelles (Aide à la Jeunesse) / Solidarités Nouvelles / SOS jeunes – Quartier Libre AMO / Stad Sint-Niklaas / Straathoekwerk Oostende / TADA vzw / Tchaï – Temps d’accroche Adolescents en exil / TSR Mouscron / Vagevuur vzw / Wallonie – Bruxelles International (WBI) / Zorggroep Zin | BOLIVIA: Asociación Mi Rancho / Fundación Alalay | BRAZIL: Associação de Educadores Sociais de Maringá (AESMAR) | CANADA: ATTrueQ (spectre de rue) / ATTRueQ / ROCQTR / Dopamine / En tout C.A.S. / Macadam Sud / Pilier Jeunesse / RAP Jeunesse / Travail de rue Lavaltrie / UQO | SPAIN: Nuevo Futuro – Asociación Navarra | FRANCE: APSN / Association ACTION JEUNESSE PESSAC / AURORE / AVANCE – Villeneuve d’Ascq / CAPEP / Dynamo France / Entourage / HORIZON9 / Institut Régional du Travail Social PACA et Corse / Le Relai SEA35 / Oppelia Charonne / SAMI ADSEA 28 / Sauvegarde 42 / Toulouse Métropole – Club de prévention des quartiers Est | GREECE: Association for the social support of youth (ARSIS) | LITHUANIA: Vilnius social club | MEXICO: El Caracol | MYANMAR: Médecins du Monde | PALESTINE: Defense for Children Palestine (DCI) | NETHERLANDS: BVJONG | DRC: Comité d’Appui au Travail Social de Rue (CATSR) | CZECH REPUBLIC: Ceska street work | ROMANIA: Fundatia Parada, Salvați Copiii | SWITZERLAND: Gassenarbeit Bern / Commune d’Epalinges | SENEGAL: Avenir De l’Enfant (ADE) / COSAED | SLOVAKIA: MLADEZ ULICE | SLOVENIA: Zavod BOB | TOGO: Amis pour une Nouvelle Génération des Enfants, A.N.G.E.
FIELD VISITS: Alhambra AMO / Alias / Allée du Kaai (Toestand asbl) / AtMOsphères asbl / CEMO AMO / Centre Comète / DIOGENES / Douche Flux / Dune – CLIP / Espace P / Foyer Roma Stewards / Infirmiers de Rue asbl / Itinéraires AMO / JES vzw / Latitude Nord / Team Herscham / Transit asbl
Closing day at the european commission
0:00 Introductive and welcome adress:
- Maria-Anna Paraskeva, Senior Policy Officer, European Commission, DG EMPL
- Edwin de Boevé, Director of Dynamo International
7:36 FIRST ROUND TABLE: The Globalisation of poverty: fatality or a social project?
Animation:
Edwin de Boevé, Director of Dynamo International
Speakers:
- 10:30 Testimony of a young on poverty
- 17:07 Jana Hainsworth, Eurochild Secretary General (about Child Poverty)
- 24:37 Christine Mahy, Walloon Poverty Reduction Network
- 36:36 Khaled M.A. Quzman, DEI Palestine, Director
- 48:27 Moussa Sow, Africa Regional Coordinator of Dynamo International – Street Workers network
- 1:02:02 Pierre Galand, President of Laïcité et Humanisme en Afrique Centrale asbl (LHAC)
1:19:35 SECOND ROUND TABLE: Social street work, a social response to social problems?
Animation:
Cis Dewaele, SAM vzw
Speakers:
- 1:21:11 Wim Van Lancker, researcher: wimvanlancker.be
- 1:34:33 Anne Sophie Fontaine, President of Fédération Laïque de l’Aide à la Jeunesse(FLAJ)
- 1:43:14 Luis Enrique Hernández, Director of El Caracol A. C.(Mexico)
- 1:56:16 Philippon Toussaint, President of the Community Youth Support Council
- 2:06:50 Bernard Devos, General Delegate for Children’s Rights
2:17:00 CLOSING AND CONCLUSIONS of « Words from the street »
Animation:
David Lallemand, Communication Advisor to the General Delegate of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation for Children’s Rights
- 2:19:39 Speaking up for social street workers– Findings and Recommendations
- 2:26:45 Intervention by Edwin de Boevé
- 2:33:33 Speaking up for the youth– Findings and Recommendations
Reactions:
- 2:41:24 Ruth Paserman, Director DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at European Commission, Deputy Director-General – Funds, Fair Transition and Analysis – Funds: Programming and Implementation (EMPL.G)
- 2:50:26 Valérie Glatigny, Minister for Youth Aid in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation
- 2:55:51 Wouter Beke, Flemish Minister for Welfare
- Saskia Bricmont, Member of the European Parliament
PRESS COVERAGE
Paroles de rue, paroles d’enfance (ZOOMS CURIEUX par Gabrielle Lefèvre, le 23 octobre 2021)
Organized by:
With the support of:
In partnership with: