Artisans of Peace Overcoming Poverty, Volume 1: A People-Centered Movement

By Diana Skelton

Every day, around the world, people living in poverty work for peace in often unseen ways. Joining in this struggle has been the mission of the International Movement ATD Fourth World for more than 50 years. ATD Fourth World’s newest book, Artisans of Peace Overcoming Poverty, introduces partners in peace-building whose efforts have too often remained unrecognized. People committed to solidarity in Haiti, Madagascar, the United States, Guatemala, and elsewhere help us to understand their efforts, encouraging all those around the world who strive to overcome the injustice of poverty. In Haiti, these are people like: Merita Colot, who lived in a “no-go zone” and made a point of opening her door for child development projects; Jean-Hughes Henrys, a doctor who refuses to leave for greener pastures and who fights brain drain by encouraging young people to remain despite hardship; and Michèle Montas, then Special Adviser to the UN, who sought out people like Merita and her neighbors so they could provide insights from their experience on how to rebuild the country in such a way that no one would be left behind. Artisans of Peace is rooted in participatory research that was conducted by ATD Fourth World on the violence of extreme poverty that showed just how much people living in poverty do to search for peace, to go beyond violence, and to build a sense of community. Through narratives and numerous color photos, we discover the acts of courage, as well as the creativity, experience, and insights of people born into poverty who are striving to overcome it together with others.