Artisans of Peace Overcoming Poverty, Volume 3: Understanding the Violence of Poverty

By Diana Skelton

"Artisans of Peace Overcoming Poverty" introduces partners in peace-building whose efforts are rarely recognised. Volume 3 recounts how young people in the Central African Republic continued organising Street Libraries with children throughout the civil war that began in 2013. In the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and elsewhere, living in poverty are victimised by stereotypes and feared as a source of violence; but the greatest violence is done to them. Their participatory research leads to a new understanding about the choices people make to end the silence surrounding this violence and work towards peace. For almost sixty years, ATD Fourth World has sought out people in the most serious situations of extreme poverty. In low-income communities, this movement of people coordinates projects such as Street Libraries, the People’s University, and fair-trade workshops. Over the years, in many parts of the world, members have witnessed the violence wrought by poverty. First in post-war Europe, and then in Africa, the Americas, and Asia, ATD has brought together people who live in poverty, making it possible for them to end the silence about this violence, and reinforcing their efforts to create peace in their communities.