European campaign against child poverty

The "End child poverty now!" campaign has been launched in the European Union countries by organizations working with children facing poverty or social exclusion. The FEDAIA, the federation of Catalan organizations working with homeless children and young people or at risk of social exclusion and Eurochild, the European network of organizations working for children, have asked this week to the Spanish and Catalan political leaders to join the campaign.

The "End child poverty now!" campaign is part of the activities of the European Year against Poverty and Social Exclusion and has been launched by the 108 members of Eurochild.

The FEDAIA is driving the initiative in Spain where the campaign was launched last March. Its purpose is to require EU decision makers to make the fight against child poverty a political priority. To this end, it seeks to collect the highest number of signatures by 31 December 2010.

The FEDAIA wants to remind that Spain, like the rest of Europe, experienced a period of economic boom that was not used to stop child poverty and social exclusion. According to the latest data from Eurostat, 20% of children are facing poverty in the EU, a figure that in the case of Spain and Catalonia rises to 24%. That is why Eurochild and FEDAIA are asking policy makers of different levels of administration to support the campaign. Until now several Catalan municipalities, like Blanes and Lleida, have discussed the issue in their plenary sessions and have decided to support.

Individuals wishing to join this campaign can do to the web page www.endchildpoverty.eu. The messages, which can include pictures and videos, will be delivered in January 2011 to the presidents of the European Commission, European Parliament, European Council and Council of Europa.An exhibition will be organised at the European Parliament in Brussels where most significant messages will be displayed.

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