IBUK Libra

Belgium

conceivedandimplemented,suchasnegativeconsequencesofeconomicgrowth,

dehumanizingandalienatingeffectsofproductionmeasures,andincreasingly

uni-dimensionalpatternsofconsumption”(Vranken1998,64).AfterthisCredis-

covery)followedaCredefinition):fromtheendofthe1970sandtheearly1980sthe

focusshiftedtonon-materialisticandculturalaspects,ratherthanstressingthe

lackofmaterialandsocialresources,anduthisshifttookplacebecauseofthebe-

liefthatmaterialpovertywaseradicated”(Vranken1998,67).Alongwiththisshift

inperception,peopleinpovertyweremobilizedassocialactorsuthroughsocial

movements,suchasATDFourthWorld,whoassertedtheclaimtogivingvoiceto

therealinterestsandconcernsofpoorpeople”(Vranken1998,68).Asignificant

milestonewastheappearanceoftheGeneralReportonPoverty(AVA)in1994.

Thissymbolicreportwascomposedtocondemntheviolationofthecitizenshipof

peopleinpoverty,andwaspresentedasajointventurebysocialworkersandother

actors,particularly(self-)advocacyorganizations,aimingatguaranteeingtherec-

ognitionofthestandpointsofpeopleinpovertyinastructuraldialoguewithrep-

resentativepolicymakersintheBelgianwelfarestate.AsthePrimeMinisterofthe

dayJean-LucDehaenestated,uinthefuture,thegovernmentwilltaketheconclu-

sionsandthesuggestionsinthegeneralreportasapointofdepartureforanti-pov-

ertypolicymaking”(AVA1994,416).Asaconsequenceofthesedevelopments,

thecoordinationoftheAVAasapolicyinstrumentbecameanannualBelgianen-

terprise,resultingintheCooperationAgreementbetweentheFederalState,the

Communities,andtheRegionsconcerningthecontinuationofthePovertyRe-

ductionPolicyin1998(cf.AVA1994,416),accordingtowhichtheCombatPov-

erty,InsecurityandSocialExclusionServicewasconceivedandgivenamandateto

makeupabi-annualreportaboutthestateoftheartofpovertyissuesinBelgium.

Assuch,userparticipationhascometofunctionasacentralanddominantso-

cialpolicyconceptfortheimplementationofanti-povertystrategiesinBelgium

(Bouverne-DeBie2003).Thisemphasisontheuserparticipationofpeopleinpov-

ertyisinlinewithinternationaldevelopments,wherepractitionersofsocialpoli-

cyhaveshownaninterestinputtingpeoplewithexperienceofpovertyintopartici-

patorypositionsinordertoimplementanti-povertypoliciesandtopursueamore

democraticsociety(Beresford2002,2010;Lister2002,2004;Krumer-Nevo2005,

2008).Sincethe1990s,theformalparticipationofpeoplewithexperienceofpov-

ertyinpolicy-makinghasfiguredprominentlyontheinternationalagendaasuthey

havethecapacitytoplace,andindeedsometimestoforce,lifeknowledgeonthe

political,professional,academicandpolicymakingagenda”(Beresford2000,493).

Inwhatfollows,wefocusonthewayinwhichthisrhetoricofuserparticipationhas

beenimplementedinFlanders(theDutchspeakingpartofBelgium).Interesting-

ly,theappearanceoftheAVAalsoresultedinaFlemishDecreeonPovertyPolicyin

2003,stipulatingtherecognitionoftheCNetworkagainstPoverty)andanadvanced

educationalprogramforpeopleinpoverty,CTheLink)(seeDegrande2003).The

recognitionofthisformalCNetworkagainstPoverty)impliesthattheself-advocacy

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