Community Platform to launch a National Equality and Anti-Poverty Action Movement - Community Platfo

Published: Monday, March 24, 2003

The Community Platform has today (25/3/03) decided to reject the new social partnership agreement 'Sustaining Progress'. The members of the Community Platform strongly believe that the new programme will not combat poverty or inequality and are highly critical of the way in which the needs of people living in poverty and experiencing inequality were completely ignored in this process.

'We will continue to engage with the government and other social partners wherever decisions about the lives of the people we represent will be made' says Frances Byrne spokesperson for the Community Platform.

'The fundamental decision made by the Community Platform today is to launch a National Equality and Anti-Poverty Action Movement' she continued. 'We are faced with an extremely socially conservative government, where people are perceived as economic units and nothing more. The time has come for a new space and a new voice for radical social change. We will be focusing our energies on affecting the outcomes of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy, the Budget, local elections'.

The National Equality and Anti-Poverty Action Movement will be launched in June 2003. The Community Platform will invite all equality and anti-poverty groups to be part of this national mobilisation for change.