On 19 June, GEA21 organised and facilitated a working session at Lorenzana together with the Tetuán Equality Commission, Daniel García Blanco from the Fourth World movement, and Carlos Pereda from Invisibles Tetuán and Espacio Bellas Vistas, as part of the listening and learning activities being developed by JUST4CARE in the district.
The aim of the session was to deepen understanding of the realities experienced by many people and families in the neighbourhood in order to design responses that are more relevant, legitimate and effective. The discussion addressed issues related to poverty, social exclusion, housing, health, loneliness, access to rights, community networks and the relationship between citizens and institutions.
One of the central themes of the meeting was a reflection on the concepts we use to describe these realities. Participants discussed the use of terms such as “poverty” and “vulnerability”, exploring how these categories can help identify challenges while also risking the simplification of complex experiences or the reproduction of stigma if used uncritically.
The session highlighted the importance of recognising the knowledge that emerges from the everyday experiences of people facing exclusion. Beyond data and technical assessments, participants stressed the need to create spaces where different forms of knowledge can meet and engage on equal terms.
“We are often uncomfortable with naming these realities.” Daniel García Blanco
The discussion also drew attention to the persistence of structural inequalities over time and to the importance of strengthening collective responses in the face of increasing isolation and individualisation.
“We need to repoliticise poverty.” Carlos Pereda.
This meeting forms part of the learning process that JUST4CARE is developing in Madrid to better understand how social inequalities shape people’s capacity to cope with climate impacts and how adaptation policies can respond more fairly to the diverse realities present in neighbourhoods.
“Vulnerability should not be used to label people, but to understand reality.” — Collective reflection during the session.
GEA21 will soon publish a blog post with a more detailed summary of the reflections and lessons emerging from the session.