Almost 80 million people live below the

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

line in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

. Problems that arise from living in poverty may include not having enough money to spend on food and clothes, poor housing conditions, homelessness, and limited lifestyle choices that may lead to

social exclusion Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...

. Inspired by its founding principle of

solidarity ''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...

, the European Union joined forces with its

Member States A member state is a state that is a member of an international organization or of a federation or confederation. Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) include some members that are not sovereign states ...

to make 2010 the European Year For Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The objectives were to raise public awareness about these issues and renew the political commitment of the EU and its Member States to combat poverty and social exclusion. The year also challenged stereotypes and collective perceptions of poverty.

How will it work?

Civil society organisations and social partners joined participating countries and the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

to run activities throughout 2010. Two European-level conferences took take place in January and December; an art initiative built a bridge between people experiencing poverty and social exclusion and the creative world; while a journalist competition rewarded the best articles about poverty and social exclusion in Europe. National and local events took place in every EU member state, plus Norway and Iceland. Activities included awareness raising campaigns, workshops and information seminars in schools. Films, magazines and other information material were produced across participating countries to help people understand how poverty and social exclusion affect their communities, what initiatives there are to fight it, and for those directly affected, to increase awareness of their rights. Along with public figures, people who have experienced poverty acted as campaign ambassadors, which raised visibility and credibility for the Year’s activities.

Objectives of the European Year

* Recognition: recognise the right of persons experiencing poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to take an active part in society. * Shared responsibility and participation: promote public support for social inclusion policies, emphasising collective and individual responsibility in combating poverty and social exclusion, and fostering commitment by all public and private actors. * Cohesion: promote a more cohesive society, where no one doubts that society as a whole benefits from the eradication of poverty. * Commitment and practical action: renew the pledge of the EU and its Member States to combat poverty and social exclusion, and involve all levels of authority in the pursuit of that aim.

Previous European Years

* 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue

External links

2010 European Year campaign website
Legal framework of the European Year 2010
Decision n1098/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2008 on the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010)
Statistics on poverty and social exclusion in the European Union
Eurostat indicators

Eurobarometer survey on poverty

{{DEFAULTSORT:2010 European Year For Combating Poverty And Social Exclusion Themed years of the European Union Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion Poverty in Europe