The International Centre welcomes ATD Fourth World members from around the world for retreats, meetings, research, international workcamps, and training. It is located in France and spread over three sites in the Paris region: Baillet-en-France, Méry-sur-Oise, and Pierrelaye.

The Centre hosts several teams who support ATD Fourth World members globally in administration, finance, interpretation and translation, communications, training, and institutional representation. It is also the home to the International Leadership Team, the international secretariat of the Tapori, the Forum on Overcoming Extreme Poverty, and the Joseph Wresinski Archives and Research Centre.

The International Centre is ” […] a place for people to come to, a place where people can escape their everyday worries. […] It is a meeting place. There are sessions here. You can meet people from far away. Here we find the history of Fourth World and everybody is building this history. That gives us strength.”

Families from Saint-Quentin, France, 2001

Supporting the global work of ATD

The staff at the International Centre bring their skills, expertise, and perspectives to support ATD Fourth World teams operating in over 30 countries. By collaborating closely with these teams, who work alongside people living in extreme poverty, they exchange knowledge and resources, providing valuable tools to enhance their global efforts. They also promote ATD Fourth World’s activities, campaigns, and research, documenting the insights and initiatives of its members. This work is shared via social media and various publications aimed at reaching partners, international organizations, public authorities, universities, and beyond.

Their efforts aim to ensure that the courage, dignity, intelligence, and expertise of those living in extreme poverty are recognised and contribute to meaningful changes in societies across the globe.