CITIZENSHIP THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY: USING PHOTOVOICE TO PROMOTE THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE

Abstract

Giving voice to homeless people living in the city of Ponta Delgada, was the aim of the study presented here. The objective was listen and create the context so that the opinions, perceptions and solutions proposed by the homeless for their problems, would resonate inside social organizations that support them as well they could reach the policy makers responsible for social policies at local and regional level. Through a participatory action research process, critical awareness was developed to empower participants to assume their citizenship in the promotion of human rights. Using the Photovoice methodology, a collaborative project was built with a group of homeless people, who through their own photographs gave voice to their concerns and needs. Through reflective group sessions, the photographs were discussed and organized in order to build and share knowledge in order to be disseminated into the civil society. The results show that homeless people live in a situation of deep poverty (material and affective) and social exclusion, facing serious problems in housing, health, employment, but they also feel as victims of discrimination and targeted. many prejudices. This set of situations makes the exercise of citizenship difficult and materializes the denial of fundamental human rights of homeless people.