POURQUOI FACTS ?

S’employer à créer une science de l’action de terrain (FACTS = Field ACTion Science) : une lubie académique ? Pas le moins du monde ! 2 milliards d’êtres humains sur 7 vivent dans la misère. Cet immense scandale en cache un autre. Une fraction importante des moyens dévolus à la lutte contre la pauvreté (jusqu’à 70% selon certains) part en fumée. Triple crime : contre les pauvres ; contre les contributeurs (publics et privés) dont la générosité est abusée ; et contre l’esprit. L’intelligence ..

L’altruité : clé de la lutte contre la pauvreté

Cet article présente le concept d’altruité et en montre l’importance philosophique et pratique dans la lutte contre la pauvreté. Forme très spécifique d’altruisme rationnel, l’altruité est le devoir de la liberté. Le devoir individuel d’altruité est la contrepartie nécessaire du droit aux libertés individuelles. Il est, par nature, distinct (mais complémentaire) de la générosité, et étranger à l’attente de don réciproque (même s’il ne l’exclut pas). L’idée d’altruité est fondatrice d’une théorie de la responsabilité individuelle et d’une théorie de la justice qui fournissent un cadre conceptuel à la lutte contre la pauvreté. Parce qu’elle ne prend sens que si elle est mise en œuvre avec une méthode définie, elle offre également un cadre à l’action, comme le montre l’Initiative FACTS. L’altruité apparaît ainsi comme une clé de la lutte contre la pauvreté

FACTS Reports: Second birthday

The FACTS Initiative is now two years old. Since its inception, it has been making steady progress. Some 50 peer-reviewed articles have been published in FACTS Reports and are freely accessible online. Visits to the web site are increasing, showing that the articles and their authors are receiving attention from a growing number of people in many countries. Thus, the proof of concept has been reached: it has been established that a peer-reviewed international journal devoted to best practices..

Foreword

Back in 1975, I was a young academic who, thanks to a fortunate mix-up, ended up accompanying a group of eminent figures as a member of the first delegation of French scientists to be officially welcomed to China. Mao Zedong still ruled over a country that was just beginning to open up. It was a fascinating trip during which, to illustrate the merits of traditional Chinese medicine, we were given a demonstration of surgery under acupuncture anesthesia. It was very impressive – a single needle..

Field Actions Science Reports

This is the new site of the FACTS Initiative and of the new international journal FACTS Reports. Let us recall in brief that similarly to what has been shown to be successful in scientific communities, the aim of FACTS Reports is to propose mechanisms for communication, evaluation and recognition between practitioners acting in the field, especially in developing countries. As in science, these mechanisms should be managed by the practitioners themselves. Thus, papers submitted to FACTS Repor..

FACTS Reports: Second birthday

The FACTS Initiative is now two years old. Since its inception, it has been making steady progress. Some 50 peer-reviewed articles have been published in FACTS Reports and are freely accessible online. Visits to the web site are increasing, showing that the articles and their authors are receiving attention from a growing number of people in many countries. Thus, the proof of concept has been reached: it has been established that a peer-reviewed international journal devoted to best practices..

Altruity: Key to the Fight Against Poverty

This paper presents the concept of altruity and illustrates its philosophical and practical importance in the fight against poverty. Altruity –a highly specific form of rational altruism– is the duty that comes with freedom. The individual duty of altruity is the necessary counterpart of the right to individual freedoms. It is, by its very nature, distinct from (though complementary to) generosity, and devoid of any expectation of reciprocity (while not excluding it). The idea of altruity is the cornerstone of a theory of individual responsibility, and of a theory of justice, which provide a conceptual framework for the struggle against poverty. And because it is only meaningful if implemented with a pre-defined method, it also provides a framework for action, as the FACTS Initiative has shown. Altruity thus emerges as one of the keys to the fight against poverty

Field Actions Science Reports

This is the new site of the FACTS Initiative and of the new international journal FACTS Reports. Let us recall in brief that similarly to what has been shown to be successful in scientific communities, the aim of FACTS Reports is to propose mechanisms for communication, evaluation and recognition between practitioners acting in the field, especially in developing countries. As in science, these mechanisms should be managed by the practitioners themselves. Thus, papers submitted to FACTS Repor..