Louis-Joseph Lebret

Louis-Joseph Lebret (1897 - 1966) is a Dominicain French, it created in 1942 Économie and humanism, research center and of action in economy and a great number of associations for economic development and social through the whole world, of which IRFED with Paris. He is one of those which introduce the concern for global development inside the Catholic church, a development of the person and groups social. He made become aware with the Church and the western world of the stakes of the underdevelopment and necessary solidarity with the poor countries. He took part in the drafting of the conciliar documents (Gaudium and Spes) and was the inspirer of the encyclical Populorum Progressio. He collaborates in particular with Henri Desroche, François Perroux, Roland Colin and Vincent Cosmao.

Dominican priest

Louis-Joseph Lebret was born in Brittany, in Minihic, not far from Saint-Malo of the name of Louis Marie Lebret, on June 26th, 1897 in a family of strong maritime tradition, it was downward of Jacques Cartier. Its studies lead it to enter to the Naval college. It leaves naval officer and takes part from there in the First World War in the squadrons of the Lebanon. Its religious vocation continuing, in 1923 it leaves the navy and becomes Dominicain. It is interested particularly in the Breton fishermen. It goes to their contact and takes many photographs. It makes become aware of their conditions.

After its theological formation, it is affected in 1929 with Saint-Malo where its sensitivity to the things and the sailors leads it to organize a social action and trade-union of great scale concerning the world of the sailor-fishermen on all the French coasts. It bases this approach on in-depth surveys near these sailor-fishermen expressing their problems, their needs, in order to seek the solutions of them. It inaugurates the way of the " thus; investigations-participations" (based on the method of the Research-Action).

Human economy

In 1941, it creates, in the region of Lion, Économie and humanism, the purpose of which is to study human and social realities in their complexity and their globality, proposing “to give the economy to the service of the man”. Henri Desroche belongs to the direction of association, but it will separate some in 1950 after being close to the Marxisme.

L. - J. Lebret is also the pioneer of a design and a practice news of town and country planning, in company of François Perroux. Both are at the origin of the concept “of human economy” aiming “the development of all the man and all the men”.

As of 1947, it is invited to the Brésil and is implied in projects of comparable range. It there goes back to many recoveries and is recognized by the the United Nations as expert of foreground concerning the inequality of the standards of living in the world.

This vocation of international opening the conduit, in March 1958, to found IRFED (International institute of research and formation education and development), in order to promote the methods of a global development, harmonized, “self-propelled”, incentive the passage of the human economy to the economic democracy, for development of the people. IRFED is also a tool for formation for the actors of development, falling under the way of the Research-Action.

In 1955, L. - J. Lebret creates with the Abbé Pierre the Research institute and of action on the misery of the world which will become the Research institute and of applications of the methods of development (IRAM).

international Research-actions

While continuing, with its team-members, his action in Brazil and in various countries of the Latin America (Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela…), it is called, as of October 1958, with advising the chief of the first Senegalese government, Mamadou Dia, for its strategy and its practice of the development. This mission will continue over the following years. It also gives consultations in other African countries.

During the same time, he becomes adviser of the presidency and the Lebanese government, where he sticks to a definition of the development, respecting cultural diversity in a context of religious plurality.

In 1960, at the request of President Fouad Chéhab of the Lebanon, it intervenes, with a team IRFED with the Lebanon where it makes a socio-economic study in all the country of 1960 with 1964.

He works between January 1959 and November 1960 in the South Vietnam. The review of the IRFED, Development and Civilizations , whose title agrees to engagements of the Lebret team, contributes to the capitalization of the ideas and the experiments.

Inspirer of the thought of economic development in the Catholic church

Parallel to these activities, L. - J. Lebret is called by the pope Paul VI - auprès of which it has a particularly outstanding audience - with being an expert of the Concile Vatican II. He will be thereafter the essential inspirer of the encyclical on the development of the people (“Populorum progressio”, published in 1967). He also has to represent the the Holy See with the first UNCTAD (Conference of the the United Nations for the Trade and the Development) which was held with Geneva in 1965.

He dies in Paris on July 20th 1966.

Random links:

Eric (Disc-world) | George Edward Moore | The Council of the voluntary sales of pieces of furniture to the public biddings | Eastern fly of the fruits | Disney Sports