When the ASBL (non-profit organization) was founded on March 22, 2001, by Régine, Hugo, Simon, Sylvia, Hulya, Didier, and other friends, Le Monde des Possibles was:
The beginnings and evolution
A small 20-square-meter room where people could already experience encounters, joy, and the pleasure of being together while learning French. There were two tables and eight different chairs.
A place already connected to new technologies and the nascent Internet with a 56k modem that sounded like a tin can and then ADSL that broke down half the time. French classes alongside social services and computer classes in a delirious hubbub.
A small space on Rue du Potay next to Place Saint Léonard, with doors opening onto the park and the hill, people from all walks of life passing by and speaking words in every language, sometimes words of love.
Community and creative life
Tables on the sidewalk with food from around the world, friends, chairs, mismatched couches, lanterns that we watched from the top of the hill, music and good wine, recycled pots and pans, a daily anonymous donation of coffee, colorful garlands cut out of kraft paper, cigarettes crushed into the new vinyl, Hélène’s dog napping in the middle of the street and blocking traffic.
There was a lot of laughter among us, newcomers from all over the world who sometimes slept under the tables in the courtyards at night, an improvised youth hostel, the cries of their children playing in the parking lot and kicking their ball onto the neighbors’ cars.
Cooking workshops, drawing workshops, artivism… It was a certain conception of time as long and non-linear, as Damasio mentioned, we were aiming for Power in the sense of “ability to,” embodied capacity to do, to act, to be. Power to carry and nurture the forces of life around us, to the point where nothing can weaken them, erode them, bleach their colors, or wash away their energy.
History tells us how the Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) has managed to retain its youthfulness, its openness to the world, its lightness and authenticity, how the unconditional welcome of people of foreign origin remains its priority, and how the fight for fundamental rights guides our daily lives. Boldness and joy that come from the here and now, a life that grows and acts, a life that creates a network, a fabric, a shared memory.
Our motivations: yesterday and today
This is probably the case to varying degrees, depending on each person’s sensibilities:
Feeling that we can collectively combat injustice against people of foreign origin and situations of dissatisfaction; striving to act in accordance with our principles of emancipation and our values.
Striving to be a place of transformation and interpersonal solidarity; contributing to new forms of action in support of fundamental rights.
Believing in justice, criticizing the law when it is unjust; imprisonment of children, deportations…
Identify mechanisms that cause poverty, persecution, death, or suffering due to asylum policies, harsh working conditions, or gender-based violence.
Supporting collective entrepreneurship, the assets for creating subsidized or unsubsidized projects promoting social and professional integration.
Above all, we wanted to find ourselves in a space, a future third place, to share our expertise (educational, socio-legal, activist, etc.) and values that converged towards the same goal: greater social justice, freedom, and solidarity for the people of Liège of foreign origin, but not only them. The founders were convinced that fighting for the rights of undocumented migrants and migrants was also fighting for our rights and for a more just society.
Popular education as a driving force
The history of Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) is based on the principles of popular education: identifying how to work together to build actions (“nothing about us without us”) in response to situations of dissatisfaction, and how to support participation in regional/federal policies that affect us. it is an integration of the practical knowledge of the 250 people (more than 50 nationalities) who place their trust in us every week as experts in real-life experience to increase their power to act and achieve socio-economic emancipation.
As founder Régine Decoster said:
I am of this world, and I turn my weakness into strength.
It is attempting to create political time in order to produce what we want to see appear in the world.
It is the art of being where we are not expected, of developing actions that challenge the status quo for social change where it is important and relevant to be.
That’s why we get up in the morning.
Timeline
2001
Le Monde des Possibles is taking shape as a collective that rejects the repression faced by undocumented migrants, demonstrating in Brussels for Sémira Adamu and in Liège against the Vottem detention center since its construction. The filing of the statutes with the Moniteur reads as a pragmatic gesture, but it carries with it an invitation to explore what it means to act together where we are for our rights.
2002
The association is based on Rue du Potay in Liège, rooting its practices in a region steeped in working-class history and solidarity. Here, learning French and new technologies becomes a field of experimentation, where each trainee is invited to tell their own story using a tale, thus weaving together multiple narratives that resist the current trend toward extreme individualization.
2003
The collaboration with ENAIP and the European Union’s recognition of the Netdays project signal Le Monde des Possibles entry into a network of actors who share a particular interest in information technology. These actions are not simply training courses: they resonate as invitations to reflect together on what it means to live in a world shaped by these technologies. Later, Sirius, Digistart, and Migralink will provide some answers.
2004
By integrating PMTIC and launching “Lingua,” the association is opening up new opportunities for training and support. How can digital practices become vehicles for empowerment for vulnerable populations? How can newly arrived children use language to redefine their place in their school in Liège? These questions will later lead to projects in schools such as Appren’Tissage, Ecol’âge, and Schoolas’TIC.
2005
“Je raconte ma vie” (I tell my life story) and “Teen Quest” are part of a movement that values personal narratives, particularly in educational settings. These projects are not simply testimonials: they are acts of co-construction, where the voices of migrants and young people come together to resist simplification, oblivion, and the violence of the contexts from which they come.
2006
The move to Rue Thone in Bressoux is not just a physical relocation, but the opening of a new space of possibilities. With “Généractions” and “Papilles and Papillons invites reflection on ways of inhabiting a garden or a territory, creating intergenerational and intercultural ties, and producing goods and services within a social economy approach that will later culminate in the Univerbal interpreters project.
2007
The European project “Diversity Crew” encourages collective reflection on diversity and intersectional discrimination. By bringing together young Europeans, Le Monde des Possibles is joining a process of creating shared knowledge, where each participant becomes both a subject and an actor in the fight against multiple forms of oppression, at their own pace, according to their desires and political awareness. The foundations of the Dazibao project have been laid.
2008
The move to Rue Grétry and the launch of new projects mark a turning point, with the association engaging in deeper reflection on ways of working collectively and self-managing. “Mandala” and “Généractions” explore intercultural food practices that question modes of coexistence, while participation in international events and exchanges opens up a space for resonance with the local issues of participants, who realize that these issues are shared around the world.
2009
The year marks a co-emergence of educational practices and intercultural dynamics. Two ETP are dedicated to FLE and social assistance, supported by a network of volunteers. Accreditation in continuing education by the FWB provides valuable stability. Projects such as Dazibao and Mandala reveal a potential for collective transformation, exploring the co-creation of political challenges and the development of concrete emancipatory actions.
2010
The purchase of a house at 97 rue des Champs in the Amercoeur-Longdoz neighborhood, via a loan from Triodos, secures the future of Le Monde des Possibles (MDP). The location allows for testing social innovation projects, hosting initiatives such as a luggage storage facility for undocumented migrants, echoing urban transformations. Affiliation with the Centre d’Action Laïque (Secular Action Center) strengthens its roots, while literary and digital projects take shape, with a focus on self-affirmation and collective writing.
2011
The expansion of the team to four ETP has enabled the organization to broaden its initiatives, including the European ATI project and artistic projects such as “Tonneau de Diogène” (Diogenes’ Barrel), which highlights social tensions. The Webradio Marmots and training courses on human trafficking reflect a multifaceted commitment, combining digital technology, art, and the defense of rights. Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) supports its first collective of participants from previous training courses, “Les Sans Ciels” (Essential).
2012
The year is marked by a spirit of international cooperation, with projects such as the Gaza Children’s Parliament, which forges links between Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) Liège interns and the Middle East. The Mediamorphose project introduces audiences to the digital revolution, heralding the arrival of digital arts at Le Monde des Possibles (MDP). Membership of Eurolinc marks a commitment to linguistic diversity and recognition of the world’s alphabets in digital expression.
2013
The expansion of the team and coordination with local associations strengthen the impact of Le Monde des Possibles (MDP). Projects such as Babeljob, supported by FOREM, and Semantis, supported by the International Organization of La Francophonie, promote the skills of unemployed workers and digital expression in the Caucasus and the Balkans, where many Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) interns come from. The development of the Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) YouTube channel and TV des Possibles promotes the voices of those participating in Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) activities.
2014
The “Hocus Pocus” project supports children of foreign origin by integrating speech therapy into their French language learning. “New Start,” supported by the EU DG Justice, supports migrant women who are victims of physical, psychological, or administrative violence. In cooperation with CEPAG, a legal helpdesk has been set up to offer personalized support, thereby strengthening the protection of rights. This is the premise of Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) future legal service.
2015
Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) has been accredited by the Walloon government as a local integration initiative for French as a foreign language (FLE) courses since its foundation in 2001. This year also marks the rise of innovative projects such as “École des Solidarités” (School of Solidarity), the Erasmus+ Interlangues initiative on satirical drawing, and “Exit ou existe” (Exit or Exist), promoting intercultural exchanges and courses of action for TSP/TSE. The commitment to the rights of undocumented migrants is reinforced with symbolic actions linked to deaths in the Mediterranean, such as the “Gilets de sauvetage” (Life Jackets) action.
2016
Redém’Arts is supported by the European Social Fund, introduces young people to digital professions, and will later be recognized with CISP accreditation. Univerbal, also supported by the FSE AMIF, is launching an interpreting service provided by migrant women. The 109 sponsorship project receives the Federal Prize for the Fight against Poverty, while the expansion of premises and the agreement with the MRAX strengthen access to socio-legal services.
2017
The Melting Zoom project, supported by the FWB, and FOL – FLE on Live, funded by the European Social Fund, illustrate innovation in FLE/IT, with the creation of a radio station, the discovery of professions, and the promotion of expertise. Thanks to the federal DBSF fund, Sirius has been introducing coding skills (HTML/CSS/OOP) for several years. Univerbal, focused on social interpreting, wins the “Silver Prize” from the European REVES network and the European Language Label, highlighting the importance of professionalizing interpreters, particularly through the University of Mons.
2018
The InterReg TREE project strengthens Euregional cooperation with Maastricht and Aachen. Labour-Int focuses on professional integration through social advancement, while eu.cool critiques asylum policies in Europe. Initiatives such as Casa Amigas, a self-sustaining rental guarantee fund, and support for Issiaka, who is being held in a detention center, illustrate our commitment. The “Liège Ville Hospitalière” initiative, in which Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) participates, and its participatory workshops enrich this year marked by collective associative action.
2019
With 858 participants of 54 nationalities, the year was marked by the publication of a statistical booklet covering ten years of activities. The socio-legal service and its advocacy based on individual consultations were strengthened. The European project DG Home AMIF Union Migrant Net identifies social innovation for inclusion in Europe. Philosophical workshops, cultural events, and the promotion of endangered languages enrich the inclusion process.
2020
Le Monde des Possibles is responding to the pandemic by reinventing its practices: FLE training courses are going digital, Univerbal is switching to videoconferencing, and Kali’Folies is developing a digital glossary. Hospi’jobs is notable for its high rate of job placement in hospitals. The Union Migrant Net webinar explores inclusion through the social economy in Europe. We are saddened by the passing of Régine Decoster, one of the founding members of the non-profit organization (ASBL). Her commitment is a source of inspiration.
2021
Le Monde des Possibles celebrates its 20th anniversary in new premises (formerly the ONSS) covering 650 square meters in the historic center of Liège (in Potiérue). The WIBOT and Les fils d’Ariane projects confirm Le Monde des Possibles (MDP) focus on gender and migration issues. Univerbal, Hospi’jobs, and Redem’Arts are strengthening their impact with expanded approvals and training. Cease Fire examines the effects of the trade in weapons produced in Wallonia on migration flows in Liège.
