This fourth edition of the International Conference on Aporophobia continues a unique tradition: bringing together academics and social organisations to explore the discrimination faced by people simply for being poor.

This is neither a purely academic gathering nor a meeting of practitioners alone, but a joint endeavour aimed at improving the lives of the millions of people rejected by society, individually and institutionally, on account of their poverty.

This edition is organised by a coalition of academic institutions from Universitat Ramon Llull, in association with leading social organisations including Cáritas, the Arrels Foundation, and the Pere Tarrés Foundation, with the collaboration of the “la Caixa” Foundation.”

A conference with a track record

Previous editions have featured keynote lectures by distinguished scholars such as Adela Cortina (University of Valencia), Gustavo Pereira (University of the Republic, Uruguay), Jesús Conill (University of Valencia), Aaron Reeves (LSE), and Imogen Tyler (Lancaster University), alongside valuable contributions from practitioners and public officials, including Father Julio Lancelotti, Professor Esther Grossi (Brazil), and senior Spanish Government representatives from the Hate Crimes and Discrimination Unit, the National Office to Combat Hate Crimes, and the National Police.

2026 Programme highlights

This fourth edition brings together two keynote speakers of exceptional calibre.

Professor Olivier De Schutter, based at UCLouvain and Sciences Po Paris and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, will address the stigma that meritocratic societies impose on those living in poverty, in a talk entitled “The Stigma of Being Poor in a Meritocratic Society”.

Joining him, Professor Carmen Herrero, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Alicante, Ivie researcher, and Full Member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, will explore the compounded vulnerability faced by those who are both immigrants and poor, in a talk entitled “Immigration and Poverty: Double Jeopardy”.

The programme extends well beyond the keynotes. Three plenary sessions will focus on real-world interventions promoted by academia and social organisations, and 44 selected presentations from speakers representing 12 countries will cover a wide diversity of disciplines, from philosophy, economics, and sociology to political science, management, health sciences, education, history, and criminology.

More than a conventional academic gathering, the conference offers a unique and welcoming environment for interdisciplinary work, bringing together all those committed to building a world where no one is ignored or rejected simply for being poor.

The conference will also mark the launch of the first report of the AporoLAB (Observatory of Aporophobia), presenting results from a national aporophobia survey conducted in Spain.

Pre-conference activities: 20 and 21 October

The reflection on aporophobia will begin before the Conference’s academic sessions. On 20 and 21 October, a series of activities will offer participants the opportunity to engage with realities related to poverty, inequality, vulnerability and social exclusion in the city of Barcelona itself.

Pre-conference activities require prior registration, separate from registration for the Conference. Participants may register for one or more activities, and some have limited capacity.

20 October

Walking, Writing and Experiencing Socioeconomic Divides in Barcelona
15:00–18:00 · IQS-URL + walking route through Barcelona
Activity in English · Maximum 15 participants

Led by Nataša Rogelja Caf, researcher at the Slovenian Migration Institute at ZRC SAZU and professor at the ZRC SAZU Postgraduate School.

The activity will begin with an introduction at IQS to walking-writing seminars as a research methodology, followed by a walking seminar through the city. Through two short routes, participants will be invited to observe, experience and write about socioeconomic inequalities in the urban environment.

Using Barcelona’s poverty map as a starting point, participants will explore two areas at opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum to examine how infrastructure, public spaces and the ways in which they are used reflect and shape different experiences of the city.

Dr Rogelja is undertaking a research stay at IQS as part of the European project PoPMeD-SuSDeV (Grant Agreement ID: 101086139), led by IQS.

21 October

Cafè Solidari – Unwanted loneliness
9:00–11:00 · Plaça Major de Sarrià
With Sant Joan de Déu

Coinciding with the Week against Unwanted Loneliness, Sant Joan de Déu and IQS invite participants to gather over coffee to talk with people experiencing situations of vulnerability and hear about their experiences first-hand.

An informal space open to dialogue that seeks to encourage encounters between people and break down the distance and prejudices that can contribute to isolation and social exclusion.

The activity will provide an opportunity to engage with realities that often remain invisible and to reflect, through conversation and listening, on unwanted loneliness, human connections and the stigma associated with certain situations of vulnerability.

Antoni Gaudí: city, poverty and aporophobia
13:30–15:30 · Departure from Casa Batlló
Maximum 15 participants

Led by Dr Xavier Puertas Montoro, professor at IQS and Blanquerna and an accredited official tour guide.

Coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death, the tour will take as its starting point the circumstances surrounding the architect’s final moments. After being hit by a tram, his humble appearance led people to mistake him for a homeless person.

Drawing on this episode, the activity invites participants to reflect on how appearance, prejudice and perceptions of poverty can influence the way we see and treat others, connecting Gaudí’s story with a reality that remains relevant a century later.

Visit to Fundació de l’Esperança
16:30–19:00 · Barcelona
Maximum 30 participants

The day will conclude with a visit to Fundació de l’Esperança, offering participants the opportunity to learn first-hand about the organisation’s work with people experiencing vulnerability and social exclusion.

The visit will provide an insight into the realities of social intervention and, through the organisation’s direct experience, some of the situations and challenges faced by the people it supports.

Registration

Participation in both the 4th International Conference on Aporophobia and the pre-conference activities is free of charge, but prior registration is required and places are limited.

Registration is available through two separate forms:

→ Registration for the 4th International Conference on Aporophobia
22 and 23 October 2026 · IQS-URL, Barcelona
https://iqs.tfaforms.net/f/aporophobia-2026

→ Registration for the pre-conference activities
20 and 21 October 2026 · Barcelona
You may register for one or more activities. Some activities have limited capacity.
https://iqs.tfaforms.net/f/eng-actividades-precongreso-aporofobia-2026

For any questions, please contact us at aporophobia@iqs.url.edu

Organizers