---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 10:35:01 +0100 GMT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: EAPN civil society seminar in Helsinki EAPN SEMINAR ON 'CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE NEW FORMS OF POVERTY, EAST AND WEST' Social and Health issues must not be sacrificed to the market economy Brussels, 25 May 1998 - PR 07-98 A call to lobby national governments and European institutions to insist that the market economy is not an answer to all the needs and aspirations of citizens was the strong message emerging from a three-day seminar organised by EAPN, the European Anti Poverty Network, which was opened by Tarja Halonen, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Helsinki on May 15 1998. Two key issues were highlighted: * The involvement of NGOs is essential to guarantee a European construction process based on the principles of democracy and real participation of citizens and co-responsibility. * Human rights must not be threatened by sacrificing social and health issues to economic changes. The seminar consisted of a debate on the recognition of civil society and its role, East and West, in addressing the 'New' forms of poverty. The seminar brought together 53 participants from 18 countries to exchange information and experience between NGOs working against poverty in the European Union and colleagues from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova, with the aim of mutual networking and working together to develop and reinforce civil society East and West. Throughout all the countries concerned, it was noted that more and more marginalised people are the first to suffer from the stress of social and economic transition. The concept of civil society was discussed from two points of view. Though there is a general acceptance of the broad definition of civil society as 'citizens acting from their own volition for the common good' the concepts surrounding the third sector still need to be clarified, as well as the links between family and civil society and the role of NGOs in civil society. The seminar stressed that one important role for NGOs is to give "voice" to those people who experience poverty and exclusion in policy-making and policy implementation. Drawing on the experience of working with unemployed, migrants and refugees, ethnic minorities, prisoners and ex-offenders, the homeless, and drug and alcohol abusers, participants identified unemployment as one of the major sources of poverty and social exclusion. The problems of alcoholism and drug abuse, which appear more and more at a young age, were also tackled. The seminar was told that the question of migrants and refugees should also be looked at in a pan European perspective. Housing problems are on the increase because of the lack of special housing programmes and the heavy pressure of the market economy. Pan European co-operation between NGOs is a source of mutual training. Hosted by the Finnish network of EAPN, those who took part had the opportunity to understand the local situation regarding the fight against social exclusion in Finland, through visits to local initiatives involved in the fight against exclusion. Welcome funding for the seminar was received from the Finnish Slot Machine Company, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Soros Foundation. A full seminar report is availbale from EAPN. Source: EAPN press release, 25/05/98
