Coup d’éclat – coup d’état!
On Tuesday the Greek government, encouraged by the Troika, used emergency powers to close down the state broadcaster ERT. All employees were fired with immediate effect. And this happened in Europe, in a country which gave birth to the concept of democracy, in a country which suffered from a military dictatorship in the 1970s. And it happened without any consultation or negotiation!
But this time it is not a military putsch, it is a democratically elected government acting under pressure from the Troika, translating an ideologically driven agenda of blind austerity policies that we’ve seen in the 70 and 80ies on other continents, and we know about the disastrous effects then. Read more…

International Cooperation

European Commission and EEAS: Step Up for Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly in Turkey
While the police continued to violently crackdown on peaceful demonstrations on Taksim Square and in Gezi Park, a fourth person died in the protests and over 50 lawyers have been arrested while protesting in an Istanbul courthouse. In addition, Turkish citizens, human rights defenders, trade unions and civil society organisations continue to be under attack by the Turkish government.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament discussed the current situation in Turkey in the plenary debate in Strasbourg and formulated demands to end the violence. SOLIDAR, İnsan Hakları Derneği (İHD), Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) welcome these demands as they coincide with the joint draft resolution issued last week, supported by the EPAN working group of CONCORD and DVV International. Read more…
International Day against Child Labour: Governments Need to Ratify C189
On 12 June, the world celebrated the International Day against Child Labour, but the ILO report ‘Ending Child Labour in Domestic Work’ published on the occasion shows there is not much to celebrate. An estimated 10.5 million children worldwide are working as domestic workers in people’s homes, in hazardous and sometimes slave-like conditions. Six and a half million of these child workers are between five and fourteen years old, and over 71 percent are girls. Read more…

Social Affairs

Social Investment Package: Further Implementation Needed
Last Friday (7 June), the European Commission organised a stakeholder meeting of the European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (EPAP) to discuss how to further implement the Social Investment Package (SIP), published in February. SOLIDAR welcomes the Commission’s commitment to work on the implementation of the SIP and calls for better cooperation with all stakeholders as well as for a more coherent strategy to address poverty and inequalities. Furthermore the Commission announced that a Roadmap on the implementation of the SIP will be launched within the next two weeks. Read more…
Flooding in Germany – SOLIDAR Members in Action
Thousands of people are affected by the floods in Germany, having to leave their homes, losing their belongings and needing support. SOLIDAR German members AWO and ASB are working in the flooded areas. AWO facilities in the affected regions are providing necessary on-site assistance and AWO International is asking for donations to repair damaged equipment as well as providing assistance and support to many people who have to re-build their lives. With nearly 400 volunteers and full-time workers, ASB is working in the flooded areas of Saxony and Thuringia, helping evacuate residents from the flood areas and providing shelters. You can read a day-to-day diary report on the situation.
Persecution of Independent Civic Organisations in Russia
The EU-Russia Civil Society Forum CSF Steering Committee has issued an alert on the growing persecution of independent civic organisations in Russia in the course of the implementation of the repressive legislation on “foreign agents”. SOLIDAR echoes their concerns stressing that the observation of human rights and freedoms in accordance with international conventions, beneficial conditions for civic activism and the activities of the non-profit sector are key factors for the development of democratic societies in our countries and a precondition for the successful development of cooperation between Russia and the European Union.

Education

Educational and Labour Market Opportunities for Socially Vulnerable Youth
On 10 June, SOLIDAR was a discussant at the presentation of research results from the EU-funded Marie Curie programme “Education as Welfare” that critically examined transitional pathways of socially vulnerable youth after compulsory schooling. Researchers presented their new research method that looks beyond the human capital and employment perspective focusing on active participation in society, social justice and equality, which coincides with SOLIDAR’s “learning societies” approach that focuses both on the society and an individual’s capacities to live up to their abilities. Read more…

Members News

Germany
Flooding in Germany: see article above on AWO and ASB’s work in the affected areas.
Italy
Read the ISCOS "China News" newsletter.
Read Auser’s latest news.
Belgium
Read Solidarité Socialiste media release on “Colombie : encore trois défenseurs des droits humains menacés de mort”.
fos-Socialist Solidarity has a job opening for a Development Aid Worker – Programme coordinator for food security programme in Mozambique.
UK
See GFTU’s two new online training courses on Negotiating Age Related Policies and Personal Needs in Times of Change.

Partners News

The European Year of Citizens Alliance (EYCA) are organising a Conference on "EU Citizenship: Crossing perspectives" on 8 July 2013 in Zagreb, Croatia. Keynote speakers include Igor Stiks et Marina Blagojevic and there will also be workshops on the alliance themes.
Read EVBB’s news.
Read Global Agewatch news, which includes the Global Network Social Protection Toolkit.
The European Network of Political Foundations – ENoP is organising a public conference on Defying the crisis – Impulses for active European Citizenship on 8 July in Rome.
Read IUT’s news release "Tenant Unions welcome new EU initiative for social housing: Minimum quotas for social housing in densely populated areas"
Read the Center for Trade Union & Workers’ Services (CTUWS) statement on Solidarity with the Turkish People & Unions. 
Read WAC MAAN’s article "The Turkish spring is shuffling the deck".
Mukhisa Kituyi of Kenya has been appointed as Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
See the ILO’s latest publication: ’Snapshot: ILO in action, domestic workers’.

Agenda

27 June: SOLIDAR Annual General Assembly
SOLIDAR is a European network of 59 NGOs active in over 90 countries working to advance social justice in Europe and worldwide. SOLIDAR voices the concerns of its member organisations to the EU and international institutions across the policy sectors social affairs, international cooperation and lifelong learning. For more info www.solidar.org