UK referendum: bonjour tristesse!

24 June 2016

The result is known now. Today may be a sad day for Europe, for the United Kingdom, but the result is on the table and needs to be respected with all its consequences. It needs European leadership and progressives have to consider how to stand stronger against the populist wave. The result aside, the referendum raises a broader question about referenda as a tool of democracy: within civil society the call for more participatory democracy has always been widely echoed. The European Citizens Initiative (ECI) was conceived as a response to citizens’ concern for having political decisions made with their direct participation through referenda. The ECI has not yet become the tool it was initially designed to be and the European Commission can still decide whether a legal initiative is taken or not. Many formal and bureaucratic burdens obstruct the path of initiators and in the end it continues to be a matter of political will (see ECI on water and sanitation are a human right).

Europe has experienced several referenda, not only yesterday in the UK, but in the past also in France, the Netherlands and Ireland. The French referenda have not resulted in a clear majority. In all referenda the debate is not one of reasons and facts, it is always a mobilisation around fear, intimidation, propaganda and a high dose of populism. In the end it is not about a higher level of commitment by enlightened citizens, but rather it often deepens the divisions within societies. This might not sound very popular although – with a little bit of distance – it brings us back to the key question of a representative democracy, the institutions and regulatory mechanisms of majority and minority. Defamation of political competitors is easy fodder for the media, i.e. appealing headlines without delivering real journalistic explanatory arguments.

Whatever the result was going to be it, it meant the UK was to be left with winners and losers. The biggest loss is Jo Cox! Those who stoked the fire will not be called to account, but will continue with their poker faces of engaged politicians, of true “whatevers”. We may have to acknowledge the wakeup call and understand that a tool of direct democracy does not automatically improve democracy, but can have the opposite effect.

Our answer shall be in line with Jean Macé, the founding father of our French member La Ligue: “democracy is not reduced to universal voting rights, citizenship cannot be imposed, but needs to be constructed – through education”. SOLIDAR will continue organising, federating citizens, education and lifelong learning in the tradition of workers and popular education, of lifelong learning in the sense of social progress at the European and international level. For Europe the result can only be: finally a deepened (pillar of) social (rights) EU in the light of article 9 of the Lisbon Treaty! And regaining the trust of citizens in a European social integration project!

Get an impression of last week’s SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards – the photos are available online.

In a world of rapid political and social change, mounting conflict and inequality, the need for progressive politics to ensure social justice and global solidarity is greater than ever. The 2016 edition of the SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards took place on Tuesday evening, 14 June 2016, in the European Parliament bringing together civil society, trade unions and politicians to honour the four awardees.

You can find the photos of last week’s ceremony and a short summary of the event here.

Together for Social Europe

Asylum is a human right – on world refugee day, SOLIDAR stands against hate and xenophobia!

20 June 2016

On 20 June, SOLIDAR joined the rest of the world in celebrating this year’s World Refugee Day which takes place in very worrying times of increasing xenophobia, intolerance and hate. At a time when more than 60 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes to flee conflict and persecution, we are witnessing a climate of mounting xenophobia and hatred all over the world. We urgently feel the need to re-build empathy and understanding for the rights of refugees.

The members of the SOLIDAR networks are civil society organisations active in the countries of origin, transit and destination of the migration flows to provide first aid, legal support, psycho-social support, healthcare, social services and integration support to all migrants regardless of their status, motivated by the imperative to respect human rights and to advance social justice. In addition to those challenging tasks in times of increased global insecurity, they are faced with two additional struggles: reduced institutional support and dwindling understanding by the wider public.
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Building Learning Societies

A new skills agenda for Europe

23 June 2016

On 20 June the European Commission hosted the launch of the New Skills Agenda for Europe that aims to support the development of citizens’ skills to prepare them for the changing world of work and our society. According to the latest PIAAC (OECD Survey of Adult Skills) study, about 70 million Europeans lack a sufficient level of basic skills such as reading, writing and numeracy; this puts their employment and social inclusion in jeopardy. Moreover there is a great need to invest in skills development, and to recognise skills. The SOLIDAR Foundation attended the meeting with great interest, especially since an initiative in the field of education and employment, focusing on the development of skills and competences, was long awaited, and needed to support investment in lifelong learning. However the success of this proposal is in the hands of the Member States.

This year’s World Economic Forum in Davos also looked at the skills needed in 2020 (See “Future of jobs” report) where priority is being given to skills such as complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, soft and transversal skills such as working with others, emotional intelligence or service orientation. During the Commission’s event, the significant majority of participants also named civic and social competences as top priority skills in need of investment (that won over profession specific, and high-end skills). However, yet again, the priority is given to “right skills to grow and innovate” – skills to nurture entrepreneurship, competitiveness and innovation.

SOLIDAR Foundation together with its members advocates for putting a stronger emphasis on investment in the development of transversal skills that will give people the ability to transform and adjust to changing societies and work environments. We need to work as well on the greater visibility of skills and competences through the process of validation and recognition that is accompanied by guidance services. Member States should support the process of skills and competence development, through investment in lifelong learning policies and recognising their role regarding labour market and social policies to support social inclusion and the development of talent.

“A new skills agenda for Europe” proposal contains ten actions proposed by the European Commission, where the first four would be launched now, and the remaining ones will be further developed in the course of the next two years.
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Organising International Solidarity

Reinforcing trade union rights in Algeria and Egypt as part of the EU Partnership Priorities

22 June 2016

Last week, SOLIDAR together with the Arab Trade Union Confederation and EuroMed Rights, addressed a joint letter to VP/HR Mogherini and Commissioner Hahn calling for stronger trade union rights in Algeria and Egypt as part of the EU Partnership Priorities.

Both countries are experiencing an alarming rise in the level of repression against independent trade unions, with ongoing violations that include the imprisonment of workers and trade unionists who dare exercise the right to strike, the prosecution of trade union members and workers in military courts, and unfair dismissal, breaching the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), as well as the ILO Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), which both countries are party to.

In this context, the EU is currently negotiating Partnership Priorities with Egypt and Algeria, as part of the implementation of the revised European Neighbourhood Policy.
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