Activity Report

Transcription

1 Activity Report

2 Graphic Design : Printed on Recycled Paper Responsible Editor : Conny Reuter SOLIDAR is a European network of 47 NGOs and labour movement organisations working towards all people living in dignity. SOLIDAR promotes equality, solidarity and social justice in the areas of social affairs, international cooperation and education. Published by SOLIDAR October

3 Contents Foreword...4 Member Organisations...6 SOLIDAR Structure...8 Alliances & Partnerships...10 Social Affairs Migration...15 International Cooperation Decent Work Decent Life Campaign Cooperation in the Field Global Network...21 Education...22 Communications...23 Silver Rose Awards & SOLIDAR s 60th Anniversary Silver Rose Winners Gender Equality Charter & Intercultural Dialogue Pledge...26 SOLIDAR Supporters...27 TOgether we are a force for change

4 Foreword SOLIDAR works towards all people around the world living in dignity. SOLIDAR is a European network of 47 NGOs and labour movement organisations working in 90 countries. The network promotes solidarity, equality and social justice in the fields of social affairs, international cooperation and education. SOLIDAR works to influence policies at EU and international level and links together members to work together on common projects and to learn from each other. This year, SOLIDAR and its predecessor INTERNATIONAL WORKERS AID ( IWA ), are celebrating their 60th anniversary. 60 years of bringing together organisations working for social justice in Europe and worldwide, 60 years of solidarity. This anniversary is being celebrated at the Silver Rose Awards 2008 SOLIDAR 60th Anniversary joint event on the 15 October 2008, which will also award the achievements of exceptional individuals and organisations who have contributed to the struggle for social justice. Since the last Annual General Assembly on 6 June 2007, SOLIDAR has continued to reinforce its reputation as a network of NGOs and labour movement organisations working on topics such as social Europe, social services of general interest, humanitarian aid, development, trade and education in Europe and worldwide. SOLIDAR is different to other networks due to our joint areas of work; we work on both social Europe and the social dimension of globalisation. Recent developments like the food crisis, the financial markets crisis and climate change have had devastating social consequences. They show how important it is for a network like SOLIDAR to promote and propose sustainable solutions that underline repeatedly the need of having the social dimension at the heart of all policies on local, national, European and international level. SOLIDAR is consistently being recognised as an important interlocutor in the framework of the Decent Work Decent Life campaign and the Global Network project. Furthermore, we have highlighted the question of Social Protection in development policies and managed to gather together other international organisations around this topic.

5 The period has marked an important reorientation of the network in order to place the needs of the members at the forefront of the organisation : working even more efficiently with members, promoting the ideas and visions of members and developing further cooperation between members. There has also been progress in developing our membership in the New Member States, as well as developing relationships with organisations in South East Europe. Regarding communications, SOLIDAR has placed an emphasis on communicating social realities and the social impact of EU policies, as well as carrying out a series of improvements like the new website and weekly newsletter, which you are always welcome to visit at The last year has shown that we are going in the right direction, finding a way around any obstacles in our path. Together, Stronger! Josef Weidenholzer President Conny Reuter Secretary General TOgether we are a force for change 5

6 Member Organisations As of 2 July 2008, SOLIDAR has 47 member organisations in 25 countries. SOLIDAR is a European network of 47 NGOs and labour movement organisations. We work towards all people living in dignity. SOLIDAR promotes solidarity, equality and social justice in the areas of social affairs, international cooperation and education. SOLIDAR Member Organisations ACPP, Assamblea de Cooperacion por la Paz, Spain ASB, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, Germany ASB, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, Austria AWO, Arbeiterwohlfahrt Bundesverband e.v., Germany baltic Platform comprising : JMC, Johannes Mihkelson Centre, Estonia Riga Education & Science Workers Trade Union, Latvia LLES, Lithuanian Labour Education Society CSV, Community Service Volunteers, UK FCD Solidarité Socialiste, Belgium fos, Fonds voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, Belgium féderation Européenne de l Education et la Culture, France féderation Nationale Leo Lagrange, France fic, Fagligt Internationalt Center, Denmark Humanitas, The Netherlands ifwea, International Federation of Workers Education Association, South Africa iscod, Instituto Sindical de Cooperacion al Desarrollo, Spain iscos, Istituto Sindacale di Cooperazione allo Sviluppo, Italy Affiliated Member Organisations Ado Sah Rom, Romania APHEDA Union Aid Abroad, Australia ASAS, Associacao de Servicio de Apoio Social, Portugal Banana Link, UK COCIS, Italy DGB Bildungswerk, Germany Forum Solidarni Dla Postepu, Poland isf, International Solidarity Foundation, Finland JPA, Jeunesse au plein air, France La Ligue de l Enseignement, France lega Provinciale Cooperative Bolzano, Italy mpdl, Movimiento por la Paz, el Desarme y la Libertad, Spain NPA, Norwegian People s Aid olof Palme International Center, Sweden Progetto Sviluppo, Italy Progetto Sud, Italy sah, Swiss Labour Assistance, Switzerland Solidaridad Internacional, Spain Solidarité Laïque, France tsl, Workers Educational Association, Finland unalg, Union Nationale des Associations Laïques Gestionnaires, France UNISON, UK volkshilfe Österreich Bundesverband, Austria War On Want, UK ied Instituto de Estudios para o Desenvolvimento, Portugal ISS, Germany Narodna Dopomoha, Ukraine One World Action, UK ogb Solidarité Syndicale, Luxembourg Pour La Solidarité, Belgium rada Pro Mezinarodni Vztahy, Czech Republic SOS Malta, Malta

7 Having set the organisational development of SOLIDAR as a priority for the next years with the aim of giving the network a pan-european character and to meet the requirements of the Commission in terms of representativety, we can say that major progress has been made in reaching out to the New Member States. The following new members joined the SOLIDAR network at the Annual General Assembly 2008 : Ado Sah Rom ( Romania ) DGB Bildungswerk ( Germany ) forum Solidarni Dla Postepu ( Poland ) rada Pro Mezinarodni Vztahy ( Czech Republic ) SOS Malta New SOLIDAR members from New Member States ( joined in last 2 years ) Czech Republic Estonia latvia Lithuania Malta POland romania TOgether we are a force for change 7

8 SOLIDAR Structure President Josef Weidenholzer ( Volkshilfe, Austria ) Vice-Presidents Ángeles Yañez-Barneuvo ( Solidaridad Internacional, Spain ) Rodney Bickerstaffe ( War on Want, UK ) At the Annual General Assembly on 2 July 2008, SOLIDAR members voted for the modification of the structure of the organisation, incorporating the President and Vice- Presidents into the Board. These changes will be effective as of the beginning of 2009 and the whole Board will be re-elected at the Annual General Assembly 2009 for a new term of three years. Members Full member = 1 vote Board Chair : Jean-Marc Roirant ( La Ligue de l Enseignement, France ) Erich Fenninger ( Volkshilfe, Austria ) Heribert Röhrig ( ASB, Germany ) José Maria Iztueta ( Solidaridad Internacional, Spain ) Laila Nikolaisen ( NPA - Norwegian People s Aid, Norway - elected 07/2008 ) Liv Torres ( NPA - Norwegian People s Aid, Norway - left 12/2007 ) Lodewijk de Waal ( Humanitas, Netherlands ) Rudi Frick ( AWO, Germany ) Ruth Daellenbach ( Swiss Labour Assistance, Switzerland ) Tamara Flanagan ( CSV - Community Service Volunteers, UK - elected 07/2008 ) Committees Working Groups Conferences Annual General Assembly Board ( as of 2009, President and Vice-Presidents incorporated ) Secretary General Secretariat Voted for 3 year mandate

9 SOLIDAR Secretariat in Brussels Conny Reuter Secretary General Nathalie Duveiller Intern Event Management Maurice Claassens Chargé de mission Abigail Goundry Communications Natalia Danailov Officer Manager Andrea Maksimovic International Coordinator Mathias Maucher Social Policy Coordinator Theresa Moloney Intern International Barbara Caracciolo DWDL JJJ NN Cooperation in the field David AndrÉs Intern Social NN Migration/ Education Hanna Sjölund Intern Decent Work 9

10 Alliances & Partnerships In order for SOLIDAR to be recognised as a leading network, to be effective in our lobbying and in the structuring of civil society dialogue, we need strong political partnerships and alliances. 1. SOLIDAR is a member of platforms : CONCORD, EUCIS-LLL, SOCIAL PLATFORM Through these platforms SOLIDAR participates in : Civil Society Contact Group 1 1 The EU Civil Society Contact Group brings together six large rights and value based NGO sectors environment, social, development, women, culture, and human rights. 2 AIM, Caritas Europe, CEDAG, EASPD, ERP, ESN, Eurodiaconia, FEANTSA, SOLIDAR and Workability Europe. 3 Plan International, HelpAge International, Social Alert International, Light for the World, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Grow Up Free from Poverty Coalition and SOLIDAR european Economic and Social Committee s ( EESC ) NGO Liaison Group informal Network of Social Service Providers 2 european Working Group on Decent Work and Social Protection in Development Cooperation 3 CONCORD s Food, Trade and Agriculture Working Group 2. Decent Work Decent Life Alliance international Trade Union Confederation ( ITUC ) european Trade Union Confederation ( ETUC ) World Solidarity Movement Global Progressive Forum 3. Party of European Socialists ( PES ) Lisbon Strategy Working Group PES activists PES manifesto 2009 contributors 4. European think tanks European Policy Centre ( EPC ) The Centre Friedrich Ebert Stiftung ( FES ) Friends of Europe foundation for European Progressive Studies ( FEPS ) 5. International Federation of Workers Education Associations ( IFWEA ) [Global Network] Global conference in India Executive Committee

11 Relations with EU institutions SOLIDAR is a network of 47 member organisations based in 25 countries ( 20 of which are EU countries ) working on joint topics, it is therefore the core work of the Secretariat to develop relations with the European Union institutions in order for our members views and interests to be represented at EU level. 4. Committee of the Regions ( CoR ) Socialist Group in the CoR 1. European Commission SOLIDAR has been recognised by the Commission for our expertise in certain areas, for example on Decent Work 2. European Economic and Social Committee ( EESC ) Co-Chair of liaison group 3. European Parliament socialist Group in the European Parliament There are high participation levels of Socialist MEPs at SOLIDARorganised events, such as the Round Table on the Social Perspectives of the Western Balkans the Greens - European Free Alliance european United Left - Nordic Green Left This institution certainly represents an opportunity to strengthen links between the regional and local authorities on one hand and the regional and local constituencies of SOLIDAR on the other hand. 5. European Council TOgether we are a force for change 11

12 Social Affairs Volkshilfe LegaCoopBund Over the last year, the positioning of SOLIDAR as a network of social service providers has been reinforced by our being active in the debate taking place at EU level. We have been involved in defining the policy and legal framework at Community level for ( social ) services of general interest ( SSGIs ) as well as in ongoing projects on the quality of SSGIs and European-level quality principles. SOLIDAR also responded to European Commission consultations on Active Inclusion and Social Reality Stocktaking and is currently involved in work on flexicurity and labour law reform. A SOLIDAR Resolution on Social Europe was presented to the French EU Presidency and European institutions, an outcome from the third SOLIDAR Social Europe conference held in Paris in June As part of the delegation from the Social Platform, SOLIDAR actively contributed to the informal meeting of the ministers of labour and social affairs in Guimaraes in July 2007 and the EPSSCO ( Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs ) summit in Chantilly in July Auser Volkshilfe

13 Social and Health Services of General Interest SOLIDAR is becoming recognised as an important contributor to the debate on social and health services of general interest. Over the last year, SOLIDAR has been involved in a series of activities, consistently sending out the message that social services of general interest ( SSGIs ) have not just or not primarily an economic nature, but also a social and political nature and that they are strongly embedded in local communities and contexts. Our active participation in the Informal Network of Social Service Providers and within the Social Platform also raises our visibility in this area. Active Inclusion SOLIDAR sent in a response to the European Commission s consultation on active inclusion. This overarching concept has been used at European level since 2006 to address policies dealing with the three pillars : basic/ minimum income support, labour market inclusion and access to quality social services. SOLIDAR s response highlighted the need for the full involvement of civil society organisations in the formulation of this policy to make sure that citizens needs and concerns ( channeled through their membership and/or volunteering within civil society organisations ) are better taken into account. SOLIDAR supported the elaboration of common principles on active inclusion and highlighted the need to pursue a rights-based approach in this process. European Social Agenda - SOLIDAR Social Europe Conference On 2 July the European Commission endorsed the Renewed Social Agenda, a package of 18 legislative and non-legislative initiatives around employment, social protection, health, migration and integration, and anti-discrimination. SOLIDAR contributed to this Renewed Social Agenda by replying to the social reality stocktaking consultation on the employment and social strand of the Lisbon Strategy, as well as contributing to a European Social Action Programme prepared by the EESC as input in the programme of action of the French Presidency in the domains of employment and social policy. The focus of SOLIDAR s contribution is to support a strengthening of the solidarity objective and all efforts to mainstream social policy issues and goals into EU policy-making across the board. SOLIDAR also puts forward that in order for the EU to develop policies and initiatives in line with citizens expectations, it must concentrate on three main aspects : an effective implementation of existing legislation and other forms of governance; the importance of rebalancing economic and social objectives; and of promoting the role of civil society and of civil dialogue at European level. On 25 June, SOLIDAR, its French members and the Maison de l Europe in Paris organised a conference on Social Europe. This event, a follow-up to the 2006 and 2007 conferences held within the framework of the Save our Social Europe campaign, discussed two main issues : ( Social ) Services of General Interest and Decent Work Decent Life/Building Inclusive Societies. A SOLIDAR Resolution on Social Europe was presented to the French EU Presidency and European institutions highlighting the potential of an Open Method of Coordination in the fields of social protection, social inclusion, migration and integration with strong participatory and mutual learning elements. TOgether we are a force for change 13

14 Decent Work Decent Life - Flexicurity and Labour Law Reform SOLIDAR has continued to contribute to the Europeanlevel debate on flexicurity and the reform of labour law where common principles of flexicurity at European level were adopted at the beginning of December SOLIDAR consistently argues that labour law, in coordination with social protection systems, should support active policies bringing the people in precarious situations and far from the labour market back into employment; labour law also needs to ensure equal access to training and life-long learning for all. SOLIDAR will be participating in a thematic seminar on Flexicurity at the European Commission on 24 September, followed by another Seminar on Flexicurity and labour market inclusion, in cooperation with Danish member Fagligt Internationalt Center ( FIC ) on 2 October in Copenhagen. SOLIDAR has contributed to discussions around the recent European Court of Justice ( ECJ ) rulings - Viking, Laval and Rüffert - concerning the Posting of Workers Directive. SOLIDAR is calling for a policy approach guaranteeing that the freedom to provide services in other countries is not at the expense of workers wages and conditions, workers ( individual and collective ) social rights, and that decent working conditions are not undermined. Kristian Pohl

15 Migration Take Part! Project The Take Part! project, funded by the European Commission under the INTI budget line, aimed to start a dialogue between NGOs which provide services to migrants and migrant organisations with a view to producing a set of codes of conduct, recommendations and good practice examples on services for migrant integration. The main outcomes of the Take Part! Project, which came to an end in December 2007, were drawn together into a brochure Key recommendations and findings from an EU-wide dialogue on integration ( available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch ) and a final conference, Market Place, took place on 4-5 December 2007 in Brussels. The conference brought together a wide range of participants including representatives from trade unions, the European Commission, think tanks, local authorities, NGOs and migrant organisations. Co-development The Take Part! Project also triggered the production of a publication on SOLIDAR s contribution to the debate on co-development entitled Co-development : win-win solution for all? ( available in English, French, Italian and Spanish ). Employers Sanctions Directive Prior to the European Union s Justice and Home Affairs Council which took place on April 2008, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants ( PICUM ), the European Network Against Racism ( ENAR ) and SOLIDAR issued a statement reminding EU Ministers of the crucial need to follow a human rights-based approach in taking forward the proposed EU Directive providing for sanctions against employers of irregular third country nationals. Intergovernmental Global Forum for Migration and Development SOLIDAR was one of the few Brussels-based NGOs selected to participate in the Intergovernmental Global Forum for Migration and Development on 9 July 2007 in Brussels. We contributed with a presentation from SOLIDAR member Movimiento por la Paz, el Desarme y la Libertad s ( MPDL ) project on Migration and Codevelopment. European Commission Conference SOLIDAR was invited to present the Take Part! project at the European Commission conference on technical assistance in Athens in April TOgether we are a force for change 15

16 International Cooperation This year the three main areas in the field of International Cooperation, namely the Decent Work Decent Life campaign and project, the Cooperation in the Field work and the Global Network project have become increasingly linked. The decent work agenda and its rights-based approach to development provides a framework for actions in the Global Network regions and is a recurrent theme for Cooperation in the Field projects. SOLIDAR is consolidating its position as a trusted interlocutor on the issues of aid, trade and development policy, participating and speaking in a series of events on this topic. We continue our work in engaging members with various European and international agenda-setting processes and representing the interests of SOLIDAR members to key decision-makers involved in these processes. Daniele Gussago

17 Decent Work for Decent Life Campaign The Decent Work Decent Life campaign led by SOLIDAR, the International Trade Union Confederation ( ITUC ), the European Trade Union Confederation ( ETUC ), World Solidarity Movement and the Global Progressive Forum is making inroads in putting decent work at the core of policy and decision making at national, regional and international levels. The Jobs, Jobs, Jobs : Decent Work for Development Project, a threeyear SOLIDAR-run project, is a key component of the Decent Work campaign and activities to promote Decent Work are being organised in the context of the project. There is recognition at European and international level of SOLIDAR s leading role in lobbying and campaigning for Decent Work. The International Labour Organisation s ( ILO ) Director-General Juan Somavia officially thanked SOLIDAR at the international launch of the Call to Action. In 2007, two Call to Action launches were organised : an international launch at the ILO Forum on Decent Work for a Fair Globalisation in Lisbon on 31 October 2007 and a European launch at the European Parliament in Brussels on 5 November 2007 in the presence of former EP President and Chair of EP Development Committee, Josep Borrell. The collection of signatures for the Call to Action is the main focus of the Campaign for 2008 and different communication tools have been developed in various languages to facilitate the collection of signatures, available on Some of the actions carried out to collect signatures include : Decent Work Action Day at the Young European Socialists ( ECOSY ) Summer Camp in July 2008, at the ILO conference in Geneva in June 2008 and the Decent Work Recruitment Day at the European Parliament Plenary session in September 2008, launched by Jan Andersson MEP, Chair of the Employment Committee and Rudi Delarue, Director of the ILO Brussels office. The Jobs Jobs Jobs final conference took place on 15 September at the European Parliament in Brussels. It gathered together members of the Decent Work alliance with European and international decision-makers, to discuss practical solutions for implementing the concept of Decent Work. In the frame of this event, a very successful round table on Chinese investments in Africa and Latin America : what are the challenges for the Decent Work agenda? took place on the 16 September in the European Parliament. A section on Decent Work has been introduced in the CONCORD European Parliament Elections Manifesto SOLIDAR also co-organised a seminar on decent work at the European Social Forum, September 2008, together with the Decent Work alliance. Decent Work and Social Protection Working Group As a follow-up to SOLIDAR s participation in the World Social Forum in Nairobi in 2007, we have been involved in the informal European Working Group on Social Protection and Decent Work in Development Cooperation. The goals of this Working Group are to make the Decent Work agenda close to big development NGOs and to involve other big NGOs in the Decent Work Decent Life campaign. Since the Round Table organised in October 2007 at the UN house in Brussels, SOLIDAR has continued to play a leading role within the Working Group and organised on 21 May a Study Day on Social Protection with an exchange on recent policy developments with European Commission representatives from DG Development, EuropeAid and DG Employment. TOgether we are a force for change 17

18 Cooperation in the Field AWO international War on want Sri Lanka India Middle East The Cooperation in the Field Working Group improves partnerships between member organisations and is an excellent opportunity for members to work together. The Working Group has formulated guidelines which set out the modalities of cooperation between SOLIDAR members according to various levels of engagement. Sri Lanka The post-tsunami operation in Sri Lanka, which started in 2005 with a core consortium of Norwegian People s Aid ( NPA ), Arbeiter Samariterbund ( ASB ) and Schweizerisches Arbeiterhilfswerk ( SAH ) and supported by many more SOLIDAR members including Progetto Sviluppo, Solidarité Laïque, La Ligue de l Enseignement, Union Aid Abroad ( APHEDA ), Volkshilfe, FCD Solidarité Socialiste and Fonds voor Ontwikkelingssalmenwerking ( FOS ), has been facing many challenges in terms of security of the operations. Despite this, it continues to undertake excellent work in bringing assistance to the thousands of displaced families in Internally Displaced Persons ( IDP ) camps, rebuilding schools and other important infrastructure, and implementing income-generating programs. Martin Kunstmann Western Balkans

19 India The SOLIDAR India Consortium Nagapattinam, led by Volkshilfe, Progetto Sviluppo and La Ligue de l Enseignement/Solidarité Laïque, has started working on a development programme which will build on the work of the previous rehabilitation programme, focusing on education, income generation and women s empowerment projects. Middle East Since last year, SOLIDAR has been engaging in dialogue with other European networks working on Palestine and with other European, Palestinian and Israeli organisations. This year SOLIDAR has participated in the UN international conference of civil society in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace held in the European Parliament on August 2007, and the Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO forum in June 2007 and September 2008, as well as the 3rd European Conference of Local Authorities for Peace in the Middle East. On February 2008 SOLIDAR organised, together with member War on Want, a Round Table at the European Parliament in Brussels hosted by Luisa Morgantini MEP and a media event at the Residence Palace, to raise awareness on the question of private companies involvement in the occupation of the Palestinian territories. In September, SOLIDAR went on a three-day mission to Israel and Palestine to see how SOLIDAR and its members can act together to enhance and support the important projects and political work going on in the region. Western Balkans In 2008, the South East Europe Working Group was reinstated and renamed the Balkan Network. A Balkan Network meeting was held in May 2008 bringing together members working on a range of initiatives in the field. The Olof Palme International Centre ( OPIC ) invited SOLIDAR to contribute to the development of their Balkan Network that brings together various local and national organisations in the Balkans. In May 2008, SOLIDAR and OPIC organised a first Study Visit for 20 representatives from the Western Balkans to Brussels in order for participants to learn about and to promote the social dimension of the EU enlargement process. TOgether we are a force for change 19

20 FOS Rob Stevens FOS Trade & Aid Policy SOLIDAR is consolidating its work within the field of trade policy, closely following the developments regarding ongoing Economic Partnership Agreement ( EPA ) negotiations and has joined with other civil society organisations and our African partners in the Global Network in calling on the European Commission to reopen the interim agreements signed before the 31 December 2007 and revisit the most controversial clauses that have been widely condemned by NGOs and the African Union as endangering development. We continue to push for trade agreements to prioritise decent work as an outcome and for the inclusion of social and labour clauses in order to achieve this end. SOLIDAR maintains its involvement in the ITUC s Trade, Investment and Labour Standards committee and continues its work on the damaging perspectives arising from the Global Europe communication. In July 2008, SOLIDAR participated in the advocacy activities surrounding the WTO Mini-minsterial in Geneva, issuing a number of media releases and joining other civil society organisations and trade unions in lobbying negotiators and putting forward a propoor and pro-worker vision of the global trade system, in accordance with SOLIDAR s trade policy. On aid policy, SOLIDAR has attended numerous consultations on the preparations for the Accra High Level Summit on Aid Effectiveness and the Doha Financing for Development conference. The Official Development Assistance ( ODA ) figures released in April 2008 show that the level of aid has actually fallen overall in European countries, putting in danger the capacity of developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs ).

21 The Global Network Participants at the Global Seminar in Lima in September 2007 concentrated on making decisions for the upcoming strategy for the Global Network ( GN ) including focusing on the decent work agenda migration, trade and investment, social protection, growing the network by initiating Global Network Middle East and Europe, consolidating southsouth partnership particularly on questions of mutual interest such as the impact of Chinese Investment in Africa and Latin America, bilateral trade agreements with the EU ( ASEAN, EPAs and Andean community ) and migration. The Africa regional seminar brought together 10 countries to discuss strategies for trade union and civil society advocacy on Economic Partnership Agreements ( EPAs ). In Latin America, Global Network led the labour stream of activities organised under the Enlazando Alternativas 3 program and in Asia the Global Network will lead the labour movement activities organised under the Civil Society Forum of the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development in the Philippines. Started in 2000, the Global Network is a worldwide alliance of trade unions, NGOs and social movements that works to empower activists to improve their capacity for dialogue with international institutions such as the World Trade Organization ( WTO ), the International Labour Organization ( ILO ), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ). It was established by SOLIDAR and the International Federation of Workers Education Associations ( IFWEA ) in order to unite organisations concerned about the effects of globalisation on people s lives. The Global Network project has three regional networks : Asia, Africa and Latin America. Overall coordination is provided by SOLIDAR from Brussels. For more information, see Global Network TOgether we are a force for change

22 Education SOLIDAR adopted Education as one of its main areas of work in 2006, alongside International Cooperation and Social Affairs, and established an internal committee to direct this work. Many SOLIDAR member organisations work in education, in particular in the fields of adult education ( workers education and popular education ) and lifelong learning ( LLL ). It seeks to promote the professional, social and individual dimensions of education shared by the members of SOLIDAR and to widen access to all forms of education, including non-formal and informal education. SOLIDAR will continue to promote its perspective on lifelong learning within the EUCIS-LLL platform, reinforcing the social dimension of education ( issues of access, migration, equal opportunities, etc ). Over the last year, SOLIDAR has been involved in the Salon de l Education in November 2007 in Paris and the European Civic Forum in La Rochelle in September SOLIDAR, together with IFWEA, also collaborated with Italian member ISCOS-Cisl in implementing an awareness-raising project on development cooperation and education 1. It was targeted at civil society organisations and trade unions in the New Member States. SOLIDAR signed a letter of intent to become one of the dissemination partners in case a project AWO Schleswig- Holstein submitted should be retained. The proposal was prepared in the framework of projects to test and develop a European credit system for vocational education and training ( ECVET ) entitled Care worker in Europe, and would be set up with international partners from Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and Sweden. Coming up this year are the LLL-weeks and the Salon de l Education in November Countries involved in the project were Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Malta and Cyprus. Volkshilfe

23 RELATORIA DEL SEMINARIO LIMA, DE SEPTIEMBRE Communications The Secretariat has been working on introducing a more integrated approach to communications for all SOLIDAR activities and a closer cooperation with Communication Officers from the member organisations, with the aim of communicating the social realities from our network and members. To start this reflection the first Communications working meeting will be held in November Aiming to improve the quality of our communications, a new website was launched in December 2007 together with a new-look Weekly Round Up. The website is kept regularly updated with SOLIDAR s activities and a Members Area is due to be launched in autumn The new-look newsletter goes out on a weekly basis to a revamped mailing list which includes more than 850 stakeholders including SOLIDAR members and contacts in the EU institutions and NGOs. An internal re-evaluation of communications tools has been undertaken in order to make a gap analysis of what tools exist and what tools need to be further developed or re-developed. And in 2008, a branding strategy is being carried out with the aim of presenting a more coherent SOLIDAR look to the outside world. This includes the development of guidelines to ensure the consistent use of the SOLIDAR logo and SOLIDAR colors and font; as well as new information materials and branded products ( e.g. pins, letterhead paper, power point slides, envelopes ) to ensure coherency and a professional look. SOLIDAR has worked extensively on the communications aspects of the Silver Rose Awards 2007 and this will be continued in 2008; developing media partnerships, promotional information for use with sponsors, the visual identity of SOLIDAR at the awards ceremony, the design and delivery of the information booklet and awards, and ensuring media coverage for the event. For those who seek out justice and truth, who display courage in the face of adversity, and who fight for human and democratic rights to be upheld Key recommendations and findings from an EU-wide dialogue on integration Co-development: win-win solution for all? Global Network DIÁLOGO GLOBAL PARA UNA GLOBALIZACIÓN JUSTA TRANS - NATIONAL LEARNING for Civil Society Organisations in New Member States TOgether we are a force for change 23

24 Silver Rose Awards & SOLIDAR s 60 th Anniversary This year of SOLIDAR s 60th anniversary, the Silver Rose Awards 2008 will be transformed into a joint celebration what better opportunity to celebrate our common struggle for social justice, our values and our history. SOLIDAR s Silver Rose Awards were launched in 2000 to help raise the profile of individuals and organisations whose struggles contribute greatly to social justice throughout the world. Every year SOLIDAR receives nominations from member organisations and other organisations and individuals who actively support SOLIDAR s work. The winners are selected by a jury comprising MEPs, EU policymakers and other stakeholders who share a long history of involvement with SOLIDAR s work and identify with its values. The jury is chaired again this year by Harlem Désir MEP. The awards dinner, held in the European Parliament in Brussels provides the opportunity for people to come together to celebrate the work of civil society. Over 450 people attended the 2007 ceremony including SOLIDAR member organisations, EU decision-makers, NGOs, corporate supporters and the media. SOLIDAR also organises a full programme of visits in Brussels for each award winner to give them the opportunity to meet key European decision-makers, journalists and relevant NGOs to further their cause. This year SOLIDAR, and its predecessor International Workers Aid ( IWA ), have existed for 60 years. The creation of IWA laid down the foundations for cooperation between organisations working together for social justice in Europe and worldwide. The 60 year celebrations will be hosted by Ieke van den Burg MEP.

25 Silver Rose Winners 2008 International solidarity category : Syndicate of Workers of Teheran and Suburbs Bus Company ( Syndica Sherkat-e Vahed ) Iran Nominated by the International Trade Union Confederation ( ITUC ) and the International Transport Workers Federation ( ITF ), Syndica Sherkat-e Vahed, established in 1968, is an Iranian trade union that has been leading a courageous struggle in Iran for the respect of workers rights and social justice, regardless of intimidation by employers and authorities. Their struggle has become an example for other organisations in Iran to stand up for basic human rights for workers, leading towards more democracy in the workplace and direct participation by workers. In turn, this is helping to improve the general social conditions in the country. European Social Justice Category : Globetree Sweden Nominated by Margot Wallström, Globetree, founded in 1982, unites children in caring for the world and supports initiatives at local, national and international level among schools, organisations, and companies. The aim of Globetree is to develop a future for children and youth which is in harmony with the sustainability of nature, and provides space for different artistic expressions enriched by cultural exchange. TOgether we are a force for change 25

26 Gender Equality Charter Intercultural Dialogue Pledge In the Annual General Assembly 2007, the members of SOLIDAR adopted a Gender Equality Charter making a commitment to promote the equal distribution of responsibilities between women and men in their own organisations as well as at European level. SOLIDAR members will strive to : Promote equality between women and men as a core value in the future development of the European voluntary sector and NGOs ensure, through their operating processes, equality between women and men Promote the sharing of responsibilities between women and men at national and international level A few figures : In SOLIDAR, some progress has been made over the last year : the SOLIDAR Board has moved from being 20% female to 35% female; the Annual General Assembly remains constant at a 47% female presence; and the SOLIDAR staff has moved from a 27% male presence last year to 36% male this year. At the General Assembly in June 2008, SOLIDAR and all its members pledged to continue their 60 year commitment for social justice in Europe and the rest of the world by saying We recognise that intercultural dialogue and promoting mutual understanding, is the only path to achieve sustainable and peaceful solutions in our societies, be it in Europe or the rest of the world.

27 SOLIDAR Supporters SOLIDAR would like to thank the following people for their active engagement with us over this last year : Alain Hutchinson, MEP Ana Maria Gomes, MEP Anna Colombo, Socialist Group EP Anne Ferreira, MEP Anne Van Lancker, MEP Catelene Passchier, ETUC Catherine Lalumière, Maison de l Europe de Paris Ernst Stetter, FEPS Gabriela Cretu, MEP Gabriele Zimmer, MEP Gérard Onesta, MEP Giampiero Alhadeff, EPLP Glenys Kinnock, MEP Göran Färm, MEP Guy Ryder, ITUC Harald Ettl, MEP Harlem Desir, MEP heidemarie Wieczorek - zeul, minister, germany Ieke van den Burg, MEP James Howard, ITUC Jan Andersson, MEP Jean Lambert, MEP Joana Maycock, ActionAid International Joël Hasse Ferreira, MEP John Monks, ETUC Jordi Harrison, Socialist Group CoR Josep Borrell Fontelles, MEP Juan Somavia, ILO Director General Karin Scheele, MEP Libor Roucek, MEP luis Morago, Oxfam International Luisa Morgantini, MEP margot Wallström, European Commission martin Schulz, MEP mercedes Bresso, Socialist Group CoR michael Hoppe, Socialist Group EP Miguel Angel Martinez Martinez, MEP Olivier Consolo, CONCORD Patrick Costello, European Commission Paul Adamson, The Centre Pervenche Berès, MEP Peter Wragg, European Commission Philippe Cordery, PES Pierre Schapira, MEP Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, MEP Prionsias de Rossa, MEP Richard Falbr, MEP roshan Dipuppo, Social Platform Saïd El Khadraoui, MEP Simone Süsskind, Actions in the Mediterranean Stephen Hughes, MEP Teresa Mergulao, Socialist Group EP vladimir Spidla, European commission Zita Gurmay, MEP + Many more friends

28 Alexander Parotidis Rue du Commerce 22 B-1000 Brussels T +32 ( O ) F +32 ( O ) solidar@solidar.org The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of SOLIDAR and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.