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Framing
On 22 of October 2008, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union approved the Decision on the establishment of 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
Following the Lisbon agenda decisions (in 2000), the major objective of the European Year (EY) is to reaffirm that the fight against poverty and social exclusion continues to be one of the key policy commitments of the European Union (EU) and its Member States.
The Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2008 highlights the fact that 78 million people in the European Union live at risk of poverty, 19 million of whom are children.
Therefore, the EY is an opportunity to reaffirm that the current levels of poverty and inequality are unacceptable and that the EU commitment to solidarity, social justice and greater cohesion are the means to achieve a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and the promotion of equal opportunities. The EY is also an opportunity to reaffirm public awareness of poverty problems and to mobilise all entities and interested citizens.
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Objectives and European principles
The objectives and guiding principles of the EY, defined in the Decision, are already reflected in the Portuguese social policies; therefore, we have adopted them with enthusiasm as the basis of our National Programme.
The key principle is to consider the problem of poverty and exclusion from the perspective of citizenship rights, i.e., “recognising the fundamental right of people in a situation of poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to play a full part in society”.
In addition to this objective, we highlight the following:
Shared responsibility and participation – meaning the need to involve and mobilize all people and institutions in the fight against poverty and social exclusion.
Cohesion – meaning that a modern society must be able to ensure the well-being of all its members, by accepting diversity and differences.
Commitment and concrete action – it is a call for the commitment of all actors in order to develop a long-term effort in the fight against poverty, in which all government levels must be involved.
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National objectives and target groups
Seeking to adjust the 4 key objectives defined for the AECPES at the European Level (recognition of rights, shared responsibility and participation, cohesion and concrete action), the National AECPES Programme in Portugal will be structured in 4 axis/priorities:
1) To contribute for the reduction of poverty (and prevent the risks of exclusion), through concrete actions with real impact on people’s life.
Target group: people living in a situation of poverty or in a vulnerable condition that may lead them to that situation.
2) To contribute for the understanding and visibility of the poverty phenomenon and its multidimensional nature.
Target group: the population in general, for whom we want to make the problem visible; the academic and scientific community and the policy makers, since they can make decisive contribution in what concerns the reduction of poverty.
3) To empower and mobilize the whole society in the effort to eradicate poverty and exclusion situations.
Target group: the representative sectors of our society’s organization (e.g. representatives in social coordination, local authorities).
4) To assume that poverty is a problem of all countries, “removing borders”.
Target group: policy makers at the European Union level and also Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP), since they are those with whom we have relations of greater proximity.
The gender mainstreaming was ensured in the National Programme drawing up. Therefore, the different risks and dimensions of poverty and social exclusion experienced by men and women will be taken into account in the planning of the national activities to develop. The gender dimension of exclusion and poverty will be considered in the specific criteria for selecting the European Year activities.
An approach concerning accessibility and mainstreaming with regard to deficiency and disability matters, within the scope of the National Programme for the European Year drawing up, was also recommended. In what concerns the selection of the European Year activities, the importance of accessibility will be particularly considered, mainly in terms of accessible locals, appropriate language, clarity of information, equal access to facilities and services, etc.
Portugal totally believes that the European Year is a unique opportunity for the recognition of social rights, through a real national movement, with the involvement of all persons in concrete measures and actions, by raising all actors’ awareness.
This is not just another European Year. It creates a unique opportunity for Portugal to undertake the eradication of poverty and social exclusion situations in which many families still live, as a collective imperative. Because…
Poverty is to remain indifferent!
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Civil society and other stakeholders’ involvement
The National Programme for the EY expects to promote the involvement of large groups of stakeholders in all stages of the process, such as:
- The Non-governmental Organizations – through the Non-Governmental Forum for Social Inclusion, created within the scope of the PNAI (National Action Plan for inclusion), confirming the national perspective that, in this EY, poverty and social exclusion resources and instruments already existing in Portugal, must be reinforced and set up.
- The Local Authorities – through the Municipal Councils and Parish Councils, as the local organizers of initiatives;
- The Private Sector – through Companies, fostering their awareness and mobilizing them towards an attitude of social responsibility in what concerns poverty and social exclusion;
- The Government – through a central structure - the National Commission for Monitoring - with the representation of all Ministries and other civil society organizations, and also by Civil Governments, district organizations that guarantee the Governments’ representation in the district and will contribute for the harmonization and implementation of actions in the European Year;
- The structures with intervention in the social area – through geographically disseminated structures, that gather public services and civil society (e.g. Social Network Council Platforms, Local Councils of Social Service, Local Insertion Centres, the Commissions for the Protection of Children and Young People, Educational Areas of Priority Intervention, etc.);
- The social partners – through Worker’s Trade Unions and Employers’ Confederations, which are the key partners for the social dialogue;
- The population in general and the citizens in a situation of poverty and social exclusion - through Communication campaigns, mainly through specific Forums of direct participation and also through information focused on their rights.
