INCLUSION - A Caritas Europa project co-financed by the EU

INCLUSION stands for : Integrating and Nourishing Caritas Learning and Understanding of Social Inclusion through Optimal Networking.It is a three-year project co-financed by the European Commission‘s PROGRESS programme from 2008-2010. Caritas Europa is currently implementing INCLUSION II that will benefit from a second three-year period of financial support (2011-2013).

The context 

The European Commission co-finances European NGO networks like Caritas Europa to advance on the social agenda. On the one hand, European NGO networks need to be fully aware of the European Union’s social policy shaping mechanisms. Since social policy making is not of the European Union’s remit but still a domestic responsibility, the role of civil society in influencing social policy at National level is crucial if we want to achieve social progress at European level. On the other hand, the European Commission needs to know what is happening on the “ground” in the EU member states. Organisations like ours with important knowledge of the realities on the ground through our daily contact with people experiencing poverty are best placed to monitor the national situations and the effects of national policies on the most vulnerable in our societies. Caritas Europa then feeds this important information back to the European Commission.

Activities

In line with the context, Caritas Europa implements different kinds of activities such as developing policy documents, organising conferences seminars and other capacity building events in different technical or thematic areas, in order to reach the objectives of the INCLUSION Project. For instance, the Caritas ZERO POVERTY Campaign for the European Year 2010 for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion was organised as part of the INCLUSION programme.  

Through INCLUSION, we contribute to the objectives of the European Commission’s PROGRESS programme which are:

• to improve organisational capacity and management;
• to voice the conditions, concerns and expectations of (1) people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, discrimination and inequality between women and men or (2) organisations providing services to people exposed to social exclusion, discrimination and gender inequality;
• to reinforce the skills of the network and its member organisations’ to advance, support and further develop EU objectives and priorities at national level; and
• to better integrate cross-cutting issues in day to day work.

Participation

All 27 Caritas Europa member organisations in the EU can participate in the action, of which indeed 17 have so far been fully engaged. Other member organisations are less involved because their focus is not on domestic social policy but more on international development cooperation. Concerning our members in non EU countries, we have found ways to make them also participate in the programme and benefit from the INCLUSION activities.

Framework

The Project is financed by the European Commission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG) under the Community Action Programme PROGRESS 2007-2013 in the field of Employment and Social Solidarity.

Download our brochure on INCLUSION to learn more 

» INCLUSION Archive  

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 The INCLUSION programme is supported by the European Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity (2007-2013). The programme was established to financially support the implementation of the objectives of the European Union in the employment and social affairs area, as set out in the Social Agenda, and thereby contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy goals in these fields.

The seven-year Programme targets all stakeholders who can help shape the development of appropriate and effective employment and social legislation and policies, across the EU-27, EFTA and EU candidate and pre-candidate countries.

To that effect, PROGRESS purports at: providing analysis and policy advice on employment, social solidarity and gender equality policy areas; monitoring and reporting on the implementation of EU legislation and policies in employment, social solidarity and gender equality policy areas; promoting policy transfer, learning and support among Member States on EU objectives and priorities; and relaying the views of the stakeholders and society at large. 

For more information see:  http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=327&langId=en

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» Archive of earlier Caritas Europa Programs/Projects in the field of Social Policy