We define social cohesion as the capacity of society to ensure well being for alland avoid exclusion and disparities, by the joint responsibility of its actors.
The responsible territory for social cohesion and sustainable development is where a process of dialogue is set up to build this joint responsibility.
The development of responsible territories implies several stages of action:
- the definition of "well being for all";
- identification of existing responsible economy initiatives expressing synergies with public authorities and other NGOs;
- Increasing citizens' possibility for solidarity with those more vulnerable;
-Identification of potential responsible economy activities to encourage the spreading of successful projects and improve weaker initiatives;
- the permanent follow-up, evaluation and promotion of the concept.
The Multiparty Social Contract (MSC) is a new concept for the treatment of social exclusion integrating various dimensions of inclusion (social support, employment, financial resources, responsible consumption, social relations, etc).
It is the binding together of several specialized organizations with beneficiary-partners under a single contract.
Complementarities, roles and responsibilities are then defined, followed and evaluated by all the participants.
The new elements of this concept are of three types:
- a relation of partnership rather than of assistantship;
- the commitment of all the partners to shared objectives of social inclusion;
- introducing a citizen responsibility dimension with responsible consumption and ethical finance.
The first experience with over-indebted (Strasbourg)
OnFebruary 6, 2007, a ceremony for signature was held in which 13 economically excluded citizens in excessive debt situations and 8 associations and institutions committed themselves to the experimental project: conception and adaptation of the method, discovering responsible consumption, search and creation of social relations andmutual responsibility.
The social inclusion objective specific tothe MSC is accompanied by the need to test the method's possible transfer to other exclusion situations and/orother socio-economic cultural and political European contexts, (an extension of the MSC tolong-term un employed is being prepared).
The institutional and associative partners participating in this experimental phase are:
-CRESUS, organization specialized in the long term care for the over-indebted proposing also a social credit;
-The town of Strasbourg - Direction of the Social action;
-HUMANI PSY NGO, coaching and psychological support;
-CARITAS social groceries, access to food at reduced prices;
-AMAP (local partnership between farmers and consumers) this low price vegetable"basket" gives access to healthy food and teaches responsible consumption;
-Mijara (Fair Trade shop) andCOLECOSOL(Fair Trade promotion) another dimension of responsible consumption;
-La Chambre de consommation d'Alsace training for responsible consumption;
-La NEF (New Fraternal Economy), access to an ethical savings account.
Following the contract's signature several workshops were proposed: joining theAMAP to enjoy vegetable baskets at a reduced price (thanks to the mutual aid funds of the AMAP members), cooking healthy food workshops, various conferences on reducing households expenses and responsible consumption, a work group with HUMANI PSY... the beneficiaries-partners also opened a savings account at the NEF.
In spite of the intensive presence required, global participation was excellent. And even if certain workshops were not sufficiently attended, the general interest in the project was never contradicted and the objective of social bonds creation seem to be achieved as testifies the remarkable level of presence in group meetings.
