On November 17th in Brussels ESAN organised a seminar gathering volunteer workers, experts and officials to celebrate its 20th birthday!
The new volunteer workers who joined ESAN since May 2011 helped the board members to prepare this seminar.
In spite of the financial problems which many NGOs have to face at the moment, ESAN members came from Germany, Belgium, Spain, France and Portugal.
The contributions of the three invited experts were well received and followed by fruitful debates.
Edith ARCHAMBAULT- Professor emeritus, Paris Sorbonne Panthéon University, Centre d’économie de la Sorbonne, presented an analysis of the BIT Manual on voluntary work in different countries,manual to which she contributed with the BIT John Hopkins team.
Alain MOUCHOUX- Vice president, INGO Conference, talked on the following subject: “The position of volunteer work with European authorities; the role and position of the INGO Conference at the Council of Europe. The quadrilogue: what is the power of the INGO Conference with the Commission and the Parliament?
Nicola ALIX, Crédit Coopératif (France), representative with “Confrontation Europe”, talked about “Social economy and interdependence; economy for people”
A special issue of ESAN News on the seminar is under way, and a detailed account of the seminar will be available in January 2012. This seminar gave us the opportunity to highlight our action during the past 20 years with the European authorities for:
- The defence and access to fundamental rights for all.
- The defence of active citizen participation
- The development of partnerships and dialogue.
ESAN is a European network of over 50 organisations and federations gathering over 5000 organisations in Europe which work on a daily basis for the implementation of solidarity, fair practice, the development of tools of evaluation of social situations.
ESAN offers through its members a watch and a social European expertise, and presents the European decision-makers with the best solutions for the needs of European citizens.
ESAN calls on politicians about important matters for the present and future of society such as education, fight against poverty and social insecurity, the rights of children and inter-generation relationships.
ESAN is 20 years of involvement to defend the weakest in society.
This anniversary was the time to look at past actions and partnerships. In this major economic and social crisis, ESAN more than ever seeks to widen its network and gather all its strength on two main issues in 2012:
Intergenerational, to defend fruitful and balanced relationships between the different generations and
Individual, to defend the dignity of all in society.