New forms of solidarity

“New forms of solidarity, new society” is the theme of the 84th Social Week of French Catholics. Some 4thousand participants will attend the event due to be held next November 20-22 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte (Seine Saint Denis). “Over the past few years we have witnessed increasing solidarity. What is its role in the public arena?” the promoters asked. The hope being that a comprehensive analysis of social exclusion and poverty in France will “shed light on the reasons why the widespread expressions of solidarity in France appear to be insufficient”. The Week’s schedule of events envisages also a reflection on the cultural aspects of the new forms of solidarity and on their “diffusion, in order to proclaim a project for the renewal of society”. Transforming crisis into thrust. “As in the past editions the event will focus on topical events – remarked Jérôme Vignon, Chairman of the Social Weeks in France – and given the ongoing crisis the theme chosen this year is likely to gain unexpected relevance”. However “the fragmentation of the social body, along with the development of initiatives to counter it, took place long before the financial markets crashed”. Given the “new forms of solidarity – job-placement companies, fair trade, media awareness and commitment for the homeless, knowledge-sharing networks, corporate social responsibility -“, this year’s event is based on the premise that “rejecting the other doesn’t only increase marginalization across a consistent part of the population”. “It also undermines the very social bond”, Vignon remarked. However, he added, the crisis “might enable the new forms of solidarity to become a thrust involving the whole of society”. “New risks”. The Weeks’ chairman pointed to “surging social exclusion” along with a “mounting precariousness” affecting a large part of society, and highlighted the importance to focus on the “new risks” in this area. To this regard, it is necessary to support those “who perceive that society is contributing to their alienation”. “It’s important to understand the causes of the new forms of exclusion and distinguish them from poverty. Indeed, across the centuries exclusion and bonding were both the results of the ‘role models’ promoted by societies. The question of solidarity pertains to the ethical and political sphere, and is naturally also economic”. Participants are called to address also “the revolutionary contribution of the Christian message whereby poverty and the lack of resources are transformed into fraternal bonds”. Reciprocity and gift. This state of affairs, Vignon declared, requires devoting attention to “the new forms of solidarity, which are not mere responses to problems. Rather, they proclaim the vision of a society that unites and brings people together, instead of selecting the best; that doesn’t only proclaim autonomy but which is capable of participation and practices reciprocity and giving. Is it not realistic – Vignon says – “to want to spread initiatives that integrate public support with the cross-link of States, generations, precarious and steady employment? Are there visions combining proximity solidarity with long-lasting global development?”.The program. The 2009 Weeks (program available at www.ssf-fr.org) envisage lectures, debates, workshops and panel meetings. The session will be opened and closed by Vignon himself. Speakers include Pierre Rosanvallon, history scholar from the Collège de France; François Soulage, Chairman of Secours Catholique; economist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus; Marie-Claude Petit, founder of “Familles rurales”, along with association representatives and people experiencing precarious life conditions. “Is Europe still utopia?”, is the theme of the panel discussion held by Sylvie Goulard, President of the Mouvement européen France and CERI research worker and by philosopher and MEP Vincent Peillon, who will seek to show alternative paths enabling Europe to progress in order to meet future challenges. The Social Weeks of France were established in 1904 on the initiative of two lay faithful, Marius Gonin and Adèodat Boissard, with the purpose of spreading Church thought and contribute to social debate. The initiative is held across many French cities and is most known for its yearly national meeting. Since 2004, the year that marked the Week’s centenary celebrated in Lille on “Europe, a society to be invented”, the Weeks have developed a European dimension.