A practice to be reviewed

Twelve proposals for a “more just” French society, ranging from educational support for the more disadvantaged children to care for the homeless, workers and immigrants: they were presented during the 81st Semaine Sociale of French Catholics, held at Paris-La Defénse from 24 to 26 November, on the theme “What is a just society?”. The proposals, formulated in the run up to the presidential elections in 2007, “will be a useful tool for re-opening the debate on justice, and a way to make heard our voice as citizens and as Christians”, explained MICHEL CAMDESSUS , President of the Semaines sociales de France. Some 4,000 people, experts and politicians, took part in the event. BENEDICT XVI sent a message in which he recalls that “in the contemporary world in which we ascertain numerous breaches of social cohesion, of which unemployment and violence in the suburbs are eloquent signs, it is essential to review the practice of justice”. A CAMPAIGN VIA INTERNET . A website on a “more just society” has been active since last Sunday: www.unesocieteplusjuste.org, on which the French can chat on themes of social justice and continue the campaign of raising the awareness of public opinion on the 12 proposals, which are: providing “a normal education” to the more disadvantaged children, also through experimental courses of educational support; a “real worker’s statute” and the reform of the statute of firms “to ensure the priority of labour over capital”; “putting an end to the scandal of ghettoes and the homeless”; “treating with respect persons in prison”; reinforcing social cohesion through “compulsory community service”; “preparing the future of the next generations”; “contributing to the construction of a Europe of social cohesion”; “providing a fitting welcome to immigrants”; “turning the co-development of the countries of African emigration into a priority of overseas aid policy”; and “maintaining France’s financial commitments to the poor countries”. COMMUNITY SERVICE AND FULL EMPLOYMENT . With regard to the proposal to provide compulsory community service also in France, JEAN-BAPTISTE DE FOUCAULD , chairman of many associations (including “New Solidarity against Unemployment”), suggested that “it be extended also to adults, by dedicating their first year after retirement to service to the community”. According to de Foucald, the priority is “to return to full employment, prime condition for a more just society”. In his view a “French way” needs to be defined – in other words, “neither the Scandinavian model, nor the liberal model” – for the achievement of “full and quality employment”, with coherent long-term programmes” that provide for “the promotion of more flexible working times and the reduction of working hours; the right to lasting policies of insertion in the labour market for those in search of work; and the multiplication and qualification of vocational training courses”. “We all need to campaign together against unemployment, transcending political alignments”, he concluded.HOW CAN INJUSTICE BETWEEN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HEMISPHERES BE REMOVED? This challenging question was debated by RUBENS RICUPERO , Brazilian economist, and PASCAL LAMY , Director General of the World Trade Organization. Ricupero called for a “mutual fertilization” of ideas and exchanges between Northern and Southern hemispheres and thinks that “many problems of injustice can be resolved through the resumption of trade and financial negotiations with the WTO, today unfortunately suspended”. That’s why we need to help the poor countries – he said – to “learn the difficult art of negotiation, and train competent personnel able to handle the problems”. Lamy said he agreed with the diagnosis, and suggested that “we seriously revise the juridical and philosophic bases of the international system”. TOO MANY INEQUALITIES IN EUROPE. If in Europe there is “a general tendency to the reduction of extreme poverty and deprivation” – though there are still some 72 million poor, 16% of the population – it is also true that the inequalities between rich and poor countries are growing within Europe itself: the five poorest countries of the EU dispose of 32% of the purchasing power of the 5 wealthiest countries and the difference in national living standards between Luxembourg and Latvia is of the order of 7 to 1, explained BRONISLAW GEREMEK , Polish MEP. Geremek listed a series of European emergencies, first of all unemployment, and a “disturbing tendency” in recent years: “The adult European is less educated that the adults of other industrialized countries”. There is therefore a need for “reforms to facilitate access to education”. The organizers of the Semaines sociales , together with COMECE (Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community), have launched the group “Initiatives of Christians for Europe” which will also promote a great event in Rome on 25 March 2007, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.