by Lars Josephsen

During the first half of 2009 the CINEFOGO Network arranges two major conferences, both aiming at winding-up central issues addressed by the Network:

Social Rights, Active Citizenship and Governance in the European Union

Brussels, 17 – 18 March 2009

This conference will focus on two important topics relevant for all citizens of Europe as well as all European policy makers: One is ‘Social rights and social reality in the European Union’ and the other is ‘Active citizenship and governance’.

The content of the first topic includes perspectives related to a future ‘European social model’ in terms of interplay between economic and social development, notions of rights and democratic institutions guaranteeing them. This entails new rule setting and securing of social rights on national and EU level. An active social policy can partly be a driver for an economically dynamic EU. But in many instances social policies have to be understood in their own right – aiming at upgrading the living conditions of citizens.

The second topic embraces the role of citizenship, organized civil society and active participation. Active citizenship is closely related to social participation in all spheres of everyday life. Citizens’ involvement has become a key issue of current political and institutional agendas. The basic idea of participation coincides with political transformations that imply a move from a government model towards a governance model. This shift has been supported both at national and EU level, and it implies more horizontal collaboration between state actors and civil society.

Contact names: Prof. Martin Potůček and Prof. Thomas Boje

Read more: http://www.cinefogo.org/workpackages/wp44/final-conference-1-of-2

Citizenship, Governance and Social Quality

Brussels, 16 – 17 June 2009

Social quality is a more multifarious policy-oriented way of approaching the quality of life. There are a number of themes implied within the quality of life and these include: Social capital; Social cohesion; Participation and empowerment; Work and the economic environment; Social exclusion.

These themes have important implications for governance and citizenship since they are an outcome and a goal of new governance approaches. They raise many questions about the cultural and social variations across Europe, including whether different elements are of equal importance in different locations and how they can best be understood or measured. Does quality of life mean the same thing everywhere, or does it have different meanings? How meaningful is it to adopt this as a general policy goal?

The conference would bring together a range of themes within CINEFOGO to look at the Social Quality in comparative perspective. This resonates with policy priorities in the European Union and in some member states (including countries as diverse as the UK and Romania).

The quality of life perspective puts together a range of subjective and objectives perspectives to get an overall picture of the quality of life in a given society. It is based upon an established body of knowledge, but the aim of this conferences is to pull these different aspects of the quality of life together and bring new theoretical impetus to make it into a significant policy tool as well as a sociological political and economic instrument.

Contact name: Professor Claire D. Wallace

Read more: http://www.cinefogo.org/workpackages/wp45/final-conference-2-of-2/