Social Inclusion-Towards a European Best
practice
Social Inclusion – Towards a European Best
Practice in Oslo, Norway, 5.- 6. February 2004
The Minister
of Social Affairs, mrs. Ingjerd Schou, held a Conference dinner Thursday night.
Here is the Minister´s speech:
Conference
participants, dear colleagues and friends,
This
morning I had the pleasure of welcoming you to our conference to discuss
European practices on social inclusion.
I do hope that you have had an interesting day, and that the conference
so far has met with your expectations.
I
would like to use this occasion to thank all those having participated in the
planning and preparation of this conference. My senior officials have asked me
in particular to thank their colleagues in collaborating Ministries and all the
other co-workers for the very important and fruitful input during the
challenging process that has led to this conference.
Tonight
we are gathered at Soria Moria in Holmenkollen. Soria Moria, as I understand it,
has a common meaning in many European fairytales. Soria Moria, is the very
special place where the “pauper” or the “Ashlad”, as we call him in Norway, always wins the princess and half of the
Kingdom. To Norwegians Soria Moria is a beautiful wooden building; a Norwegian Castle.
In
the 19th century, being one of the poorest nations of Europe, Norway was a European Ashlad. Like the Ashlad of the fairytales, Norway was “forced to face countless dangers, and set
out on long and hazardous journeys, east of the sun and west of the moon. But
far, far away she could see something shining and sparkling – Soria Moria Castle”.
Norway
has had a long way to go, but today, the dreams of the Norwegian Ashlad has
made a long path forward, and the Soria Moria Castle is within reach. Therefore,
I have the great pleasure to welcome you to this dinner at Soria Moria, a Norwegian Fairytale Castle, where we can continue to share our hopes
and our dreams, but also to discuss “best practices” to overcome common
obstacles.
As I
told you in my opening speech, we hope to make this conference into an
experience for us all. We hope it will prove to be worthwhile for the
challenging work ahead of all of us in an enlarged European framework with the
objective “to create a more prosperous Europe at the service of its citizens”.
Norway
shares the common objectives and concerns with the enlarged EU as regards the
need to strengthen social cohesion, the future of the social protection systems
and the sustainability of pensions.
My
Government has focused on a comprehensive strategy containing a broad range of
measures. We focus on a family policy that allows both women and men to have
the possibility of combining work and care. We also focus on stronger responsibilities
for the employers to follow up people being long term sick.
We
look for a more targeted unemployment assistance system to provide incentives
for active job search, and stronger focus on helping vocational disabled back
to work. This includes a pension system ensuring significant employment amongst
the elderly. We also want to merge the policy towards all unemployed people
independent of their functional ability. Rehabilitation processes must start as
early as possible.
An
overall aim for my Government in the social dimension field is to focus on the
user. In this endeavour, the role of the non-profit and the volunteers cannot
be overestimated. The role of the NGOs and the social partners in all aspects
of fighting poverty is vital for the work we are undertaking. I am happy to see
so many of you among us, and I look forward to seeing the outcome of tomorrow’s
discussions.
However,
social welfare and social security is more than physical wellbeing and a safe
economy. Social wellbeing must also be linked to social relationships, company
with good friends and colleagues, and to good food. That is why we are gathered
tonight at Soria Moria at Holmenkollen for this conference dinner.
I
hope that you will take pleasure in our Norwegian kitchen and I wish you a
pleasant meal.
