It was a timely reminder as I have spent most of this week in Sweden, participating in a global consultation organised by Church of Sweden, Norwegian Church Aid and Bread for the World on Social Protection in a time of rising inequality. Taking a global view on social protection the gathering of churches and diaconia from 25 countries discussed how the church and diaconia can advocate for sustainable and adequate social protection schemes that reduce poverty, exclusion and ultimately inequality. One of the major themes was the role that tax justice plays in ensuring that resources are available for social protection schemes and how to built up the common good that includes both rights and responsibilities when it comes to finance.
But as much as we found consensus on social protection and the role of church and diaconia in advocating, and in many cases providing social protection. We know, as seen in Denmark this week, that we have gaps in such schemes – so we have to keep working to ensure both universal and targeted coverage and filling in the holes in the schemes that many globally are fighting so hard for.
At Eurodiaconia one of the things we are doing is working to make economic governance more focused on social development and investment. This week, in Brussels, with partners from Social Platform and CESI, we presented an ambitious proposal for the reform of European economic governance to favour social investment across the life cycle.
So the year has started!
Have a good weekend,
Heather