Conseil de l‘Europe – Council of Europe
Social Cohesion Action Plan of Council of Europe
and SPIRAL methodology
A response to the crisis in Europe and in the
world, starting from the local and regional levels
Division R&D Social Cohesion
Salaspils 2nd and 3rd February 2012
Presentation Outline
1. Council of Europe Strategy and Action Plan for
social cohesion
2. Social cohesion development as a response to
crisis
3. Methodology for social cohesion at local level
4. How to develop Social Cohesion Strategy and
Action Plan in Sweden
1- Council of Europe Strategy
and Action Plan for Social
Cohesion
Council of Europe main steps
1949 : Creation of the Council of Europe with three core
values : democracy, human rights, and rule of law.
Then European Convention for fostering Human Rights and Fundamental
liberties (1950), Creation of the European Court of Human Rights (1959),
European Social Charter (1961)
 Great progresses in human rights with Governments
through laws and policies, specially civil rights:
women, migrants, minorities, disabled people, etc.
However from 1973, the growth rates decrease, with
unemployment issues, regression of social rights and increasing of
inequalities. A thinking begun on how to complete progresses
with government with progresses with the whole society
 1997 : Second Summit of the Council of Europe
Introduction of the Social Cohesion as a new objective
Social cohesion becomes "one of the foremost needs of the wider Europe and
an essential complement to the promotion of human rights and dignity"
Developing Social Cohesion
1998: Set of the European Committee for Social Cohesion
2000: First version of the Strategy for Social Cohesion, revised in 2004
and 2010.
It defines cohesion as the capacity of
the society to ensure the well-being
of all its members, avoiding disparities and
polarisation and focusing on shared responsibilities to
achieve this objective.
Political definition and not only sociologic definition
Definition of Social Cohesion
Through coresponsbility (or
shared social responsability)
Social cohesion is the capacity of the society to
ensure the well-being of all its members
Reducing disparities
in the society
Including future generations
The Social Cohesion strategy
Social cohesion as a complementary objective of the core values of the Council of Europe:
human rights, democracy, rule of law
Social Cohesion is pursued through four main pillars: investing in rights; sharing social
responsibilities, enlarging civic and social dialogue and building a secure future for all
The Social Cohesion Strategy changes the vision of societal progress:
1. On the objective of progress: well-being of all, future
generations included
2. On the responsibilities: progress through coresponsibility
 Sharing responsibility for well-being of all implies the involvement of
citizens and stakeholders in its definition
The implementation of the strategy
2005: Publication of a first methodological guide "collaborative
development of indicators of social cohesion“
2005 - 2010: experiments in different cities, regions and institutions
(companies, schools)
 Concept of "territory of co-responsibility '= territory in which a
process of shared responsibility for the wellbeing of all is taking
place between actors (public and private) of that territory.
 Extended to" School of co-responsibility", “Corporate coresponsibility", etc..
September 25, 2009: First international meeting of the Territories of coresponsibility in Mulhouse. and launching of the Territories of
Coresponsibility Network, financed by Urbact II – project TOGETHER
– 8 towns in 8 countries (one is Salaspils) + other 200 other towns
From Strategy to Action Plan for Social Cohesion in Europe
2010: Publication of a second methodological
guide book: involving citizens in the societal
progress towards well-being of all
February 2009: Conference of Ministers in Moscow
2010: Launching the social cohesion action
plan of the Council of Europe, crossing 2
approaches:
- A bottom up approach starting from the
citizens expression of well-being/ Ill-Being to
build indicators at local level, then at regional
level and national level to revisit the policies at
these different levels from what the citizens
said
- A top down approach to adapt the policies to
citizens needs
2- Social cohesion
development as a response to
the crisis
Current crisis is not only financial and
economic. It is as well
- social
- environmental
- political (crisis of governance and
regulation)
- cultural, concerning knowledge itself
- crisis of confidence
 Crisis of society: what is progress?
Crisis of society goals: the progress
I- Since the industrial revolution the progress of society has been designed
on the basis of a constant and very rapid growth in terms of wealth,
mainly material wealth (estimated over last 60 years by GDP).
This growth was made possible by the widespread use of non-renewable
resources, including fossil energies, leading, in a few centuries to the
point of their exhaustion.
Limits of this model regards:
 Dissatisfaction with this model because, despite the increase of wealth,
much of humanity is excluded, inequality is increasing and even in the
richest countries subjective indicators show a decrease of well-being,
especially since 1980
 The impossibility to continue with this model and the need to establish as
quickly as possible an alternative model without massive use of nonrenewable resources
 Need to get back to basics: what is progress? What should the
progress of societies tend towards? and how to make these
changes?
An issue on the agenda
These questions have been raised since the 1970s by organizations
such as the Club of Rome
From the 2000s the debate involves public institutions, at national and
international level
 In 2004 OECD launched a global project "beyond GDP"
 In 2008 the French government forms a committee with two Nobel
Prize winners (Stiglitz and Sen)
 Since 2008 the European Commission undertakes a specific program
"beyond GDP"
 Conclusions are similar
 GDP is not enough and progress must be rethought in relation to
the well-being of humans and of our planet in general.
 Well-being must be defined by citizens
 Convergence with the social cohesion strategy and action plan
of the Council of Europe
Rethinking well-being of all
The well-being of all the as an objective of society cannot be
defined by either the market or by a central structure, or by
specialists: well-being is a concept that belongs to citizens 
need of an overall democratic and participatory debate.
The experiments that we have been carried out for five years in
this sense clearly demonstrate that the well-being of all defined
by citizens give more room for intangible dimensions of
wellbeing, opening a key route for societal progress. These
dimensions depending on human relationships, social and
personal balance, sense of life, participation and engagement in
society, etc.. are an inexhaustible source of untapped wealth,
although they are often misused, explaining the increasing
feeling of ill-being, despite the increase in material wealth.
Multi-dimension aspect of Well-Being
The eight dimensions of well-being according to the
criteria expressed by citizens
LIVING ENVIRONMENT
Physical components
A- Access to livelihoods
B- Living environment
SUBJECT
Endogenous Components
F- Personal
H-Commitment/
balances
G- Sense engagement
of wellbeing/illbeing
E-Social balances
C- Relations with
and sense of
institutions
D-Human
belonging
relations
GROUP OF SUBJECTS
Social components
Interactions between dimensions of well-being
F- PERSONAL BALANCES
F00 - Personal balances in general
F01 - Physical balance and health
F02 - Autonomy, freedom, independence
F03 – Time management & balance between activ
F04 - Mental/emotional balance
F05 - Spiritual life and religion
F06 - Balance in relations with society
F07 - Personal development
G- FEELINGS OF WELL-BEING / ILL-BEING
G00 - Feelings of well-being/ill-being in general
G01 - Self-esteem/shame
G02 - Satisfaction/frustration
G03 - Peace of mind/Fear
G04 - Stress/worries
G05 - Happiness/sadness
H- ATTITUDES AND INITIATIVES
E- SOCIETAL BALANCES
E00 - Societal balances in general
E01 - Assertion & transmission identities & values
E02 - Politeness, respect and tolerance
E03 - Solidarity, sharing & transmission of
knowledge & resources
E04 - Social mix/insularity
E05 - Economic balance
E06 - Demographic balances
E07 - Equity and social mobility
E08 - Inclusion / exclusion
E09 - Violence and peace
E10 - Relations between society and environment
E11 - Technical and scientifical progress
H00 - Attitudes and initiatives in general
H01 - Self-improvement/self-respect
H02 - Personal activities and initiatives
H03 - Politeness/Sociability
H04 - Meeting/Listening, being supportive
H05 - Responsibility vis-à-vis common goods
H06 - Commitment in society
H07 - Dynamism, collective commitment
D- PERSONAL RELATIONS
D00 - Personal relations in general
D01 - Partners/loving and sexual relationships
D02 - Family life/family relationships
D03 - Friends/relations with friends
D04 - Neighbourhood relations
D05 - Relations in activitiy places (work , school,…)
D06- Relations with animals
C- RELATIONS WITH & BETWEEN ORGANISATIONS
A- ACCES TO ESSENCIAL RESOURCES
A00 - Access to essential resources in general
A01 - Food
A02 - Medicines and health care
A03 - Housing/equipment
A04 - Clothing
A05 - Education/Training
A06 - Employment/work
A07 - Leisure, culture, sport
A08 - Purchasing power/access to finance
A09 - Home care and personal services
A10 - Mobility
A11 - Information/exchanges
C00 - Relations with and between organisations in general
C01 - Fundamental rights/recognition
C02 - Functioning of justice
C03 - Consultation/democracy
C04 - Transparency/communication
C05 - Organisation, management, finance
C06 - Access, information and contacts
B- LIVING ENVIRONMENT
B00 - Living environment in general
B01 - Cleanliness/pollution/noise
B02 - Basic infrastructure and amenities
B03 - Service infrastructure and facilities
B04 - Meeting and leisure areas
B05 - Weather and natural phenomena
B06 - Landscape and living spaces
B07 - Production and work conditions
Key role of co-responsibility
Why co-responsability is important?
Considering that Resources
 activities well-being of all
To progress toward a better capacity to ensure well-being of all implies:
RESOURCES
1- To develop
- natural
better
utilisation of
- équipments,
resources
ACTIVITIES
infrastructures (valorisation,
mutualisation
- Time
preservation
transmision)
- skils/
& less use of
methods
no renewable
resources
- Financial
2- To develop the
multidimensionnality of the
l’impact of the
activities on wellbeing of all
WELL-BEING
OF ALL :
- material WB
(employment,
housing,
éducation)
- environment
- relations
- sociétal and
personal equil
- feelings
- attitudes and
initiatives
3- Methodology for social
cohesion at local level
Local process
Step 1: Setting a coordination group
involving representatives of local actors
Local process
Step 2: Defining progress in well-being of all
with citizens by :
 Organizing homogeneous groups
 Collecting criteria through 3 open questions:
What is for you well-being?
What is for you ill-being?
What do you do or can do for well-being of all?
 Great number of criteria  Synthesis
 Restitution, validation by homogeneous groups
and fourth question about future generations
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens/communities
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens/communities
2Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens/communities
2-
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
3- Using criteria to evaluate
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens/communities
2-
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
3- Using criteria to evaluate
4- Planning
improvements and
pilot actions (action
plan preparation)
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens/communities
2-
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
3- Using criteria to evaluate
4- Planning
improvements and
pilot actions (action
plan preparation)
5- Deciding/committing
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens /communities
2-
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
3- Using criteria to evaluate
6Acting / implementing
4- Planning
improvements and
pilot actions (action
plan preparation)
5- Deciding/committing
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens /communities
2-
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
3- Using criteria to evaluate
7 – reevaluation (ex post)
6Acting / implementing
4- Planning
improvements and
pilot actions (action
plan preparation)
5- Deciding/committing
Common framework of local processes
8 phases of the process developed involving citizens / communities
2-
1- Setting up a coordination
group
Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
3- Using criteria to evaluate
7 – reevaluating (ex post)
6Acting / implementing
PROGRESS
CYCLE
5- deciding/ committing
4Planning improvements and
pilot actions (action plan
preparation)
Common framework of local processes
8 phases of the process developed involving citizens / communities
2-
1- Setting up a coordination
group
8-reviewing/learning
capitalizing
Defining
the well-being/ill-being
criteria
3- Using criteria to evaluate
7 – reevaluating (ex post)
6Acting / implementing
PROGRESS
CYCLE
5- deciding/ committing
4Planning improvements and
pilot actions (action plan
preparation)
Common framework of local processes
8 phases for progress in policies/action involving citizens /communities
2Defining
the well-being/ill-being criteria
1- Setting up a coordination
group
CYCLE OF
CONSULTATION
8-reviewing/learning
capitalizing
3- Using criteria to evaluate
7 – reevaluating (ex post)
6Acting / implementing
CYCLE OF
PROGRESS
5- deciding/ committing
4Planning improvements and
pilot actions (action plan
preparation