COFACEmeeting - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: COFACEmeeting


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COFACE-meeting

• Working Group Exchange of information and
  experiences mutual learning capacity building
  at the Gezinsbond
• March 17th 2009

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Gezinsbond (league of families)
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Fields of activities
A flourishing social life at the local level
Family oriented services
Political action on behalf of families
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Also a presentation

• On two of our family oriented services, the
  family savings card and a number of services to
  our member families
• And on on a new project from our offerings in
  support of parenting REFUELLING ON PARENTING _at_
  HOME

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Political action on behalf of families the way
in which family policy action is handled at the
Gezinsbond.

• 1. A vision on family policy action and family
  policy
• 2. What is needed for the development of family
  political action and for the realisation of such
  a vision?
• 2.1. First the content
• 2.2. Resources or channels

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1. A vision on family policy action and family
policy

• Family political action by an organisation refers
  to the activities as a pressure group or a family
  union, resting on the basis of the furthering of
  the interest of families and striving for a
  family and child-oriented society.

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Also important is the vision of family policy
that one uses

• If one bases oneself on the family playing an
  essential social role, namely giving partners,
  parents and children opportunities for fulfilment
  in solidarity with others, and in so doing to
  help work on the development of society, it is
  clear that such a role touches all functions of
  human existence. From this vision, family policy
  or care from the government for the family is an
  aspect that must be raised in all fields of
  policy, whether job creation is concerned or
  housing, the environment, health care, social
  security, taxes or education

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• It is also important that with the delegation of
  responsibilities and titles given to ministers,
  family policy is explicitly mentioned as a
  separate entity. This is indeed an aspect watched
  closely by the Gezinsbond each time a government
  is formed, with sharp protests being voiced if
  this is not the case.

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• A forceful and dynamic family policy from the
  government must in the first place be a one that
  creates conditions, this meaning that the
  government works in as many areas as possible to
  create a framework within which each family can
  be founded and can develop, that gives parents
  possibilities to invest in children, that gives
  the chance to develop.

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A Family Impacts report

• A practical family policy also assumes that
  within the field of policy systematic attention
  should be devoted to families. Hence the idea of
  the Family Impacts report.
• In this way we can gain insight into the effects
  these measures have on developmental
  opportunities for families, and on their various
  responsibilities and tasks.

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Familiepolitical action

• A family organisation can play the watchdog role
  by constantly evaluating the engagements of the
  Government. Important is indeed, out of a
  complete political impartiality, that Governments
  are exclusively evaluated for their policy,
  irrespective of the party (or parties)
  responsible for the policy.

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2. What is needed for the development of family
political action and for the realisation of such
a vision?

• A large number of members is important to, by
  force of numbers, be recognised as an important
  pressure group, as well as a well-developed
  organisation spread across the entire territory,
  and a pluralistic organisation that allows
  cooperation with family-minded forces while
  transcending political parties.

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Lobbying

• The influencing of policy, or lobbying, that in
  general terms can be defined as the activity
  aimed at influencing of political decision-making
  by means of spreading information, argumentation
  and, if necessary, the exertion of pressure.

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Content and resources

• - Well prepared and elaborated standpoints based
  on a strongly supported vision. Here we are
  talking about the content of the political action
  on behalf of families.- Various channels along
  which the standpoints are made known, urged and
  forced through to the extent possible. Here we
  are talking about resources.

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2.1. The content

• Not only talking about and reacting to policy
  decisions
• But anticipation of decisions and the influencing
  of policy and helping to map the course along
  which government policy will be developed
• Constant following and best possible anticipation
  of current family policy affairs
• Working with a family policy programme that
  runs for a number of years.

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• Every five years, the Gezinsbond draws up a new
  family policy. Thus on 31 January, a new policy
  project was introduced that contains the vision
  and the concrete requirements of the family
  organisation concerning fields of policy that
  equally affect aspects of family life, for
  example

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A new policy project concerning

• - family security
• - family and living environment
• - families and work
• - family relationships and parenthood
• - families and education
• - families and health care
• - families and consumer issues

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Besides the content of such a policy programme,
its building-up is very important.

• It is necessary for the programme to be endorsed
  by the whole movement to the greatest extent
  possible
• This presupposes a consultation procedure in
  which the contribution of members and the various
  levels of administration are included
• However such a programme is built up, it is
  important that there is attention for its
  democratic realisation by means of real
  involvement and participation

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2.2 Resources or channels

• Indirect resources of which the result can
  hardly be measured, that will not necessarily
  bring about a direct result. These are channels
  that bring a sense of awareness, and are
  certainly no less important. A number of examples
  
• First and foremost there are the channels of the
  family organisation.

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Publications
The Gezinsbond disposes of a biweekly journal.

• This is a powerful vehicle for spreading
  standpoints and indirectly influencing policy
• About 284.046 printed biweekly, read by 550.000
• In such a medium, policy-influencing can be
  effected by editorials, articles or interviews
  with politicians
• In the first place meant for the members of the
  organisation, it is important to also distribute
  it to those responsible for policy such as
  members of parliament, political parties and
  other organisations that are directly or
  indirectly involved with family policy, and also
  to the press.

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Different channels

• The website for members is an important channel
  to disseminate standpoints on family policy
  issues
• At the end of 2008 the Gezinsbond Study
  Department started with an electronic newsletter
  sent to a large group of stakeholders
• Radio Gezinsbond Every month during a 10
  minutes radio programme, Gezinsbond can make a
  voice heard and inform the audience about our
  projects and activities

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Another obvious instrument

• The issuing of press releases, which usually deal
  with current politics
• Also within the context of spreading information
  to the press are press conferences, certainly
  worthwhile when a good press release has
  insufficient weight
• Other channels are study meetings or seminars.
  Here, a well-prepared dossier of interest can be
  discussed in front of a wide forum of
  participants from various organisations with the
  subject of the seminar persons responsible for
  policy and the press.

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• The direct channels or resources are aimed at
  direct contact with those responsible for policy
  or their entourage, with actual political family
  dossiers or concrete actions.

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• The most direct channel is an audience with the
  minister. By means of a direct and personal
  conversation the claims, expectations or the
  grievances of the organisation are conveyed to
  the minister. A press handout is often then
  issued afterwards.
• It is also important to make and maintain formal
  and informal contact with government
  administrations, members of parliament, the staff
  of the ministers cabinet, study departments of
  other organisations or movements such as trade
  union and political parties with a view to the
  exchange of information, the clarification and
  discussion of standpoints and, if possible the
  convincing of these bodies to support the
  standpoints

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More aggressive resources
There are also the more aggressive resources such
as protest activities by means of petitions,
letter campaigns or protest meetings, these being
resources that often involve the mobilisation of
our members and voluntary workers and therefore I
believe, for this reason and others, are extreme
measures. ? E-card campagne
for elections
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• Another channel is representation within bodies
  set up or established by government such as
  advisory councils, semi-governmental bodies or
  permanent or temporary commissions where the
  interests of the family are discussed

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Elections

• A concrete example of a family policy action that
  is presently being prepared by our research
  department concerns the Flemish and European
  elections of this coming 7 June.
• A memorandum containing the expectations and
  concrete claims of the family organisation was
  drawn up for the future government, being
  selectively distributed and put out to the public
  by a press release or a press conference. Further
  action is in preparation.

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• On occasion of previous elections for instance
  the various political parties were asked, in the
  run-up to the election, to respond to a series of
  questions about the Gezinsbonds position with
  regard to a number of family policy items. There
  were also questions with yes or no answers to
  the standpoint of the Gezinsbond. The answers
  from the parties and be sure they all respond
  were published in the Gezinsbonds biweekly paper
  one week before the election.

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Announcement of the policy programme

• A last example concerns the announcement of the
  policy programme. This took place at a national
  congress, where the policy programme was
  announced. Many policy-makers were present as
  well as our own executives. The press showed
  great interest in this, for our organisation,
  important event. This programme is also widely
  distributed both within and outside the
  organisation those responsible for policy, such
  as ministers, members of parliament, political
  parties and other organisations and bodies
  involved with the subject.

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The importance of influencing policy of local
authorities

• It is important to dispose of local branches
  because the local situation is always different
  and specific. The resources and channels can also
  be used for local authorities, councils and
  councillors. A local branch can present a note (a
  memorandum) with a view to local elections, or
  develop a specific activity for road safety for
  children, for example.
• There are resources here too contact with the
  local or regional press, contact with local
  organisations, schools, the distribution of
  leaflets saying what the local branch has to
  offer, or the expectations from the local
  authority with respect to family policy.

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Volunteers at local level, who join in and work
for the family movement at the service of the
families.

• Volunteers are trained both as regards the
  carrying out of their tasks at local level, as
  well as in the local influencing of policy
• Central support by making documentation
  available, work files, the organisation of
  training days and suchlike are therefore also
  very important components of the movements
  operations.

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Publications
Volunteers
Educational support
Daughter organizations
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European level

• The Gezinsbond is also active at European level
  promoting the interests of families. In the first
  place, this is done via COFACE.
• A memorandum is also being prepared for the
  European elections. The COFACE memorandum will be
  one of the basic documents contributing to its
  content.

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For the Gezinsbond well developed public
relations activities are indispensable

• Networks in the media through personal and
  specific contact with editorial offices and with
  the right editors at these offices, with the
  gaining of insight into news-gathering and how
  the selection takes place from the large quantity
  of news that arrives at these offices
• Networks in the political world by the
  systematic maintaining of formal and informal
  contact with those responsible for policy,
  political parties, the staff of ministers
  cabinet, etc.
• Networks between study departments of political
  parties, of other organisations such as trade
  unions, employers associations, of other social
  organisations or interest groups that are
  directly or indirectly involved with family
  affaires.

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Public Relations
www.gezinsbond.be
Radio Gezinsbond
Every month
Since June 2007
Pressreleases
Database of Press to send press releases
Publications
Yearly report
Promotion
Leaflets, flyers,
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More information

• www.gezinsbond.be

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Gezinsbond (league of families)