Gezinsbond

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Gezinsbond (league of families)
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Participation as lever for social inclusion

• A project of the Gezinsbond
• I) Familie association Gezinsbond
• II) A project about diversity
• III) A project about families in poverty

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I) About Gezinsbond

• Members
• Tasks
• Fields of activities
• Daughter organizations
• Publications
• Services
• Projects

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Aims of the Gezinsbond

• Commitment to a child- and family-friendly
  society by means of family-political action,
  service, activities and parenting support for all
  families at every stage in life

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Fields of activities
Defense of the interests of families
Services for families
Educational work
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Activities of the Gezinsbond

• Aimed at children Water habituation for babies
  and small children, youth holidays, Sports,..
• Family-friendly family holidays, creative,
  educational and cultural activities
• Intergenerational aimed at grand parents
  entertainment- and do-activities

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The daughters
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Publications
Voluntiers
Educational support
Daughter organizations
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Information sent free of charge to target groups
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BRIEVEN AAN JONGE OUDERS letters to young
parents
Periodicity
One letter per month during the first year
Every two months during the second year
Special issue on pregnancy
Toddlers issue, covering infants from 2 to 6
years
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Services of the Gezinsbond

• Direct service babysitting, companionship
  service for the elderly, Families on the bike,
  second- hand market,..
• Financial services Family savings card,
  GSM-cards, discount on public transport, study
  loans,
• Advice and assistance Socio-juridical service,
  Consumer complaints,...

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Family savings card

• Members saved 6 miljon at 4,000 traders and
  shops
• Cinema cheques with 20 discounts
• Ultramodern Vx570 of Verifone replaces former
  savings card reader
• Discount at De Standaard, SunTechnics, Mercator,
  Shell, Daoust,

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Financial advantage

• Discount cards public transport
• 87.782 cards
• 34.986 railway-passes
• Gsm-cards with reduction
• Discount via Telenet
• Cheaper energy by Nuon
• Discount Family savings card and Membership more
  worth action

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Energy consultant
Within the framework of the Flemish climate
policy plan 2006-2012 and subventioned by Flemish
government Energy advising-project by energy
consultant Energy tips on Internet site and in
De Bond

• Climate market on 8/12/07 recall to local
  sections for A evenings about saving energy
• Lends of energy meters to members

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Telephone
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Membership card worth more

• On showing the membership card
• Discount on cultural, sport-loving and
  recreational activities
• Promotion by means of De Bond, website and
  mailing

Birth present

• Safe bath set
• 29.743 birth presents

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Why Projects?

• De Bond as civil society organisation has
  continually worked for the societal, cultural and
  political participation of families.
• Participation in society by as many people as
  possible contributes to a more open, liveable
  society in which people have access to respect
  and dignity.
• An important lever to this end is the
  participation of families in clubs and
  associations.

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As social movement, the Gezinsbond once began
(1921) among and because of families that found
it difficult to create a dignified personal and
family existence. Gradually more families were
reached. Presently a very wide variety of
families in their diverse manifestations is
addressed by the Gezinsbond
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A member survey shows that immigrant families and
families in poverty are almost completely absent
from de family movement. A greater involvement
of families can largely improve social
cohesionContributing to an open, diverse and
multi-cultural society with equal opportunities
for all families belongs to the societal mandate
of the Gezinsbond.
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De Bond intends to fully commit itself to this.

• Two projects supported by a government subsidy
• Gezinsbond goes diverse
• Gezinsbond and families in poverty

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II) Gezinsbond goes diverse

• A three-year project (2007-2009) that finds its
  context in a long-term vision of a policy of
  diversity with the intent to further implement
  the results in the normal operations of the
  Gezinsbond

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The objectives-seeking out families with a
culturally diverse background -developing a
network of partner organisations with the
relevant expertise,-raising the awareness of
our own committee members (volunteers),
professionals and members to contribute to this
endeavour.
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The project is principally implemented in the
city of Antwerp, most pronounced metropolitan
context in Flanders. There the threats that
arise from a society characterised by low social
cohesion are the greatest. On the other hand,
the greatest opportunities and possibilities are
there to contribute to a more livable coexistence
in diversity.
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The project intendsto reach the cultural
diversity of the target group through easily
accessible opportunities, information via
Gezinsbond publications, participation in
activities, and collaboration with organisations
from the network.
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In the first project year (2007)-establishment
of a steering committee with those in the
Gezinsbond responsible for policy making and
representatives of various Gezinsbond services,
-making contacts and dialoguing, externally in
function of the development of the network and
awareness raising, as well as internally at De
Bond. Contact was made with the Latin American
Federation, the Federation of Moroccan
Associations, the Union of Turkish Associations,
the African Communities Platform, the Russian
Community Platform and with the city services
that deal with the integration of ethnic-cultural
minorities. Internally, regular contacts with the
Gezinsbond regions and branches.
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Inventory of the supply and demand of the
different external and internal actors,A number
of concrete projects were considered for further
implementation.
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Diversity
Project Gezinsbond goes divers with support
from Minister Keulen started in
Antwerp. Initiatives Second-hand fair ? section
Antwerp (Kiel) Homework classes ? Borgerhout and
Linkeroever
Evening sessions around the theme
parenting support Collaboration at the
national event at the Antwerp Zoo Training was
offered around intercultural communication
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A first project development of second-hand
fairs organised by branches of De Bond into a
family day with opportunities to meet, exchange
information and children's activities that
involve immigrant families. Two such family
days in 2007. There will be five in 2008.
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Second-hand fairs
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A second concrete project concerns support of two
homework classes in collaboration with the
African Platform.Training is also provided
around principles of child rearing.At a
different location, a mother's group emerged
from the activities of the homework class to whom
training was offered.
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A third concrete project concerns offering
evening sessions around the theme parenting
support . (a part of the Gezinsbond's core
business.)Different contacts revealed a very
strong need on the part of these families for
parenting support. Immigrant parents are faced
with the same concerns as autochthon families.
These common concerns can be summarised as each
parent wants the best for her/his children.
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In the autumn of 2007, two evening sessions
together with an association of Muslim women
around topics related to rearing children
setting limits and attachment and letting
go.Both sessions chiefly targeted parents of
babies and pre-school children.Request to also
organise such sessions for infants, children just
starting school and adolescents.
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Another project concerns providing opportunities
to meet the foundation laid for long-term
collaboration especially via easily accessible
opportunities.Thus, for example, at the
national event at the Antwerp Zoo, with
federations of immigrant associations, with dance
and music from Rwanda, Latin America, Russia,
with a variety of workshops such as Arab
calligraphy, a mint tea ceremony and a real
fashion show with traditional clothing from the
various continents.
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National event at the Antwerp Zoo
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Dance and music from Rwanda
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A mint tea ceremony
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Training was offered around intercultural
communication Gezinsbond branches were
stimulated ? in consultation with local partners
(immigrant associations) ? to provide meeting
opportunities via easily accessible activities,
f.e. Indian or African cooking, introduction to
African dance, a visit to a Mosque, a Peruvian
evening, Intercultural walks in Ghent, Brussels
and Antwerp.
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A final concrete project developing a method to
screen a number of communication materials
(publications) ? such as De Bond's biweekly
family newsletter sent to all members ? for
diversity.
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• Screening publications for diversity

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Finally

• The Gezinsbond is convinced that greater
  participation in society by immigrant families
  can largely improve social cohesion.
• Consequently, De Bond has taken on the challenge
  to work harder for a multi-cultural society in
  which all families can contribute. This is a
  long-term project.

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III) Gezinsbond and families in poverty

• The starting point
• How can we make/keep our association accessible
  to families who grow up/end up in poverty?
• How can people from different milieus meet one
  another?

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Essential points of departure

• working with families in poverty and not working
  for families in poverty
• starting from where families in poverty are with
  respect to clubs and associations and where they
  gather
• looking together for what families in poverty and
  the Gezinsbond can mean to each other
• key factors are listening, encountering

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Raising awareness among committee
members-volunteers and professionals, and making
them sensitive to the issue of poverty as a form
of exclusion. A conditio sine qua non to making
Gezinsbond accessible to families in poverty is a
thorough understanding of the issue of poverty
being aware of our possible prejudiced look at
(the causes) of poverty and how this affects our
acting and thinking.Concluding partnerships.
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Translation of these points of departure into
elements for a project to raise awareness and
stimulate actionin order to reach the target
group?

• Composition of a steering committee consisting of
  those responsible for policy making, Gezinsbond
  professionals and external partners representing
  the poor.
• With a view toward obtaining insight into
  poverty, increasing support and becoming aware
  of one's own view of poverty, training is
  provided (welfare work) to the members of the
  steering committee, and debate(s) with experts
  organised.
• Branches of the Gezinsbond are being sought where
  some experience already exists with families in
  poverty or where there is a demand/willingness to
  work on this.

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Training interested volunteers (committee
members) from these branches complementing
these branches with the presence of a branch of
an association that gives voice to the
poorchecking these groups together for
willingness to work together and look for/explore
opportunities to meet, as well as accessible,
small-scale activitiesin consultation with a
network of organisations/instances where families
in poverty are present, explain, interrogate,
possibly re-orient the services of the Gezinsbond
to reach the target group of families in poverty,
based on the question What is the daily concern
of families in poverty?explore the
possibilities of structural collaboration with
Social Services (OCMW)s with a view toward
reaching families in poverty (familiarity with
the Gezinsbond) and provide opportunities for
participation in the service offerings and
activities of the Gezinsbond by among others
searching for barriers that can constitute an
obstacle.
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Conclusion

• This project is presently being prepared by a
  steering committee, and the goal is to formally
  start this project on 1.12.2008. A subsidy
  dossier has been submitted to the competent
  Flemish minister. Training has already been
  organised in December for the members of the
  steering committee

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A healthy breakfast Sunday November 9th in
Blankenberge
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A healthy breakfast Sunday November 9th in
Blankenberge
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A healthy breakfast Sunday November 9th in
Blankenberge
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More information

• www.gezinsbond.be

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Gezinsbond (league of families)