Rethinking progress
Thinking the progress of the society in terms of living together in the same planet is, as never so strongly, a necessity
In its strategy and action plan for social cohesion, the Council of Europe defines social cohesion as the capacity of a society to ensure the well-being of all avoiding disparities and without any form of exclusion, discrimination or stigmatisation, through the co-responsibility of its various stakeholders (public and private players, citizens). A link is established with sustainable development, through the inclusion of the welfare of future generations. This objective requires:
- The development of criteria and indicators to define and measure the well-being of all with citizens themselves;
- The development of co-responsibility to ensure progress towards the well-being of all, including future generations, from the local to the global levels (bottom up approach);
- The conception of gobal policies facilitating the processes of co-responsibility for the well-being of all (top down approach)
- Monitoring and evaluation of the societal progress achieved.
Following the publication in 2005 of the Methodological Guide to the concerted development of social cohesion indicators, a number of corresponding initiatives have been carried out at local level in specific geographical areas (communities, neighbourhoods, municipalities, regions) and institutions (businesses, schools, etc). They have led to:
- the development of a methodological framework and tools for facilitating its application, called SPIRAL
- the idea of territories of co-responsibility, ie specific areas where consultation processes are established for the purpose of developing a co-responsibility approach for the well-being of all.
- the constitution of "Together network", the International network of Territories of Co-responsibility.
These processes generated the conception and implementation of a large number of pilot actions of coresponsility and strategies and action plans.
Wikispiral website
The aims of the wikispiral website are:
- To publicise these processes and initiatives and other similar ones carried out in the Territories of Co-responsibility or elsewhere, with their direct participation (wiki system), as well as information about Together network (see "community")
- To facilitate exchanges of practices and methods between the parties involved and networking (see "discussing issues");
- To fine-tune SPIRAL methodological framework and to make available the tools developed so as to facilitate implementation of the method proposed (see "methodology").
At a broader level, the website also seeks:
- To develop, on the basis of criteria put forward by citizens at local level, a composite view of well-being for all at global level (see "results");
- To facilitate discussion about policies for co-responsibility to ensure the well-being of all (see "policies").
You can find as well wikispiral website
- A great number of existing initiatives, highlighting their specific features and how they complement one another (see "responding together" project);
- A WIKI database of criteria and indicators of well-being put forward by citizens.
- Discussion fora on co-responsibility and societal progress;
You can take part
By registering as a user of wikispiralthe method, which will give you access to the various tools and instruments made available and enable you to participate in the forum as well as the WIKI database of indicators of well-being put forward by citizens once you have actually applied the method.
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