SALTO-Youth Participation - EuroMed Youth Programme IV

FOCUS
areas of
Co-respon-
sibility
Pilot project
Context and background to the project
The crisis we are going trough is
more than financial and economic. It
touches every area of the society.
An ecological crisis in which natural
resources are being used up, a
social crisis in which there is a growing
gap between people, and an increase
in different forms of exclusion.
Furthermore there is a deep crisis
of confidence, a crisis of values and
in the means of development which
influence choices and decisions.
While we measure progress since
the 2 nd World War through our respective
country’s gross domestic product
(GDP), it is now necessary to think
about this progress in terms of the
well being of everyone without exclusion
: this includes a reduction in the
growing gap for future generations,
a sharing of resources, social cohesion
and sustainable development.
This implies changing to a situation
where the responsibility for
progress lies with the Members states,
the market and a “sense of co-responsibility
» between all of us – public
and private bodies and individuals.
Definition
The involvement of Mulhouse
From its rich industrial history, Mulhouse
has inherited the ability to involve
different actors from the area to work
together for the good of the community.
This innovative process, proposed
by the council of Europe, somehow
reflects our history, our know-how
and our ambitions which is why we
have been involved in it since 2005.
necessary
changes
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As newcomers to this approach, our
experiences have been supported by
the Council of Europe and a coordinating
group of representatives from
different public and private bodies.
Together we have elaborated tools
to measure the increase in the well being
of citizens and set up various pilot
projects on the theme of co-responsibility
for the well being of everyone.
The positive results of these pilot
projects now serve as the basis for developing
a plan of action for the well
being of everyone in towns and districts
through co-responsibility.
International network for
areas of co-responsibility
The application of the co-responsibility
approach in many places, both
within and outside Europe, has led to
the establishment of an international
network for areas of co-responsibility
thanks to an initial meeting, held
in Mulhouse on the 25th September
2009 and to the European “Urbact”
programme project “Together for
Territories of Co-responsability.”
A charter of areas of co-responsibility
details the common rules for
the areas involved in this approach.
An “area of co-responsibility” is an
area – eg. a neighbourhood, municipality,
collection of communes etc. in
which there is a process of consultation
to implement and realise new forms
of “co-responsibility” amongst public
and private bodies, and individuals,
with a view to taking on the necessary
changes for ensuring the well being
of everyone, both at a local and global
level (including future generations)
in a spirit of inclusion and equality.
Sébastien Houssin
Ville de Mulhouse
Direction de la Solidarité et Proximité (31)
Coordinateur
« Mulhouse : territoire de coresponsabilité »
Links
www.mulhouse.fr
www.spiral.cws.coe.int
Contact
sebastien.houssin@mulhouse-alsace.fr
Video
www.telecampus.fr/archives.phpannee
=2008&video=1
FRANCE, Mulhouse
25.09.2010
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