A vision for the common good: working on both principles and policies
How can we alter the current EU political course steered towards jobs and growth at any cost rather than smart, sustainable and inclusive growth? Should we start at the root of the problem and work on the principles that should drive the EU? Or should we put our efforts into changing the policies delivered by the EU? While I was listening and speaking at Volonteurope’s conference on “a vision for the common good for Europe” (learn more in this video), I also thought about what kind of Europe we want to build, and what principles should motivate political decisions.
The work done by Volonteurope, one of our 48 members, leads me to think that we need to work on both fronts: principles on their own are necessary but not sufficient. The same is true of working only on concrete policy recommendations. I believe that working on both principles and policy recommendations is the minimum requirement to alter the course of current EU policies.
Members of Volonteurope have started to develop key principles that should be the springboard for any political proposals. It starts with “relationships”- as explained in the video link above – one of which spoke particularly strongly to me: never leave people behind. The idea of a principle is that is can be debated by different stakeholders and should steer the discussion. I can imagine that when discussions take place between civil society and EU policy-makers, we could argue for a completely different approach to migration based on the principle of never leaving people behind. We could ensure that all migrants risking their lives on boats in the mediterrean region are welcomed with humanitarian aid. I am of the opinion that principles can challenge our current policies and deliver different outcomes: what does an enabling state means for all of us? What should prevention entail in each policy area, such as homelessness? What is a business based on purpose? These are great questions to be discussed with all parts of society.
However, principles and questions on their own will not change policies. Rather, we need concrete policy recommendations that convey the EU’s principles. For example, our recommendation for an EU directive on minimum income is, for me, a translation of “never leave people behind” in the sense that those in the most vulnerable situations are socially included. Aren’t life-long learning proposals coming from civil society a way to respond to the principle of an “enabling state”? Isn’t our advocacy action to adopt the anti-discrimination directive in access to goods and services a way to “celebrate differences”?
If you have any similar examples that demostrate the common good, feel free to send them to the Director of Volonteurope, Piotr Sadowski. Their campaign will continue for another two years. Me, I left the conference with one question firmly in my mind for my own work: how can our principles change the way we actually live? I think that the common good campaign if a great way to start people thinking about it.
Let’s engage!
Pierre Baussand
