I Introduction

Genesis of the project: The white paper "Growth, Competitiveness and Employment" of the EC Commission, known as Delors paper, accepted by the Council of Ministers Summit in Brussels end 1993. Behind the impressive front where a map is drawn of a classic economic feature, one discovers, at different places, some developments which point in another direction:

1) o.c. 19 a sub heading dealing with new needs where clearly the concept of the social economy" is introduced.
2) o.c.: Part IV part of the White Book: "Towards a new development", with one chapter entitled: "Thoughts on a new development for the Community."

How can these signs be interpreted?

The least we can say is that they mark an awareness of the fact that to solve the problem of unemployment traditional recipes may no longer suffice. The reason for this is that Western societies are confronted with radical and rapid changes which request an approach to the issue of unemployment which encompasses the existing interactions between what is happening at the political, the economic, the social and the cultural level.

These ideas are not new; they are increasingly part of a large debate rapidly spreading in many sectors of society. The Commission itself has demonstrated at different occasions its interest for an open discussion. But is a discussion among theoreticians sufficient? Are we not in need to go and look for models where theories are already put into practice? We addressed this question to the Commission and the Commission reacted by inviting the churches and church related organisations to answer the question they had intimated relevant to raise.

The European Ecumenical Commission on Church and Society (EECCS) response to this invitation will be delivered in late 1995 in the form of an enquiry directed to the churches' action and reflection on the topic of work and unemployment. The inquiry is limited, however, to those models of engagement which give evidence that a new approach with regard to work and employment can be found in church circles.

1. A theological reflection: The Dominicans (Espace) and Jesuits (OCIPE) took upon themselves to reflect both on the theology and the ethics of work in a changing context. ["Vers une nouvelle solidarité/ Un point de vue catholique sur l'avenir du travail en Europe." Brussels 1994.]
2. WEN, the Work and Economy Network for churches in Europe to which EECCS relates, is presently engaged in a consultative process aiming at engaging the churches in reflection at the local level on the future of work.

III The method:

III.1 What is meant by alternative models of employment? The title of the project, "Research project on employment alternatives arising from the activities of the Protestant, Anglican, and other churches in Europe" involves ambivalence: exploring new fields for the creation of new jobs, and/or exploring creation of jobs the quality of which reflects a new vision of work and the place and the role of work in our society. This ambivalence is in itself positive as long as the two meanings are considered complementary. Holding the two together can save us from falling in either trap, e.g. the temptation of blind activism which characterizes many job creation programmes supported by public authorities, and/or the flight in a theoretical discourse on the future place of work in society.

a) First stage: A first selection of programmes aimed at combating unemployment; criteria for selection: due attention given in the implementation of the programmes of a) the creation of jobs; b) the changing societal context in which unemployment is developing presently. The material gathered by the enquiry includes a mix of church statements, and church programmes. Evaluating this material led to the conclusion that to maintain a tight dividing line between church statements and programmes was artificial.
Moreover enlarging the scope of research presented the advantage of linking this piece of research to another, in some way comparable, study published in 1986, helping us to trace possible changes in the general attitude of the churches vis à vis unemployment given the new context in which unemployment has been evolving. ["Unemployment, work for the churches" A survey of church resolutions, publications, projects and initiatives in the United Kingdom, West Germany and the Netherlands from MCKS prepared by Drs D. Koelega]

b) Second stage: Sorting out from the gathered material some elements which can be used as bricks for the construction of an alternative model of work (see IV).

c) Third stage: Last month a consultation brought together some of the actors involved in the project. The opportunity was given to check the first results on the basis of the material, helping the different actors to liase together and prepare some proposals for policy action to be addressed to the EC Commission.

d) Final stage Finalizing and handing over the report to the EC Commission, presentation of the different proposals (lobbying).

The summary I present today is therefore not the summary of the final text but an interim report. However, in its present state, the main lines are apparent. A caveat is needed with regard to the goals to be achieved, which are of a tentative character, as the sample which resulted from the different projects considered is not representative of the whole landscape of innovative and alternative forms of employment to be identified in Europe -- this stage of the project lacks material from Southern Europe. Still, I am convinced that this field of experience, despite being generally left at the margins of society, operates like a decentralised laboratory scattered throughout Europe, where new tools are produced which eventually will enable people and hopefully decision makers, to reevaluate the place and the meaning work should have for women and men in the society.

IV. Bricks for an alternative model

Whereas the White Paper reaffirms that growth and competitiveness are the basic ingredients for a solution to unemployment, the basic contention underpinning the project is that this approach does not take stock of the fact that unemployment as it is developing today is neither an economic nor a social problem which work place may have to undergo. it is always an individual and isolating experience. It has been remarked that, compared to the thirties where a large number of people were put on the dole, at that time a still prevailing social fabric permitted a greater sense of solidarity between people.; European unemployment today faces a society in which production and consumption patterns largely favor individualistic behavior. A third recurring trend in the different projects is the attention given to the " communal" aspect of job creation. The aim is not to limit efforts to job creation for individuals but rather to seek for jobs which will foster the reweaving of the social fabric. All the projects identified implicitly or overtly exhibited this concern

IV.4 "The marginalized" -- a civic actor

The relationship between unemployment and marginalization of people is well established. One dreadful consequence of people becoming marginalized is that they feel no longer part of society. It has been observed that this is new in the history of mankind; today society can easily live while putting aside a growing number of people.

Without exaggeration one can say that until now, whether we like it or not, our present society equates employment with integration into society, and it is clear that becoming unemployed cuts the links which associate people to the rest of society; undermining the basis of democratic society

Projects which forward innovative and alternative perspectives on work and employment will be those which strengthen or rebuild a civic conscience among those involved. This factor is more important than the project activity itself, generally very small and insignificant vis à vis the macro economic "givens". This can lead to looking "inward" and losing sight of the inherent pioneer role which is theirs.

IV.5 Work and land Three other " bricks " were discovered at the consultation. One refers to the situation of the farming community and could be called the land question. Although this dimension shall have greater relevance in other parts of the world; landless farmers in Brazil and indigenous people everywhere, the future of the farming communities is a real concern in Western Europe as well. Unfortunately up until now I have not succeeded in identifying a project which could inform us how this question of work and unemployment is faced in the farming community which has been squeezed between the search for an ever increasing productivity and the iron laws of competitiveness.

IV.6 Work and money Another element brought to the fore at our consultation was the role of money in the present economic system.

One of the major preoccupation for people involved in alternative job creation projects is access to finance. There is no access to the normal credit system: the poorer you are the higher the rent and public finance is scarce; to have access to it is a hazardous and a long way to go and once the promise has been given the money has still to come. In the mean time much energy will be spent in solving treasury problems. Independence is therefore a goal one should try to achieve in the long am. In this respect initiative like LETS Canada, UK Netherlands and Belgium and in France les "Réseaux des échanges de connaissance" ought to be mentioned here.

To this end, the creation of alternative credit systems have to be encouraged. But beyond what may appear a trivial reason there is the need to incorporate within the project itself a reflection on the way the present monetary system function.

In the material assembled for the project, church statements are of particular interest. Compared to the MCKS study and taking over the typology of church responses to the issue of unemployment (e.g. the relief type, the reformist type and the transformative type), the analysis shows interestingly that there is a slight shift from an in-between relief-reformist type position towards an in-between reformist-transformative type position.  With regard to the different projects which were selected, it is clear that all of them pay attention to the "why" and "for whom" question. Beyond the immediate concern for job creation, they are also conscious of the need for a work place where tools for a new social contract are elaborated.

V Concluding remarks:

V.1 Having common concerns (cf the "bricks), the projects are nevertheless evolving in different thematic contexts. Without being exhaustive, I mention: women and work/employment; compatibility of jobs with regard to ecosystems; reorganizing internal relationships in the work place; forums for debate and exchange etc.  All these projects would belong to what is called the "social economy" sector. This sector is no longer irrelevant to the economy in particular (in Belgium it accounts for 8% of GNP and concerns a 114 million people for an active population of 5 million.) [3 o.c. "Tous au chômage? Pour en découdre avec l'exclusion sociale" de Benoit Drèze. éd. Luc Pire Collection Politique.]  What is needed is to give it political clout: networking at the regional, national and international level is high priority. The EC Commission has created recently a new General Direction for the social economy. This reflects the importance which the Commission attaches on these developments. It also creates an opportunity for all those involved in the "social economy" sector to structure themselves in order to become a relevant force vis à vis the European political decision maker.

V.2 The unresolved question is: shall the " social economy" sector coexist with the dominant economic paradigm or shall the "social economy "sector be a springboard which eventually could lead to a new economic paradigm?

V.3 Given the specific ethos which is presupposed in the "social economy" sector, the churches, which are called also to reassess the prevailing" work ethic" in the light and in the context of the unemployment issue ought to integrate in their reflection the flow of experiences which the different projects looking for alternative job creation can offer.