The rapid transformation of economic life in all regions of Europe has changed many of our previous ‘taken for granted’ assumptions about employment. That is why in the title for the workshop we have separated work and employment. Only a part of work is employment. It is true that employment or self-employment is usually the key to income. However, which work is classed as employment varies over time and according to values and necessities. In this workshop we want to examine the realities of work and employment in the different contexts from which we come and to analyse the problems we uncover. Then we will begin to make a theological and social-ethical critique and finally to outline some visions for the future and the strategic options for Diaconia in Europe.

Key Issues

• Ongoing Structural Change. One of the features of the European economy is that it faces an accelerating pace of structural change. This means that people have no feeling of stability about their employment and that they can no longer (if they ever could) view any employment situation as permanent.
• New Divisions of Labour. As the impact of new technologies impacts on methods of production, there is a growing tendency to minimise employment in the ‘core’ workforce of larger firms. More and more tasks are ‘contracted out’ and there is often a big difference between wages and conditions in the ‘core’ workforce and those experienced by sub-contractors. At the end of this chain you find work being done by non-legal workers and women who do industrial work at home.
• New Conditions of Work. One of the most important features demanded of a work-force is ‘flexibility’. This can mean flexibility of function or of time, or often both. Very often imposed flexibility makes it very difficult for people to manage their time for family or for other activities. Flexibility is also often coupled with other very stressful management methods, such as internal competition between work groups and increasing the targets for output over time.
• Women’s Employment. There are very different experiences across Europe. In many countries the numbers of women entering the workforce is increasing. The reasons may be positive, if women choose to enter the workforce. Very often it is related to family survival. In some cases of economic restructuring, male jobs disappear and new jobs for women are created (service and manufacturing sectors). In general, pay and conditions for women are worse than for men. In some countries, there has been a rapid reduction in the percentage of women in the work-force, related to the end of the planned economy.
• Unemployment and Underemployment. Unemployment and especially long term unemployment is a major issue in Europe. It is apparent that in areas where there are massive job losses that it is very difficult to create sufficient jobs appropriate to the unemployed workforce. This is true in rural and urban areas. Under employment is also a problem, where people would like to work full time but cannot find a position, or where they are only able to get an unskilled job even though they have qualifications.
• Racism and Migration. A larger percentage of black and migrant populations than white are excluded from the workforce, or are under employed. Migrants tend to have the worst experiences of employment, especially if they are working non-legally.
• Young People. The possibilities for unskilled young people to enter the workforce are decreasing and there is a growing problem of young people who have never experienced permanent employment. In some communities of long term unemployment the idea of the link between education and employment has been broken.

• What are the most significant changes in work and employment in the region from which you come?
• What contacts do you have with the reality of work and unemployment from your church or organisation?

• Transition. Probably the biggest impact on work and employment in Europe has been the end of centrally planned economies. The collapse of employment has led to a growth of poverty and exclusion on an unprecedented scale.
• Violence. The incidence of violence against women and children has increased enormously in all regions of Europe where traditional industries such as coal and steel have drastically cut their workforce.
• Globalisation. The impact of globalisation on work and employment is related to two issues. First of all globalisation leads to intensified competition which adversely affects pay and conditions. The capacity of large enterprises to move production facilities and to reorganise production has a negative impact, pressurising workers to reduce their expectations. There is intense pressure on governments to provide ‘easier’ conditions for employers moving in and to reduce costs of employment and corporate taxes. Different regions of Europe have increasing experience of this problem in the last few years. Modern productive systems also require much less labour than traditional mass production. The second issue is related to the question of which sectors of the economy are the most profitable. Nowadays Finance and financial services, information and media services and high value added goods and services are much more profitable than production to meet basic human needs.

• Performance Society. This is shorthand for the idea, which is now dominant, that the performance of people is the main criteria for economic security. High performing well-qualified workers are essential for high technology industries and services but as more jobs are created for such workers, the options for those who, for whatever reason, cannot ‘perform’ are reduced.
• Privatisation of Risk. Increasingly workers are held responsible for their own ‘employability’ which means that their security is in their education and their capacity to be trained and re-trained in a continuous life-long process. It also refers to the growing idea that people are responsible for areas of social and health insurance that were previously the responsibility of the state. Because of the rapid economic change we now experience the possibility of life-long employment in one job or one enterprise is a diminishing reality.
• Shift from Protection to Participation. The main line of European policy has been to shift the perspective from income protection for unemployed people to activation, aiming for a 100% participation of all eligible citizens in paid labour. Where the job supply does not exist, or there is too great a skill mismatch, the state provides a variety of subsidised labour systems, including work experience as a way of reincorporating people in the labour market. However, in practice the transition from such subsidised work to open labour market seems to be limited. If these opportunities to participation are not available or suitable, then policies of ‘social activation’ – unpaid labour for social benefit is the final option. These policies are operated with a strong element of compulsion, for example the loss of social benefit in the case of non-participation. There is a need to examine the rhetoric of achievable full-employment currently being used by the European Union. The statistics exclude many people and count many who have very irregular part-time working conditions.

• Which of these factors are important in understanding changes in the work place from your position?
• Which other factors are important?

• Income, Time & Employment. Different kinds of work are needed for sustainable community, including family work, civic work and paid work as well as other activities. Work should not be reduced to paid work. Under present conditions some people have no access to paid work, others have too much, others are forced to work long hours simply to survive on low pay. It is perverse to force people into paid work and to make this the sole criterion for social inclusion when the supply of paid jobs is inadequate. A form of citizens income as a basic floor on which to build would liberate initiative. In some countries statutory reduction of working hours has been used as a job creating strategy.
• Work & Human Dignity. Christian traditions have placed a very high value on work and this has in some cases been used as a justification for compelling people to work. In too many cases the conditions and risks of work are a threat to human health (physical or mental). Such work does not enhance human dignity. The current policy emphasis on work as the key to inclusion can lead to people being forced to accept such bad jobs, as can the need to earn money simply to survive. On the other hand we have to avoid the danger of thinking that all jobs will be fulfilling and creative. The Biblical views about work are more realistic. There is a certain stubborn necessity to work, but there is also a strong emphasis on the limits to work (Sabbath), the necessity to combat excessive inequality (Jubilee), to provide for those who cannot work (widows and orphans) and to include the migrant.
• Work & Social Rights. In most contexts, the key to economic and social rights in society is a persons work record. Those with permanent full time employment have the best access to social and health care services, to social benefits and pensions. This is a perverse situation, when many do not have access to paid employment or who, because of their skill level, survive in a series of part-time or temporary and poorly remunerated jobs. A mix of basic or citizen’s income as a right and access to social, educational and health services is the basis for an economy that can promote work with dignity.
• Human Rights in a Performance Society. The advance of the performance society and economy creates more and more demands for flexibility and mobility, demands on life-style that affects personal and family life profoundly. The worker has to have an almost total loyalty to the employer, whilst in many cases no reciprocal loyalty is offered. One writer has described such a situation as corrosive of personality. The very concept of a performance society also generates social exclusion of those who cannot perform. This is especially so, if at the same time employment is seen as the only route to inclusion and other forms of participation are denied and welfare service drastically curtailed. The question of the form of social and economic rights in the ‘new’ Europe is a key challenge, in the face of the pressures of globalisation and EU enlargement.
• Responsibilities of Government & EU. The depth of recent economic change, related to globalisation and transition is being blamed for the erosion of social and economic rights and a worsening of wages and conditions for some workers and unemployed people. It is not correct to claim that government and the E.U. are somehow powerless against these trends. Important questions are raised here about the role of government and civil society. Governments are the traditional guarantors of social rights and a vast range of possibilities exist for reframing and enforcing rights in changing contexts. For example, it seems that the model of lifetime employment is becoming less and less the norm. People have to change jobs, move in and out of education and training, take leave to look after children. This reflects a mixture of the pressure of the labour market and the desire to have more control over working life and time. The existing labour law in Europe was formulated for the industrial era of manufacturing employment. The present economy has different needs of labour yet people also need security. Enterprises cannot offer that, so we need to explore new forms of social and economic contract, which combine flexibility with security, to the benefit of the citizen.

• Do these social ethical points relate to your situation? Which are the most important?
• Which other criteria are important for making a critique of the present situation and articulating new visions?

• Political Responsibility. Governments have a prime responsibility for ensuring that the conditions of work are not dehumanising and that policies are developed which prevent social exclusion. The European Union has an important function in setting the standards for European labour market policy and developing the benchmarks for good practice. In future these policies and benchmarks should be more widely drawn to encompass broader strategies for inclusion. This is an urgent issue because the persistence of very high levels of employment could lead to disaffection and violence as well as fuelling racism and xenophobia. There are already worrying signs that this trend is deepening in Europe.
• Civil Society, Public Debate. In view of the major changes in employment and work in the past 10 years, there is a need for much more public debate and discussion of the alternatives that could be open to address the growing problems. If the present policies are not able to create employment or encourage the creation of employment of sufficient quantity and quality, it is important to begin to discuss and implement alternatives. The E.U. seemed to open the door to this possibility in the middle of 1990’s but seems to have returned to a much more conventional approach to labour market issues. The churches could and should play a significant role in this debate, which could also link up with discussions about sustainability.
• Action and Advocacy with People Affected. In many places the churches and diaconal organisations have developed innovative projects at local level with people who are unemployed. This practical approach should be enhanced and linked to the civil dialogue mentioned above. As one of the few all Europe bodies involved directly in many places we have a unique contribution to make. On the other hand there is a tremendous need to build the capacity of the churches to act. In some countries with the largest problems there are few resources to work on this issue.

• Churches as Employers. In some cases, the churches themselves are major employers and in every case they should examine their own employment practices to ensure that the working conditions and remuneration can act as a model for the wider society. It is difficult to advocate other organisations to adopt good practices when they are not embodied in the life of the churches and their organisations.

• What are the most urgent needs for action in your context? How can churches and diaconal organisations work on these priorities with others?
• What support or training for working on these issues is needed in different countries or regions?
• What are the needs for action and advocacy on European level?

In the recent years voluntary as well as forced migration has changed the face of many European countries considerably. The issue of the common commitment to humanity and respect of human rights and the issue of cultural openness affects strongly also life and activities of Christian churches and Diaconia.

- Multicultural society:

In many European countries migratory movements caused a new ethic and cultural diversity, which led partly to tensions with the settled population. As migration was considered a temporary phenomenon there were no sufficient strategies to promote integration and co-operation of settlers and newcomers and to avoid social conflict and exclusion.

- Reception of refugees:

In the last decades the European countries closed increasingly the borders against refugees. The concept of safe third countries moved Central and Eastern European countries into the role of buffer states for refugees. A joint and solidly strategy of the European states towards war and civil war refugees in cases of mass influx is not yet established. Advocacy of churches and diaconical organisations has caused little effect in European politics.

- Ecumenical and inter-religious co-operation:

Emigration of Christians from other countries and different denominational and cultural character is an new challenge for settled churches, as patterns of co-operation are partly still missing. There is also littler experience of co-operation with people of other faiths, in particular with Muslims.

Increasing racism and xenophobia are alarming in many European countries. There are violent attacks and murders in the public as well as subtle discrimination and exclusion in every day life.

In many European countries the number of undocumented people has grow considerably. These people, in particular women, are threatened by discrimination and exploitation. As the economy makes good profit of undocumented there is beside boarder control little readiness to tackle this problem. Churches and Diaconia are increasingly aware of this issue.

The boarders between European states has been opened, but new barriers at the outer boarders of the community came into being. Many people enjoy the possibilities of mobility. The consciousness and the openness for boarder crossing co-operation didn’t grow in the same degree. This may be the reason for social tensions.

- Social and economical inequalities:

Social and economical inequalities are main causes for migratory movements not only from outside Europe but also between the European regions. A balance is necessary but only to realise in a medium term.

People flee because of violation of basic rights. On this account the prevention of conflicts and social tensions and the promotion of justice and democracy is a priority task.

Not only racism and xenophobia but also ethnic nationalism are rooted in multilateral grounds like social problems, disadvantages in life, violent stile of education, uncertainty in times of historical changes and ideological manipulation.

The regard of human life and the dignity of every person is rooted in biblical tradition. The perception of women and man as „images of god" are taken from the first report of the creation in the Bible (Genesis 1, 26f). From this tradition it was implemented into main documents of human rights and state constitutions. Christians are in particular sensitive and vigilant towards violations of human dignity.

In the Bible the strangers are especially protected by God. „You shouldn’t exploit a stranger. Surely you know how a stranger feels, as you have been yourself a stranger in Egypt." (Ex. 23, 9) The law of Gods people is put to the proof by the treatment of strangers and weak people. Following the Jewish tradition of hospitality, law of the stranger and integration Jesus and his disciples created the universal Christian commandment of love.

- Reconciled diversity:

As a world-wide community the Church exists in diversity. The growing number of Christian migrants in our countries challenges us towards ecumenical „unity in reconciled diversity", which has also to include the painful history of intolerance. The diversity of experiences of faith in the New Testament is the reason for the acknowledgement of the diversity of faiths and cultural traditions today. The gospel teaches us that national and cultural boarders are of less importance.

- Commitment to humanity and charity:

To stand for a culture of charity and humanity belongs to the basic tasks of churches and diaconical agencies in our societies. As migrant and refugees have no voices politically they are depending on assistance and advocacy not only by professional services but also by many volunteers.

Churches and Diaconical agencies can contribute that people are not forced to leave their country. The promotion of social justice, the rights of minorities and the combat against the violation of human rights are the most pressing issues.

In our countries is basic attitude of openness and hospitality is needed. Mainly Christians can contribute to this attitude. Professional services for migrants should be enhanced not reduced. Churches and diaconical agencies should stand for migrants in political and public discussion and decision making. Trafficking in people must be combated and assistance must be offered to victim (see Ecumenical Assembly Graz 1997). Undocumented migrants are in particular need of protection and help.

Living and working together with migrants should become a main task and a matter-of-course, because integration prevents xenophobia. Activities like Migrants Days or Weeks, initiatives against racism and xenophobia must be continued and enhanced. The ecumenical „Decade to Overcome Violence" can also contribute to this objective. Churches and diaconical agencies should plead for a national implementation of the EU legislative on anti-discrimination. The ecumenical co-operation with Christians and churches of other origin should be strengthened.

- European policy and legislation:

Together with other NGOs the churches and diaconical organisations should monitor the implementation of a European legislation on emigration and asylum. Talks with politicians should be continued and awareness building in the churches and beyond should be prioritised. The co-operation with Central and Eastern European countries should be enhanced and deepened in particular.

Joint position towards a European legislation are

> a common asylum law in line with the Geneva Refugee Convention,

> the right to family unification,

> common responsibility of European states to temporary protection of war and civil war refugees and

> legal protection and measures for legalising undocumented migrants.

In this working group we want to explore the European challenges as they are experienced in the local places where churches and diaconal organisations are active. The local is important. It is the place where we see the values of the society in operation, where we can also test the commitment to an inclusive society. But the local also is the place where effective action for change must be grounded. In the workshop we will share experience of the main issues affecting localities. Then we will analyse the main causes and the background to the issues uncovered. The third step will be theological and ethical reflection and finally we will look for visions and strategies to address the challenges. So far I have talked about localities. How far life in localities can be called ‘community life’ is an open question, which we will also explore.

Key Issues

Diaconia has to focus on the key issues that prevent localities from becoming sustainable communities. This means working with those ‘Forgotten People in Forgotten Places’ who do not make the headlines, but whose stories reflect back the underlying values of our economies and societies. The paragraphs below give a brief sketch of some of the main problems and their consequences. But we should begin by recognising that it is by such forgotten people in forgotten places that so many creative initiatives are developed. The ability to resist and to find new ways not only to survive and to press for change are part of the hope for the future and are a cause for celebration. Diaconal work has to start not with the ‘arithmetic of woe’ but in the public space, with the lives and stories of people, with their own skills, capacities and understandings.

The concrete problems vary from situation, from rural to urban areas. Objectively we are speaking about areas which as suffering the impacts of growing poverty and inequality. So much so that in many areas even basic survival needs cannot be guaranteed. This is not only associated with unemployment. In some cases people are earning their poverty. In others people are working for no pay, in an attempt to keep their factory, their only means of support functioning. Many work without contracts and without legal protection for health, welfare and pensions – let alone for the accidents which happen in the workplace. Financial pressure is so great that people are often unable to manage the competing demands of rents and energy costs – in some cases two incomes are hardly sufficient to cover these basics. This kind of tragic situation is becoming normal life in many European localities. In some old industrial areas, three generations have lived through the experience of ‘unemployment as normal’.

The consequences are many – people leave to other areas and countries, people move from the countryside to the city. There are internal and external ‘brain drains’ which further diminish the chances for sustainability. Homelessness is growing and those facing other challenges such as mental or physical disability often find themselves even more excluded. There is growing violence, alcoholism and substance abuse. Such situations are breeding grounds for all kinds of sectarianism, extremism and fundamentalism. In the absence of a functioning economy, the lower levels of many informal and non-legal economies are rising up, networked to international criminal groups. There is a growth in trafficking of people into and out of such areas.

It is important also to recognise the very different experiences of life in the same area. Women, tend to suffer double exploitation – in the labour market where their pay and conditions are worse than those for men and at home where they are mainly responsible for the household economy and for family work. Poverty is increasingly an issue of women and children in the European context. Also, many cities which have major structural economic problems are the home to people who have migrated from even more difficult places in search of a chance to survive. So there is also growing racism and xenophobia, not only among white people within such areas, but also from people living in mainly white areas that feel threatened.

• What is your starting point for understanding the reasons why communities are not sustainable?
• What are the most important issues and experiences that have to be faced in your region or locality?

Just as it is tempting but misleading to only see ‘people as problems’ in areas where there is poverty and exclusion, it is also tempting and misleading to see the causes of problems located where the symptoms of hurt appear. The causes of poverty and unsustainability can be traced to the major changes that have affected Europe in recent years.

1. In western Europe the main reason why there are areas marked by poverty and social exclusion is the impact of economic change. In some cases it is structural economic change caused by changes in technology or political policy. In other cases it is the impact of economic cycles in the short term, which are not correctly addressed. The reason for the growth of poverty and exclusion in central and eastern Europe is the impact of the ‘transition’ process, which has had devastating consequences on many rural and urban regions. For example privatisation led to the liquidation or loss of many economic assets and the overseas flight of the capital they represented. Rural areas and old industrial areas are affected everywhere to a greater or lesser extent.

But structural economic change and the transition from central planning have also taken place under the specific conditions of globalisation and the impact of neo-liberalism on market policies. This has had a number of important consequences:

• not only has poverty, including absolute poverty, increased, this has happened in the context of growing inequality. In some countries there is almost no (economic) middle class. In some western countries inequality is now greater than at any time since the mid-nineteenth century
• local markets, which were weak, labour intensive or poorly developed have been heavily impacted by goods and services from outside, with little possibility for protection during transition. For example subsidised agricultural production from western Europe agribusiness, which quickly penetrated eastern Europe, has been one cause of the inability of rural sustainable communities to emerge in so many situations. Narrow criteria of financial viability have destroyed many enterprises that offered the base from which a sustainable economic future could have been developed.
• social systems, education and health care have in some cases been privatised without the recognition that advanced economies need such fully functioning systems to flourish and develop. In the most successful economies in Europe the social state is not shrinking (even though precise functions and allocations may be changing). The neo-liberal ideology tends to ignore such realities and if applied in transition economies this can be disastrous, short and long-term
• the impact of financially driven policies has transformed cities, often eradicating public space, squeezing out poor communities and creating new enclaves of affluent and rich people and related infrastructures.

2. As at other times of major economic change, one of the causes of the present flow of migrants is the chronic economic problems, not only of localities but also of regions. In some cases the instability has also led to war and civil conflict. Ironically in a period of history when freedom is celebrated, freedom to move for the many is curtailed with severe political and military action. Many countries are both recipients of migrants and countries of migration. This is the subject of another theme group but it is an important factor to address in the search for sustainability.

3. When we look to the creation of sustainable communities one of the key challenges is the issue of racism, because the localities which can find the ways to face up to the reality of society in diversity will be sustainable in the longer term. We use the term ‘society in diversity’ in distinction from the more usual multicultural society. It is important to face up to the fact that culture and religion are linked to experiences of injustice and oppression and represent ways to resist or support transformations of unjust or oppressive situations. Therefore the strategies we adopt must be based on the struggle for justice and against racism which is a public matter deeply connected to citizenship, democracy and sustainability

There are three other ways of analysing and addressing this issue, which are mainly developed by white society. The first is that of the multi-cultural society (multiculturalism), which is based on the notion that culture is essentially a private business and which ascribes identities to specific ‘other’ groups which are given and static (such as values, precepts, religious beliefs). There follows a kind of ‘free-market toleration’ of cultural flows and This is reflected in an interest in enjoying consumer experiences from the 'other’ cultures. Multiculturalism tends to ignore the questions of power, ascribed to different cultures and to detach citizenship and human rights from a person’s religious or cultural identity. Identity may be partly constructed and chosen but there is no total freedom of cultural choice! Multiculturalism is strongly committed to exchange of information and experience. It is not interested in the role of culture and religion either as a means of resistance, or as part of the search for alternatives in the public realm. A second option is multi-communitarianism, which represents the idea that each group has its own internally validated cultural identity and the main value is the cultural purity of the group itself. There is no specific interest in dialogue with other cultures or religions. From this point of view the main thing is to live side by side, peaceably with each group cultivating its own ethos and purity. The third option is that of the racist or ethnic purist, which is gaining support for a variety of reasons when economic insecurity is increasing. There are different dynamics in different regions of Europe. In some cases such ideas of purity have arisen in situations of economic collapse. In other cases they have been revived at a time of economic and social anxiety. It is easy to put all the blame for such insecurity on the alleged defence of a ‘white community identity’ against foreigners and people of colour. It is not unusual in political discussion to find the ‘war against crime’ mixed into a discussion about migration. Its only a short step to infer a two faced threat of a foreign influx and rising crime.

The basic position is clear - racism, which is to be found in every part of life and in every institution, has to be named, confessed and combated. This is the foundation of sustainable community. Following from that it is important to develop the communication, which can allow the formation of a society in diversity. From the perspective of central, eastern & southern Europe is also important to note that in the recent past Europeans have lost the capacity to learn from the many hidden and lost histories of Europe. In spite of all the known conflicts, there are remarkable histories of many cultures living side by side across Europe with relatively little conflict. It seems that this has been almost entirely forgotten in the fundamentalist resurgence of the past decade. It could be that here there are resources for the future on which Europe now can learn.

• Are there important analytical factors that should be added to this section from your point of view?
• How do you analyse the connections between your local situation and the wider structural changes in Europe? How are these changes reflected in the biographies of those with whom you work?
• How do you face the challenge of ‘society in diversity’

So far, this paper did not address the question of sustainability from the point of view of the environment and ecology. Our priority is the people of a locality and the building up of a sustainable community, economically, socially and culturally. The first question has to be the people and the communication between them. Then come the concrete issues related to the economy, political structures, the environment and culture. The attitude to the environment should come from a desire to see people and communities flourish. This has repercussions for work and for politics and democracy.

The starting point for our consideration is that those who are the poor, ‘the least’ are the centre of concern because in the treatment of the poor, the children, the elderly, and the stranger you find revealed the true values and priorities of the society. It is not what the leaders and opinion formers articulate as the values and priorities, which is our guideline, but the concrete situation of the people. And when we look to theological tradition we also find that there is an emphasis on inclusive justice for the poor and of sharing and jubilee as a means to restore justice. In our analysis we saw the structural causes of personal and community problems and we have to find ways of addressing structural sin. This is also a factor related to the criminalising of poor people through discriminatory laws or laws which criminalise certain behaviours.

Two issues underlie the threat to sustainability – consumerism and the way in which so much of our life is commodified, shopping eats time and blocks communication. It also fuels demands for more and more consumer goods and novel products and experiences. When we look even to Europe, we see that such a high level of consumerism as is found in some regions could not sustainable be transferred to the whole of Europe let alone the whole world. So if poor areas are to become sustainable it means affluent people and areas will have to change.

We also have to analyse the impact of existing church and diaconal models in fostering sustainable local communities and economies. There is a growing trend of borrowing ideas for project development and management from government and secular agencies, without due regard for the different priorities which may emerge in different local situations, or the different time-scales which may affect sustainable development in each place (the time of the street). Too often, project models have been quickly imposed which also turn out to be unsustainable. These dynamics maybe more clearly seen in international work, but maybe they also affect local work.

Perhaps we have to criticise the ‘project mentality’ because of its incomplete understanding of accountability. If we take the inclusive approach to diaconia, not seeing it as a ‘department’ or function of the church but a defining mark of the church, it cannot be reduced to a classic project format. First of all it will affect all aspects of the life of the church as concrete needs are placed in the centre of liturgy, service, theology, decision making. Secondly, the starting point for a diaconal church will be in the ‘street’, the ‘public space’ and the theological conversation will be with those who are the forgotten people. In this way the church will become one of the ‘spaces of hope’ in the locality.

I have raised a question about the use of the word community, which may be too restrictive in areas where we see the big need for communication between people – and where the church community may be introverted. Community points us more in the direction of roots, but conviviality in the direction of open communication. Therefore ‘conviviality’ is a useful alternative, related to the idea of living together and sharing common food and creating special occasions out of the mundane materials of life, to celebrate together. But ‘conviviality’ can also be used in relation to the recognition of the variety of ways in which people make and remake their world. It is a critique of all forms of work, which deny humanity or which degrade other living things and the environment. You could say movements do not move without conviviality, including of course the basic idea of eating and drinking and celebrating together. This idea is a challenge to the values of the dominant society, which are reflected in individualism and acquisitiveness and it invites people into a new ethic of sharing without coercion.

• Which of these theological or social ethical issues are most important in your understanding of diaconia, in relation to building sustainable community? Which others?
• How do you see the possibilities for conviviality in your work?

If diaconia is not an extra for the church, but essential to it, the church will always be working in the ‘fractures’, the breaks, the points of hurt and disturbance. The starting point is usually the church or diaconal institution. If that is so, then every person, situation is already defined from within the church or diaconal institution. Forgotten people are already being defined and named by the church and diaconial organisations before they are encountered. This is dangerous and counter-productive. The vision of diaconia is based on communication, first of all seeing and hearing. But seeing and hearing in the street, the public space. Communication in the public space. Looking not through the eyes of professional leadership, but through the eyes of the ‘invisible inhabitants’, the forgotten people. It is through such horizontal communication that situations are named and meaning is given. It is through such communication the knowledge is developed. Aside from such communication there is only speculation or imposed solution. The vision of conviviality presupposes communication and that is a risky business! But on the basis of this communication process many concrete actions can be developed. This communication in the public space will also have implications for liturgy, theology and sacrament, as they will be transformed.

It is important to recognise the centrality of biography, of life story. This is especially so if we want to work with society in diversity. The starting point is the need to treat every history, religion, and culture of the people in a locality with the same respect. These factors of religion, culture and history have the right of existence when they serve humanity and justice. But whereas multiculturalism somehow views all cultures as being on a similar level and somehow internally complete, what we find in reality is that cultures and religions evolve in local circumstances as responses often to oppression. Therefore we have to raise up the reality of the suffering, injustice and exclusion that certain cultures and religions in our localities express. It is a travesty simply to see these as ‘culturally interesting’ rather than to somehow be in solidarity with people as they seek justice and participation in the public space. Such a process will also change the Christian community, the diaconal organisation whose members participate in the communication, the action.

Starting with communication and continuing with communication means that diaconal action is a part of the development of civil society and so is contributing to building up and renewing democracy, to building up shared values and traditions. There will be a process of empowerment that will lead to engagement with political structures, the creation of new social, economic and cultural initiatives, resistance, campaigns, and alternatives. The preferred organisational form will be the network because in a network, people freely participate and no one is coerced. This also has implications for the structures of the churches and diaconia. No one denies the need for institutions but to build sustainable localities, institutions first have to be transcended. They can be useful servants and tools but they too can be transformed and become themselves convivial in this process.

• How do you evaluate the idea that diaconia is about communication and that it has to start outside the church or institution, in the ‘public space’?
• What resources, training and networking are needed to support this concept of diaconia?

I Privatization must not become social selection

The trend is obvious. Social services including initiatives of the churches are more and more involved in economical competition. Even services dealing with people are subject to the laws of supply and demand. The state retires from its responsibilities and the tendency towards privatization in the field of health care and social services is growing.

Expanding merchandization could mean better chances, more participation. But expanding merchandization can also mean increasing marginalization and commercialization of services. Diaconia has made the experience that privatization of life risks is only partly feasible. The powers of the individual and of the market are not sufficiently capable of meeting the risks of life which people are exposed to. A great majority of people is not able to take preventive measures against sickness, handicaps, old age or unemployment. The process of opening social service to the market or reduction to the lowest level hits those people worst who have no financial resources for preventive measures against risks. The remedy of commercialization of social services leads to a selective society. Therefore it is necessary to care for European standards in order to prevent migration to escape poverty. The consequences of globalization have reached Europe. The wealth of few must not feed from the poverty of many. More globalization shall mean: more social justice.

II Empowerment of Christianity in public

The trend towards privatization has also reached religion. Diaconical institutions, initiativs, deacons and deaconesses are living and working in a secular, atheistic environment. However, Diaconia also means to live Christianity in public. Thus the motivation to social activities, the development of a culture of compassion and sympathy, of courage and commitment is a public issue which must concern everyone to prevent privatization of faith and social motivation.

Therefore we need an eloquent and competent diaconical work which is willing to engage in fighting for the truth. It is the sign of a church willing to grow, willing to accept the challenges of people searching for orientation.

III Increasing significance of social services

The significance of social services is growing and makes new demands on the social network and its development. This process is also due to a greater mobility and individualization, to the situation of families and children and to still existing unemployment. The importance of neighbourly assistance of families as well as the importance of Christian communities and social networks is also increasing.

We need guidelines for competent services which represent a promise of Christian hope, spirituality of solidarity and the community of the reconciled.

• Places to live for children or for people with handicaps whose dignity and right to

• Places of reconsideration and renewal, in which people have a chance to change and become aware of their fellowmen and women and their anxieties, in which people needing advice will find people prepared to share their life’s experience. Places in which people with the help of bible and church services can have their own experience.

• Places of brotherly/sisterly love, where indifference and coldness are out but solidarity towards and among each other can be found and practised, places where attention is extended to those who are ill and confused.

• Places where living in hope is possible. Space of freedom. Freedom and obligation. Self development and obligations are not opposites. Space for voluntary involvement and a chance to help shaping society. Place for encouragement in which a vision can be searched and found for a purposeful structuring of communal life, a place in which one can ask: what best serves life. Places of permanence and a form of living together which ensures time to live. Places of dependability, a union in service built on trust in which forgiveness has a meaning. A place for the protection of those who need care, a place not to be sacrificed for a presumed autonomy or even less to economical consideration.

• How can people find protection, attention and care?

• How should social and cultural infrastructures be organized?
• How should we be involved in the process of identification of relevant indicators of social reality of people.

Care should be taken to avoid marginalization not only in the field of social services but also by the quality of soical life. Central to Diaconia is the intention to work with rather than for people, aiming for empowerment and tranformation. Competition should be controlled, voluntary work should be promoted and the issue of our work should always