Participation

The french way

Michel LEGROSNational school of public healthNational Observatory on poverty and social exclusion

May 2004

We hav’nt petroleumbut we have so many ideas !

(Advertising in the 70’s)

• A very low level participation

• But

• Many discussions about it

A question of political philosophy

• 18 th century : the concept of representative democracy with elected representatives embodying the will of the people

• The common law, the general interest against private or specific interests

• In the earlier 20 th, a law allowed the creation of NGO : « « association » and not NGO…

• The second half of the century has brought with the idea of an organised partnership: elected représentatives, professionnal, trade-union and NGO

• A spontaneous democracy sustained by day-to-day practical relations between social workers, NGO…

Political references …

• 1789 : freedom, equality and fraternity

• Constitutions : 1789-1791…1946…1958 : rights-based fundamenta texts

• gender equality• right to job• right to health care • right to assistance ( if no job, for family, old people, disabled

people)

….against participation

• Firstly, the law

• Egality as a global project

• Community is not the answer, for us it’s the problem

Let’s participate, a curious order !

• You have no money

• You are powerless

• You are homeless

• You are jobseeker

• But you have to participate

Everyone participates ? Poverty line

0

5

10

15

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25

seuil 40 % seuil 50 % seuil 60 % seuil 70 %

2,3

6,1

12,4

20,8

citizenship

The two models of participation

• From the top to the grown

• From the grown

From the top to the grown : the administrative participation

Six forms

1 -The right to be kept informed

• All the documents must be available to the public (no unknown files)

• Nobody can use information about you without your permission

• Some global advertising about the poor rights (call the 115, in case of problem…)

• Social worker training strongly emphaze this issue

2 -Participation throught representative democracy

• Except for the very poor – many electives surveys- shows there is no important lack of participation of poor people in the elections at local or national level

• At local level the activities of municipal councils are often backed up by the work of extra municipal commitees – NGO, social workers, group of poor suburds unhabitants

3 - Some legislation requires that poor people be enabled to participate prior

decision making

• Since 2002, in every public or private organizations receiving children in social desease, poor, desabled,old people , a user council must be build up,

• This council have to be informed on the management of the institution

4 -Users participation in management bodies

• Relating to housing issues or health organizations, it’s possible to have a tripartite management bodies in which elected members, the workforce and users-unhabitants- are represented

5 -When poors become involved for the quality and the

performance of the service

• Many surveys to measure the quality and the effectivness of the service provided

• Nealy a commercial basis

• Use of citizen panels

6 -Complaints procedures

• The minimum degree of poor participation

• This mecanism still plays an important role in the modus operandi of local government, hospital institutions….

• Until recently the principal means by which many services kept in touch with citizens ( a problem: pour people have less complaints than other people)

The participation bottom - up

3 main forms

and

some experimentations

Local development

• Use in small poor rural areas

• business and economic approaches linked with social and cultural actions

• To involve different stakeholders in building up together a better way of life ( reducing unemployement,…)

• Many exemples can be look at in britanny, in the north…

Hidden community approach

• We don’t use community approach but in many areas- Urbain areas marked by exclusion - what to do ?

• Create organizations with similar people belonging to « ethnic » groups

• Give monney to help local organizations

• Pay members of these groups to protect the public services (elderly brothers)

The participation as a fight

• When trades unions promote higher wages or better way of life…minimum wage is probably one of the better tool to tackle poverty

• During the 4 last years, very offensive NGO appear in France: « rights for housing », « Job seekers rights»…they achieved to modify the the law for the job-seekers benefit

• Between fighting and advocacy (build political and popular support to affect policies)

A specific NGO

• The partnership with the poor is the main project of a NGO called « ATD »

• To help the poor to organize themself : promoting library, university of poor : people – poor and not poor- share knowledge

• Recently, in Lyon,ATD was experienced new poverty indicators with poors

Communal councils for social action

• Such a council in every town :its aim is to organize and promote social action -

• the first survey in 2003 on the subject of participation : how to emphasize participation ? Can we identify good practices ?

Participation in the last Nap Incl

• Toward a survey of good practices

• The participation clause in the contracts between State and NGO

• More money for experimentations new forms of participation

At the end..

• Some sectors attracts political discussions, other are the subject of general indifference : town planing and health policies – fight against poverty

• Consultation and formal democracy more than participation

• Participation is a way to share power, do we want to share ?

• Some exemples are interesting to look at..• Is it possible to promote a higher level of

participation in a non community-based society ?

At the very end..

• Is participation a tool or the goal ?

• When we examine the « new governance » process : three main principles :

• Transparency• Accountability• participation

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Cela donne le coup de pouce nécessaire pour s’en sort ir

Cela risque d’inciter les gens à s’en contenter et à ne pas chercher de t ravail

When public opinion becomes hard and hard