On the weekend of June 23-25, 2023, 27 representatives of workers’ organisations from Austria, Germany, South Tyrol/Italy, and Switzerland (as guests) came to Bolzano (South Tyrol, Italy) for the seminar “Social Security – A Foundation for Peace and Democracy” together. The seminar was organised by the Competence Centre International Education of the KAB Germany based in the Könzgen Haus (Haltern am See) together with the Catholic Association of Workers (KVW) in South Tyrol, supported by EZA and funded by the European Union. The participants got an idea of the current situation of social security in Europe and considered together how they can strengthen social security and democracy in Europe.
The point of departure for the considerations was the remarks made by the Vice President of the National Institute for Social Welfare (INPS) in Italy, Luisa Gnecchi. She gave an empirical overview of the situation in Italy and especially in South Tyrol. The continuing high inequality between the sexes regarding salaries, pensions and domestic care work became particularly clear, as did the increased need for social security in the aftermath of the pandemic. How are politicians and civil society dealing with the situation? This question was discussed at a prominent public evening panel. Under the title "Welfare state and/or solidarity from below?" spoke representatives: inside different political levels (Regional Councillor Waltraud Deeg and EU Parliamentarian Herbert Dorfmann) with a time journalist (Ulrich Ladurner) and civil society activists (Magdalena Amonn from Dormizil Bolzano and KVW Chairman Werner Steiner) with the moderator Karl Brunner (Co -President of the European KAB). Regarding the interaction between politics and civil society, Amonn got to the point: It is good that voluntary initiatives are supported and made possible, but the state should not delegate any welfare state tasks to volunteers.
In the further course of the seminar, the participants got to know the House of Solidarity, which positions itself confidently in this area of conflict with the state: The house for accommodating homeless people is financed purely by donations and in this way remains autonomous, so that it can develop new concepts independently beyond narrow specifications. Niklas Klinge, who comes from Münster, works in the House of Solidarity, and gives an impressive account of how various problem areas intersect when it comes to housing. Residents come to the House of Solidarity for a variety of reasons, such as unemployment, flight, and divorce. The prices for living are so high that many cannot afford an apartment. Other residents, on the other hand, earn enough money to pay rent but are not given a place to sleep due to the colour of their skin. The House of Solidarity gives them the opportunity to find accommodation for one to one and a half years and then supports them in finding a place to stay in South Tyrol. A participant from Mönchengladbach said spontaneously that she would take the ideas with her, because a church in Mönchengladbach was about to be rededicated. Maybe something similar could be built there?
The House of Solidarity also works to counteract prejudice and racism in Brixen, for example by organising a large annual festival for people in the city and beyond. In doing so, they set a counterpoint to right-wing populist strategies that the seminar participants had previously dealt with. The economist and cultural scientist Walter Ötsch made it clear that right-wing populist rhetoric constructs a world view that gives those addressed the opportunity to feel that they are part of a superior group that is sharply differentiated from a devalued, in extreme cases dehumanized group. For the strategies of the movements represented, he raised the question of which worldviews are conveyed in their communication and how these dock with the worldviews of those addressed. The festival in the House of Solidarity is possibly an example of how bonds with particularly vulnerable people can be established or made visible.
In the concluding contribution, the theologian Michaela Quast-Neulinger suggested vulnerability as a central motif for the socio-ethical orientation of the Catholic workers' movements. Because on the one hand all people are vulnerable, on the other hand some people are more vulnerable than others (e.g., those who work precariously) in the world of work. A society that denies vulnerability can be accompanied by a lack of empathy. On the other hand, a society in which the vulnerability of all people is recognised and a way of dealing with it is found, could strengthen mutual solidarity and be the foundation for a pluralistic democracy.
The committed participants will pass on the suggestions to their local organisations and partly develop common positions within the framework of the European KAB.