One of IYPF’s members, Mercy Akongo, has been a participant in a process seeking to operationalise the idea of a ‘society for all’ in to practical activities that support social integration and reduce social exclusion.

The process was initiated in early 2005 by the Division for Social Policy and Development within the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

It takes the notion of a ‘society for all’ outlined in the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration adopted by the World Summit for Social Development, and seeks to provide guidelines and recommendations on how this can be implemented.

An initial background paper was released in April 2005, followed by a workshop in July 2005 on “Towards an Inclusive Society: Shaping the Policy Process” held in New York.

From the July 2005 workshop, a discussion paper has been released by DESA called “Inclusive Policy Processes”. The abstract is below.

Mercy is calling for members of the IYPF community to read and comment on the Discussion Paper, providing their ideas on how to go about aching a society for all.

To download the Discussion Paper, go here.
http://www.iypf.org/Downloads/Inclusive_Policy_Processes_Discussion_paper_November_2005.doc

E-mail your comments on the paper to Mercy Akongo via mercy.akongo@tido.or.ug.

Here is the abstract

Over the centuries, various social and political theorists have grappled with the notion of making societies more inclusive. At the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, Governments committed themselves to eliminate social exclusion and foster the creation of a ‘society for all’. Ten years on, numerous individuals remain voiceless and largely excluded from the policy-making process. Community disengagement appears to be growing at a time when the public is frequently disillusioned with governments. Countless forms of exclusion remain, while politicians seemingly struggle to find appropriate measures that could eliminate social exclusion. This paper introduces the notion of inclusive policy processes, whereby Governments proactively seek the views of citizens in their decision-making. It discusses the three functional areas that need to be addressed for its implementation – regulatory framework, participatory methods and monitoring tools – and the benefits to society and policymakers. By ensuring that all members are involved throughout the decision-making process, inclusive policy processes have the potential for positive externalities that could improve social outcomes, help to eliminate social exclusion and be seen as an initial step towards a ‘society for all’.