Building a Network to Boost Socially Secure Europe
“Building a Network to Boost Socially Secure Europe” (BOSS) is Erasmus+ strategic partnership project (2020-1-LV01-KA204-077474) which will be implemented over a 22-month period by ten non-governmental organisations from European countries - Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Italy, Cyprus and Romania.
BOSS partners have established a quality framework for fighting against poverty and social exclusion. They are familiar with the needs of target groups and have an understanding of gender equality issues. However, the influence of these organisations regarding the promotion of social security across Europe is insufficient due to the lack of a strengthened cooperation network. The poverty reduction target through the social inclusion policies of the European Strategy 2020 and the national reform programs has not been achieved. The leading staff from the BOSS project organisations have the need for the new knowledge and understanding in the field of social inclusion related to the new targets set in the European Union, which are reflected in the Annual Convention "Social Europe post 2020", European Pillar of Social Rights, Agenda 2030, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, Nordic and national programs.
Partners have set the following objectives:
1) to establish a cooperation network of European organizations for the promotion of social security and to strategically strengthen the capacity of this network;
2) to promote the BOSS partners’, stakeholders’, the non-governmental sector’s and the general public’s understanding of the BOSS network’s tasks by ensuring the availability of relevant information;
3) to increase the knowledge of BOSS partner organizations’ employees and volunteer leaders about the social inclusion strategies;
4) to ensure the exchange of experience for the BOSS partner organizations’ employees and volunteers on the possibilities of implementing social rights and gender equality.
BOSS network will involve a direct target group - at least 62 employees (project managers, experts, board members, etc., 50% of all - women), and also an indirect target group - at least 20 participants from Cypriot NGOs. Partners planned to implement the following activities:
1) four Transnational Project Meetings (Project Opening Conference and a Workshop in Cyprus, two BOSS Capacity Building in Italy and Sweden, one Evaluation Meeting in Estonia);
2) six short-term joint staff training events (two seminars on awareness and strategies for social inclusion in France and Latvia; four exchange of experience events in ensuring social rights in Norway, Poland, Denmark and Romania).
Project results:
1) a cooperation network of ten European NGOs will be established in order to promote social security in Europe;
2) previous experiences and recommendations for increasing the capacity of the BOSS Network will be summarized;
3) the understanding of the BOSS Network’s objectives will be promoted for ten project partners and at least 2000 stakeholders;
4) 18 NGO employees will have the increased awareness and knowledge of social inclusion, social rights and gender equality;
5) 44 NGO employees will have increased knowledge and improved practical experience on the implementation of the basic principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Impact:
BOSS project will influence the social security policy at both national and European level and direct it towards reducing poverty and social exclusion through the establishment of a European cooperation network of NGOs, the growth of partners and staff from these NGOs, and through raising the stakeholders’ awareness of the BOSS Network's objectives.
Long-term benefits:
1. The availability of the partners' informative summaries on social security in European countries;
2. Improved knowledge of the ten partner organizations’ employees on social inclusion and the implementation of the basic principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights;
3. Improved motivation of the BOSS network’s members and opportunities to develop new adult education projects in the field of social inclusion and gender equality.
Coordinator: EAPN-Latvia (Latvia)
Partners:
EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE (Estonia)
Stowarzyszenie "VESUVIO" (Poland)
Be - Creative association (Sweden)
Interfolk, Institut for Civilsamfund (Denmark)
MITRA FRANCE (France)
Coordinamento Toscano Marginalità (Italy)
SOSIALISTIKI GINAIKIA KINISIS (Cyprus)
A sociatia Novapolis – Centrul de Analize si initiative pentru dezvoltare (Romania)
Velferdsalliansen EAPN-Norway (Norway)
Video of the online conference organised by CYPRUS SWM. May 25, 2021.
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This project has been founded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
