EUSODA networking the social field
10 October 2004 - 10 October 2004
Austria
The exchange of concepts, ideas, experiences and co-operation throughout Europe is increasingly gaining in significance for professionals such as social workers, social scientists and others. EU programmes constitute an important material and intellectual basis for developing and testing methodological, interdisciplinary innovations in the social field.
This opportunity should be accessible not only to a few individual experts, but also to those active in the social field on all levels and in all sectors. Identifying the right partners for the right issues represents one of the programmatic objectives of the ongoing project for a European Social Database EUSODA.
This project aims at linking local and regional databases on social services, facilities, inititiatives and programmes the social resources of society under a common European internet portal. The system is multilingual, offers local and European search terms, enables enquiries via leading issues and is connected to the homepages of all the social facilities of the participating cities and regions.
Currently, city administrations, private companies and NGOs from Berlin, Bologna, Huelva (Spain), Lisbon and Vienna are co-operating to create this European network. Further partners are welcome to join.,The EU project was just completed in end of September 2004, but the European-wide database network is to be continuously expanded and updated in the future.
At present European co-operation in the social field mainly takes the form of developing recommendations on common quality criteria and comparing examples of good practice. If these processes are to be determined by the challenges of daily practice, it is important to include and address as many practitioners and clients as possible. The social database will facilitate social, political and administrative institutions in identifying and contacting experts on all levels.
In a period of increasing demands on the health and social fields in conjunction with stagnating social budgets, the database houses considerable potential to sustain the effectiveness and quality of social work. Information structured and grouped according to subject provides users with signposts through the jungle of the instutional landscape. Contexts and cross-references can be established across the borders of organizations and responsibilities, a further prime objective of the project.,Moreover, the database offers an electronic tool for generating compendia on issues such as old age, disability, migration etc.
The EU has set itself the aim of ensuring the access for all citizens, including disadvantaged groups, to the information society, especially to the internet.,Access implies both technical preconditions and content. The European Social Database will facilitate access to relevant data and information for solving social problems. Clarity, state of the art and quality of the information offered are of the utmost importance. In designing the search functions special emphasis has been placed on user-friendliness, particularly for persons with disabilities.
Citizens can themselves obtain an overview of offers available, have the contact details of the facilities at their fingertips and can request further information material via the internet or can contact the institution concerned directly: an opportunity for self-empowerment and equality of opportunity for all despite all diversity.,If persons with special needs wish to travel to another European country, they can obtain information at home in the language of their preference on offers available there.
It goes without saying that a database cannot replace counselling. Nevertheless, it provides useful and important support for counselling, as is proven every day by the local forerunners www.sozialinfo.wien.at with 5,000 to 6,000 pagehits daily or the Berlin database www.deusoda.de.
Social scientists can utilize the data as a basis for field work. It is also envisaged to link the database to scientific studies so as to bring scholarship and practice closer together.
Currently, the value of services of general interest for social cohesion is under discussion. Social provisions are components of services of general interest. Hence they are the objects of social responsibility, whether they are provided by private or public organizations.,Furnishing citizens with these services at fair and reasonable prices must continue to have priority over liberalization and commercialization in the future.,The European Social Database offers social facilities a platform across borders and languages. So their significance for social co-existence will be anchored in public awareness.
More information on: http://www.eusoda.net(opens in new window)
This opportunity should be accessible not only to a few individual experts, but also to those active in the social field on all levels and in all sectors. Identifying the right partners for the right issues represents one of the programmatic objectives of the ongoing project for a European Social Database EUSODA.
This project aims at linking local and regional databases on social services, facilities, inititiatives and programmes the social resources of society under a common European internet portal. The system is multilingual, offers local and European search terms, enables enquiries via leading issues and is connected to the homepages of all the social facilities of the participating cities and regions.
Currently, city administrations, private companies and NGOs from Berlin, Bologna, Huelva (Spain), Lisbon and Vienna are co-operating to create this European network. Further partners are welcome to join.,The EU project was just completed in end of September 2004, but the European-wide database network is to be continuously expanded and updated in the future.
At present European co-operation in the social field mainly takes the form of developing recommendations on common quality criteria and comparing examples of good practice. If these processes are to be determined by the challenges of daily practice, it is important to include and address as many practitioners and clients as possible. The social database will facilitate social, political and administrative institutions in identifying and contacting experts on all levels.
In a period of increasing demands on the health and social fields in conjunction with stagnating social budgets, the database houses considerable potential to sustain the effectiveness and quality of social work. Information structured and grouped according to subject provides users with signposts through the jungle of the instutional landscape. Contexts and cross-references can be established across the borders of organizations and responsibilities, a further prime objective of the project.,Moreover, the database offers an electronic tool for generating compendia on issues such as old age, disability, migration etc.
The EU has set itself the aim of ensuring the access for all citizens, including disadvantaged groups, to the information society, especially to the internet.,Access implies both technical preconditions and content. The European Social Database will facilitate access to relevant data and information for solving social problems. Clarity, state of the art and quality of the information offered are of the utmost importance. In designing the search functions special emphasis has been placed on user-friendliness, particularly for persons with disabilities.
Citizens can themselves obtain an overview of offers available, have the contact details of the facilities at their fingertips and can request further information material via the internet or can contact the institution concerned directly: an opportunity for self-empowerment and equality of opportunity for all despite all diversity.,If persons with special needs wish to travel to another European country, they can obtain information at home in the language of their preference on offers available there.
It goes without saying that a database cannot replace counselling. Nevertheless, it provides useful and important support for counselling, as is proven every day by the local forerunners www.sozialinfo.wien.at with 5,000 to 6,000 pagehits daily or the Berlin database www.deusoda.de.
Social scientists can utilize the data as a basis for field work. It is also envisaged to link the database to scientific studies so as to bring scholarship and practice closer together.
Currently, the value of services of general interest for social cohesion is under discussion. Social provisions are components of services of general interest. Hence they are the objects of social responsibility, whether they are provided by private or public organizations.,Furnishing citizens with these services at fair and reasonable prices must continue to have priority over liberalization and commercialization in the future.,The European Social Database offers social facilities a platform across borders and languages. So their significance for social co-existence will be anchored in public awareness.
More information on: http://www.eusoda.net(opens in new window)