On September 20th, a summit of European leaders takes place in Salzburg. Following the guiding principles of their policies, the ÖVP-FPÖ government has chosen the taglines “domestic security“ and “combating illegal migration“. Therefore, there is an emphasis on the planned sealing-off of Europe against undesired people and the intensification of social control and disciplining.

The basic attitude of the political activities and undertakings of the conservative and reactionary ÖVP-FPÖ government is the demolition of sociopolitical achievements in the fields of education, health, social security and democratic participation. They do everything they can to comply with the wishes of industry and financial economy.

Thus Austria highlights issues also emphasised by the European Union, which pursues broadly similar aims. To fuel capital appropriation, which has stagnated over the last few years, the European Union – along with the national governments – has taken more and more antisocial measures: It tries to make working times longer and more flexible, to intensify competition between wage-dependent people and to re-design social insurances in a way, so that they become profitable investments for financial companies. Instead of further developing fundamental rights, they cater to financial interests and at that accept the destruction of the already damaged environment in Europe and the rest of the world.

We oppose such policies and demand social, solidary and ecological initiatives:

• Social and political rights for people in Europe and elsewhere have to be ensured
• Peace and disarmament have to be ensured
• Legal ways for flight and migration have to be created, and the integration of people seeking protection has to be promoted
• Living wages and fair transfer-services guaranteeing a living income have to be created
• Working hours have to be reduced (30 hours are enough)
• Unemployment has to be tackled
• Open access to education, and social, cultural and democratic participation has to be ensured
• Industry has to be re-designed in a way that it is ecologically sustainable and public transport infrastructure has to be improved

As a reaction to the informal meeting of European leaders on September 20th in Salzburg, Solidarity Salzburg plans an alternative summit taking place between September 13th and 20th. It thereby wants to form an antithesis to the summit of European leaders, which puts its focus on security and the closing off of borders.

Event by Amnesty International

The aim of human rights education is to do its bit to establish a culture of human rights in Europe and elsewhere. “Knowledge, abilities and attitude” make it possible to feel human rights, which encourages people to become active themselves. Only who knows his rights, can stand up for their rights and the rights of others.

This is a task which is more than necessary in current times, in which human rights apparently lose their significance and are not protected sufficiently. Examples from practical work with human rights and human rights education show, in how far human rights are a powerful tool to encourage positive changes.

Speakers: Gudrun Rabussay-Schwald, Amnesty International Austria

• When: 13.09.2018, 17:00-18:30
• What: Talk and following discussion
• Where: Tribühne, Salzburg Lehen, Tulpenstraße 1

Still thousands of people die in the Mediterranean sea. Several NGOs do their best to rescue as many people as possible. But instead of thanking them, politics renders them a plaything: Those who rescue people do not discourage them. Those who rescue people do not defend Fortress Europe.

In a presentation, Erik Marquardt describes the situation on the high seas and elsewhere: Where do these people come from? Why do so many people board unseaworthy ships? And what is the situation like on the other exodus routes?

Speakers:

• Erik Marquardt

• When: 13.9.2018, 19:00-21:00
• What: Presentation
• Where: Tribühne, Salzburg Lehen, Tulpenstraße 1

Event by arbeit_plus, Forum WLH Wohnungslosenhilfe & Lebenshilfe Salzburg

As a stimulus for the EU-council meeting on September 20th 2018, we prepare topics for the further development of the European Union as a social and educational union and discuss the European Pillars of Social Rights, even though they have been disregarded by the Austrian presidency of the European Council. This especially concerns the importance of social fundamental rights such as the right to work, inclusion, social security and equal treatment. From Brussels, EU delegates Joe Weidenholzer (SPÖ) and Michel Reimon (Grüne), as well als Freek Spinnewijn (FEANTSA) will participate.

In the European Social Charter nuanced guiding principles and laws have been worked out, which have also been ratified by Austria. However, Austria has excluded individual clauses. Hence, Austria denies people suable individual rights such as the right to work, the right to be protected from poverty, exclusion and homelessness and the right to housing.

These topics, of fundamental importance for a social society, are taken up in three dimensions of the European Pillars of Social Rights, which have been published by the EU-comission and the EU-parliament in November 2017 as a memorandum.

Those three dimensions are: Equal opportunities and access to the job market Fair working conditions Social security and social inclusion

What does that mean for Salzburg and Austria?

We want to establish the connection between the choice of topics and the intensity of their treatment on the European level and the national reality of cuts in social services, the undermining of labor laws, the gender pay gap etc. Thus we want to open up new vistas – those of bottom-up processes concerning politics and public – based on the motto: we tackle issues that are important for all of us.

In a world café we discuss the right to work (Peter Ruhmannseder / Judith Pühringer), the right to housing (Heinz Schoibl), inclusion (Karin Astegger) as well as equal treatment (Frauenrat Salzburg). Based on the “Gemeinwohlökonomie” (economy for the common good) we will come up with suggestions for social, ecological and solidary politics. The programme will be accompanied by readings from author Petra Nagenkögel.

Host

• Dagmar Baumgartner, bePart, Salzburg

• When: Friday, 14.9.2018, 14:00-19:00
• What: Presentations, world café, readings
• Where: Tribühne, Salzburg Lehen, Tulpenstraße 1.