On 21st and 22nd January 2010 more than 50 participants from almost 20 countries participated in the Good Society Conference organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation London and Compass. The conference was based on the issues discussed during the Good Society Debate. Watch the session on the Good Society and sustainability below.
A Deafening Silence
19/01/2010 by
Social democracy has nothing distinctive to say about many of the problems we currently face. An ominous paradox hangs over the battered ranks of European social democracy. By rights, this should be a social-democratic moment. The economic crisis of the last two years has shown beyond doubt that the neoliberal economic paradigm which has dominated [...]
What a Post-American World means for Europe
18/01/2010 by
In recent months, Europe has learned some hard lessons about its transatlantic partner. President Barack Obama triggered great hope when he replaced George W. Bush at the American helm. But a year later, especially following Obama’s failure to produce anything of substance at Copenhagen, Europeans are realizing that Obama is going to have a difficult [...]
Where now for Social Democracy in Europe?
15/01/2010 by
A positive future for social democracy depends upon a genuine political commitment to social and environmental justice. In the first half of the twentieth century, social democracy fundamentally transformed the European social and political landscape. Recognising the need to temper the injustices inherent in the capitalist economic system, the proponents of social democratic ideology strove [...]
A New Social Democracy for Europe
15/01/2010 by
Only through offering a new vision for these new times will social democrats be able to renew themselves and create a more just and prosperous Europe. The crisis of the SPD in Germany is matched by a crisis of European social democracy as a whole. Only a third of the member states of the European [...]
Assessment System Required to Ensure Aid Makes a Real Difference
13/01/2010 by
How should aid be provided? Aid appears to be at its best when it is designated to finance beneficial projects. If aid finances a school or a health clinic then surely it is useful. Unfortunately, this is often an illusion for the simple reason that such projects may well have been undertaken by the government [...]
The need for a new Socialist Politics
12/01/2010 by
Are social democrats capable of responding to the opportunities for renewed support for socialism that are offered by the present crisis? Social democrats have lost ground in Europe during the last few years. The SPD fell to a historical low in the Germany federal election last year, French socialists have been in decline since the [...]
Some Points on the Future
11/01/2010 by
More ideas for the future of social democracy I offer here a number of points on the discussion. Firstly, we need to focus on the future: ‘building the future’ needs to be considered as a main dimension of every part of our work. We need to underline constantly that we intend to build the future, [...]
The Future of Social Democracy
11/01/2010 by
Though social democracy has had its problems, it offers a politics that can be developed and broadened to encompass the needs of the present. Social democracy faces testing times in Europe and elsewhere, but the pessimism can be overdone. We should avoid both the politics of nostalgia and the politics of despair. An example of [...]
Labour isn’t working: it’s plotting
11/01/2010 by
Patricia Hewit and Geoff Hoon should be added to those on the list accused of contributing to apathy towards politics and disillusionment with the political class. Labour needs to get back to the business of government and steady itself for a long and crucial election campaign.
All Content