International Day of EAPN Norway

On 2nd October EAPN Norway organized its International Day within the focus week. Members of EAPN Norway/Welfare Alliance invited National Network representatives from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland to join their event. Fintan Farrell and Tanya Basarab from EAPN Europe were also present at the meeting. The Networks used the occasion to discuss cooperation opportunities to defend the Nordic Welfare Model which has been eroded by government policies in recent years. The International Conference addressed the inadequacy of minimum income schemes and the problems with the system restructuring in Norway and in Europe. Fintan Farrell, director of EAPN spoke about the link between participation and inclusion in society. The Minister of Labour, Hanne Bjurstrom also shared the government’s work on combating poverty and social exclusion in Norway and they both signed the joint NGO messages for the year 2010.