Spain: Pact for social inclusion

The Barcelona town council and 235 organisations involved in combating social exclusion in all its forms have committed themselves to work jointly and to optimise their resources. This pact will allow the Barcelona town council to gradually assume the costs of the work done by these social organisations. At present, the town council has already signed around thirty co-operation agreements which amount to about 2 million ? annually. The pact envisages the creation of networks of thematic actions. This year, three have already been launched which concern the homeless, children and labour reintegration. More than 40 organisations, for instance, participate in this last network. In 2007 it is planned to create new co-operation networks in fields such as migrants? integration, specialised home help for people suffering from illnesses such as Alzheimer and Parkinson, and the Roma people. As a result of this pact, an internet portal will be launched which will provide exhaustive information about social inclusion projects and about available initiatives and resources. This is a pact intended to remain permanently opened to new organisations and will be renewed on an annual basis. More information on: www.bcn.es.