Toespraak van staatssecretaris Klijnsma bij de Peer Review Sociale Wijkteams

Toespraak | 19-01-2016

Ladies and gentlemen,

It’s a great pleasure seeing you here today. I am really glad you came and that the turnout is so high. You have travelled from far and wide to attend this meeting. I greatly appreciate this and I am confident that your efforts today and tomorrow are well worth the time spent.

Do you know why I am so confident about this?

It’s because you work just like Watson.

For those that don't know him, I am talking about one of the smartest geniuses of our time. About somebody who seems to know everything. Somebody who has an answer to almost every question.

Or actually, I should say 'something'. Because the Watson I am talking about is not human.

Watson is the computer system specifically developed by IBM to answer questions on the American quiz show 'Jeopardy!' In 2011, it competed against former winners of this quiz. Watson received the first-place prize of one million dollars.

Do you know its secret?

Watson is not afraid to learn and copy from others.

In fact, the computer system has access to 200 million internet pages, including the full text of Wikipedia.

One thing is for sure. None of us here today will ever know more than Watson does.

Yet there is one question that we have a better chance of answering correctly.

What is the answer to poverty?

Or even better:

What is the answer to a better functioning of social community teams combating poverty at a local level?

Indeed, I believe that we have the key-in-hand to address this very tough question, because the peer-review instrument allows us to work like Watson does. More specifically, it allows us to share and copy the knowledge of policymakers, professionals, academia and experts-by-experience from across Europe.

The answer to poverty is not an easy one, as the problem is both widespread and complex. Moreover, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution, as the problems differ per Member State. Since 2010, the number of people living in poverty or social exclusion has increased by more than 4 million. In total, more than 120 million people in Europe are currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

I believe that poverty can best be tackled at the local level, close to the people. In line with the principle of subsidiarity, poverty reduction should remain a competence of the Member States.

I also believe that poverty can best be tackled by an integrated approach. Poverty can involve a wide range of origins and effects, ranging from a lack of income to social exclusion. And you should also look at the role of and consequences for other life domains such as employment, care, housing and education.

An integrated approach, first and foremost, requires taking into consideration the perspective of the person or family involved and working on a solution in 'co-creation' with them, rather than a top-down approach.

And it requires cooperation with all the parties involved, both in the public and in the private domain.

Social Community Teams are great examples of an integrated approach. Not just in relation to fighting poverty but regarding all sorts of social questions.

Social Community Teams have existed for quite some time already in the Netherlands. The initial teams were set up in the care sector. However, many Social Community Teams experience an increase in poverty and debt-related questions and they believe that their integrated approach could be of great value.

They are able to reach large segments of the community. In addition, they are easily approachable and accessible. Hence they can detect problems at an early stage and intervene timely— before problems escalate.

I am very proud of their work!

However, to tackle poverty-related problems effectively, it is important that they possess the right knowledge and expertise. The teams are investing in the development of these skills and learn from each other’s good practices.

Today, two municipalities will present their good practices. They are the pioneers actually. I am very happy they are here today. Movisie, a knowledge institute who has conducted lots of research on Social Community Teams will present an overview of how these teams work in the Netherlands.

Even though the municipalities and their teams are doing amazing work in the Netherlands, I am sure that other Member States also have great examples of an integrated approach. They can provide valuable tips and feedback.

The Social Community Teams do of course not stand alone. They are part of our larger social domain and I am glad that the European Commission, distinguished expert Jan Vrancken, EAPN and ESN are also here to share their views of on our Dutch approach.

Watson is not present today — but I am sure that together we can accumulate valuable knowledge and experiences that can help all of us improve the effectiveness of our strategies aimed at combating poverty.

The existence of poverty in the Netherlands and in Europe is a thorn in the flesh for me. People who live in poverty are not just deprived of money. They are deprived of opportunity.

Fighting poverty is one of my top priorities in the Netherlands. I have made extra funding available for this purpose: 100 million euros per year. Most of this money is granted to municipalities because in the Netherlands the fight against poverty is predominantly the responsibility of municipalities.

The ambition of the Dutch government is to place responsibility as much as possible in the hands of the individual and stimulate people’s strength and self-reliance to find and create solutions.

For poverty to be tackled effectively it is important to apply an integrated approach and to cooperate with private organisations, like NGOs. Private organisations possess valuable expertise and can often reach the target group better than local governments can.

Therefore I have also made structural funding available to support projects of NGOs.

Fighting poverty is also my priority during the Dutch Presidency. In the upcoming months, it is my ambition not just to put the issue on the political agendas. I also want to stimulate the exchange of best practices in the field of poverty reduction as much as possible. In this respect, this peer-review meeting does not stand on its own. Prior to this meeting, I have already consulted various representatives from municipalities and civil society organizations. I am very grateful that both public and private parties are enthusiastically sharing their thoughts and ideas with me. I will continue to involve them during the Presidency.

Later this year, the Netherlands will also host the annual conference of the European Social Network. But I am happy that John Halloran decided not to wait till June and join us during this Peer Review as well.

Combating poverty at the local level will be an important topic of this conference. Another opportunity for the exchange of best practices is the European Commission’s Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth. This meeting will also take place during the Dutch Presidency.

To generate political attention for the importance of reducing poverty, I want to effectuate Council Conclusions on an integrated approach against poverty. These Council Conclusions will be prepared in the Social Protection Committee, and we aim for adoption by the EPSCO Council in June.

Today we have someone in our midst, Anke Schneider, from the Council Secretariat, to gather input for these Council Conclusion.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Peer reviews allow us to share something more valuable than goods or money: knowledge. It allows us to think out of the box, instead of reinventing the wheel over and over. Let’s take full advantage of this today. I am confident we can help each other implement effective policies to reduce poverty, by sharing our experiences, expertise and good practices. Let’s make this review a productive one.

I wish you a fruitful afternoon.

Tonight you will be dining at Resto van Harte. This is a neighbourhood restaurant that not only serves good food, but also promotes good practices. The organization encourages participation and social inclusion in the Netherlands and arranges dinners in, for and with the community. Rather than the meal being an end in itself — dinner at Van Harte is a means to an end: to bring people together. All people. Whether someone feels excluded because of financial or health-care reasons, or for being new to the neighbourhood — the volunteers at Resto organize dinner tables where everyone feels welcome and can participate.

For tonight, I have also invited some national private and public organizations that have helped prepare this peer review. They are very interested in meeting you. With great company and great food, I am sure you will have all the ingredients for a great evening.

Before you get started today, I would like to end my welcoming address today with an appetizer. Some food for thought. It’s a quote from another great genius: Albert Einstein.

He once said:

If you do what you have always done, you get what you have always gotten.

With the knowledge you gain today, I challenge you to think out of the box, and do something you have not done before.

Thank you!