Swedish civil society to establish common approach to country’s post-Covid development

Five of Sweden’s civil society umbrella organisations have joined forces to establish a common approach to Sweden’s development post-coronavirus.

Famna, Giva Sverige, Forum, Idea and Arbetsgivarföreningen KFO are working together to develop input for a ‘social contract’ that would see civil society play an equal part to that of the government and the country’s citizens in the country’s future development.

The project, called Nysta, was announced last month in an article published in news outlet Dagens Nyheter. In it, the organisations stated:

“The coronavirus has affected our society in an unmanageable way and the consequences will affect people for a long time. At the same time, we must start the conversation about how Sweden should develop after the crisis.

“We – who represent five umbrella organisations representing millions of members, non-profit organisations and hundreds of thousands of employees – want to contribute to the debate by setting up civil society’s start-up group for a new social contract.”

Led by Red Cross Secretary General Martin Ärnlöv, it aims to take a broad view of Sweden’s entire development in the coming decades, using working groups to develop proposals in six key areas.

The groups will focus on:

– How civil society can help to build a more vital and inclusive democracy in Sweden.

– Civil society’s role in helping groups furthest from the labour market back to a regular working life.

– Developing cooperation between civil society and private and public organisations to meet the need for knowledge and innovation.

– How civil society can make use of the opportunities technology creates to strengthen cohesion in Sweden.

– What reforms and legislative changes are needed to strengthen the development of civil society.

– How the welfare system can be developed so that non-profit organisations can play a bigger part alongside public and profit-driven welfare.

Additional input will be welcomed, and as such, the groups will arrange public seminars and publish ideas throughout the year. Nysta plans to present its proposals during next year’s Järva Week: an annual event that provides a forum for socially engaged companies, associations, authorities, politicians and citizens to come together.

“The major players in civil society are coming together to take a common approach to Sweden’s development after the corona crisis. We will work for a year to contribute to a broad programme for Sweden’s future with the goal to present ready-made proposals for a new social contract in connection with Järva Week 2021,” said Martin Ärnlöv, chairman of Nysta and secretary general of the Swedish Red Cross.