Zagreb, (IKA) – During the second day, October 22, of the Fifth Croatian Social Week, held in Zagreb, after three blocks of plenary lectures the attendees participated in ten forums, the results of which were presented in the afternoon. The liveliness of the discussion in the forum Entrepreneurship and Social Values, that followed brief introductory presentations during which the forum participants asked questions and also offered answers, confirmed interest in a topic that concerned the return of genuine values and the changes necessary in order to achieve this. In respect to socially responsible entrepreneurship, the importance of ethical and religious foundations, i.e., the social doctrine of the Church, was emphasized. In the conclusion of the second forum, Unemployment and Hiring Policy, the participants pointed out that the measures of the active labor market policies are a good instrument for bearing the burden of unemployment in the society, and therefore should be increased. They also concluded that emphasis should be placed on long-term unemployment in society, which does not have to be reduced but eradicated. The forum Labor Rights concluded that it is necessary to insist on legislation that would assure workers’ rights and the implementation thereof, which would signify real protection for work and workers. Workers should be entitled to the right to work, which in practice means employment. Employers should ensure the regular payment of wages, because theologically the failure to pay wages is a sin, and socially it is theft. Support for collective bargaining was emphasized, which will result in good quality collective agreements that are the only genuine guarantee of true security, material rights and wages. In the conclusions to the forum Work in Agriculture, among other things, it was noted that family farms and farmers are mostly left to themselves, while some state measures are manifested through several incentive programs that provide relatively low financial stimulus. Furthermore, it was noted that agriculture is relatively the most common economic activity in Croatian rural areas. In such a situation, a crisis period for agriculture regularly causes a general rural crisis. Therefore, such a situation regarding agriculture, peasantry and agricultural products should be radically changed in the direction of achieving social justice. For the survival of the village and family farms, it is necessary to make the economic structure in rural areas heterogeneous. Attention was called to the migration of women from rural to urban areas because the village lacks jobs outside of agriculture. At the forum The Spirituality of Work, it was pointed out that in any consideration of the culture of work in Croatia, it is necessary to be God’s partner, with the priority of primarily respecting the person over the profit from work. On the other hand, each worker is worth his wages, as emphasized in the Bible: “The cries of the [unpaid] harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” It was reiterated that the Christian view of work should value the redemptive dimension of work, without forgetting the need for rest, especially on Sundays. In this respect, the danger of neglecting the fellowship and spiritual good of the family due to intense concern for material existence is noted. The Church in our nation is called to make a critical examination of its attitude toward work in order for its voice to be credible at all levels.
At the forum Family, Health and Work, there was discussion about child raising and the importance of parents’ educating their children through their example. The conclusion was that it should be made possible for parents to spend time with their children and families. Speaking about conflict resolution and family potentials, the importance of the family unit was noted for family members and also for the wider community. The participants in the forum were particularly impressed by a presentation of the St. Raphael Hospital, which is outstanding as a care initiative that could be a response to those who advocate euthanasia.
In the forum Prospects of Work in the Future, the importance of rethinking the concept of work in the Croatian society theoretically, methodologically and practically was emphasized. Work cannot be reduced to material production because experience becomes an integral part of the concept of work. To deal successfully with the long-term trends in the field of work and work processes, it is necessary to connect all the relevant institutions. One of the most important institutional challenges is adapting the secondary school system, as well as the university system, to changes on the labor market and the actual needs for particular occupations. The necessity was highlighted for constructing a regulatory framework that can support an optimal balance between the flexibility of employment and social security. The forum participants concluded that the concrete implementation of measures in the future should balance the rights and obligations of the new forms of work with the existing ones, individual valuation of forms of employment without defined working hours, in order to preserve the boundary between private and business, and facilitate union organizing and other forms of connecting workers with the same work-related problems even if not employed by the same employer. In the conclusions, it was also pointed out that Croatia should have an active role in planning the immigration processes, which includes opening international cooperation and coordinating preparations for the arrival of the necessary labor force.
In the forum Education, in the discussions and lectures there was repeated emphasis on calling attention to the endangered status of teachers, the problem of working in several shifts, and the separation of parents and children. The participants noted the problem of parents who educate too little, i.e., spend too little time with their children, since the school cannot replace parents. Another problem is the insufficient presence of the Catholic media, as well as the testimonies of the faithful. There was also discussion about the importance that religious education has in humanizing the Croatian society through the educational system. The urgent need for the media education of parents, students and all who work in the educational process was noted. A question was raised about a Catholic newscast that would be secular but imbued with the values of the social doctrine of the Church. In the forum Social Ministry, it was pointed that it would be necessary in parish ministry to place greater emphasis on the parish-economic and pastoral and charitable councils, as well as pastors and parishioners as partners in the implementation of many elements of social ministry. Social ministry requires new paradigms for the exploitation of the most precious potential the Church has, i.e., the lay faithful. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for the Church structures to have confidence in the lay faithful. Social ministry cannot and must not be a substitute for economic policy or work but it must cultivate these realities, bringing Christian and evangelical values to them. At the end, it was pointed out that social ministry is a key issue of this Social Week, because it is precisely through social evangelical ministry that an attitude is cultivated toward work, capital, the economy and politics, which is our common goal. In the last forum, Volunteerism, problems were noted that are also guidelines. In the first place, there is the lack of institutional and systematic training for volunteerism at all levels. Furthermore, the decline in social values has resulted in a lack of solidarity and the spread of individualism. There is obvious abuse of volunteer work to the detriment of the employed workers but also the possibility of the exploitation of volunteer work in order for an employer to circumvent the hiring process. It was cautioned that the economic crisis has caused primary orientation to the solution of existential problems, so that the individual is reluctant to volunteer, and the incentive to volunteer is often perceived as inappropriate. Experiences gained through volunteerism are not acknowledged or recognized, and here the possibility is seen that in the course of volunteer work that points could be earned for enrollment in college and recommendations could be obtained for jobs and career advancement. At the end, it was pointed out that the deinstitutionalization and decentralization of social services involved in the strategy of volunteerism (2011-2016) open possibilities but there is also a need for correlation between volunteerism and social services. Volunteerism as the gift of one’s time must become a path and gift that opens new relationships. Through volunteerism, new threads are created that make up the social capital in which the gift of self is the basis. Therefore, volunteerism in today’s society becomes a challenge and testimony to a new model of society, as well as a challenge to the consumer logic to which we are all witnesses.
After the results and conclusions of the forums were presented, there was a discussion on the drafting of the Declaration by the Fifth Croatian Social Week, which was presented on Sunday, October 23. (We also publish the whole text of the Declaration.)
A review of the Declaration and Social Week was presented by the Chairman of the Program Committee, Bishop Vlado Košić of Sisak. Thanking those present for their attendance and participation in the gathering, he noted that the promotion of social ministry is primarily addressed to the faithful, the Church. He said that it should also to be addressed to the general public, but starting from ourselves, not excluding ourselves, the Church and the faithful, in the desire to arouse social sensitivity and responsibility for social issues in the society, especially regarding questions of the culture of work in our consciences but also the Church communities and all the structures in the Church. In the spirit of the Declaration, Bishop Košić expressed the wish for workers in Church institutions to be the most protected in our country, which should provide an example of how labor legislation should be obeyed, how the culture of work develops, how to protect workers. In particular, there is a sense of an atmosphere of confidence, cooperation and community at this meeting, which was more than a scientific meeting “where we gathered to listen to discussions but had the opportunity to meet personally, exchange experiences, follow what was said with confidence and participate in the discussions.” In this atmosphere of trust, that which is necessary is being created in order to transfer this mood to the entire community, Church and country in which we live, in order for the culture of work to improve. Within this context, the bishop cautioned against the phrase “the new culture of work in Croatia,” emphasizing that here the state is particularly emphasized, and it is the addressee of the Declaration. Then there was a series of reviews and proposals to ensure that the declaration does not remain just one more document in a series of documents but that it comes to life. Those present were unanimous in their support for the continuation of the tradition of holding a Croatian Social Week, and it was suggested that participation might be extended to the ecumenical level and that representatives of the Social Weeks of other countries could be invited to attend future Croatian Social Weeks. The Croatian bishops were thanked for having initiated the revival of Social Week, as well as the employees and associates of the Center for the Social Doctrine of the Church of the CCB, which conducted the meeting operations. Gratitude was also expressed to the volunteers, members of the Secular Franciscan Order and Franciscan Youth, who were available to offer assistance during all three days of the meeting and provided lodgings to participants from other cities.
The Fifth Croatian Social Week concluded with the celebration of Mass in the Zagreb cathedral, led by the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, in concelebration with Bishop Košić; the General Secretary of the CCB, Msgr. Enco Rodinis; the Head of the Department of Social Doctrine at the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb, Msgr. Stjepan Baloban, and approximately a dozen other priests from various dioceses who had participated in the meeting. The celebration of the Mass was enhanced by the singing of the cathedral choir.