The Welfare state

Building Progressive Alliances

Building Progressive Alliances

The social conflict in Europe has intensified strongly over the past couple of years, in the wake of the financial crisis. The labour and trade union movement has been on the defensive ever since the neoliberal offensive started around 1980. The balance of power in our societies has thus shifted enormously over the past 30 years – from labour to capital, from democracy to market forces. Time is ripe, therefore, to fight back, to build broad social alliances and to reassess our strategies and tactics.

The crisis and the future of the ESF

The crisis and the future of the ESF

The processes which started with the first World Social Forum in Porto Alegre in Brazil in January 2001 injected new energy into the broad left. After twenty years of neo-liberal globalisation, set-backs, pessimism and demobilisation on the left in many countries and areas, the social forums created new enthusiasm, new working methods, new mobilisations and new inspiration for hundreds of thousands of people.

What can be learnt from the Nordic Model?

What can be learnt from the Nordic Model?

Global Labour Conference, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 1-3 April 2007
by Asbjørn Wahl, Adviser, Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees

Challenges to the Welfare State

In this slideshow, camapign co-ordinator Asbjørn Wahl in the «Campaign for the Welfare State», gives us the historical background of the struggle for the welfare state to the present time, both in Norway and on a global scale. Be responsible – organize restistance, he sums up.

Public Private Partnership

Presentation given by Asbjørn Wahl, Campaign for the Welfare State, at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre 2005.

The undermining of the welfare state

The Norwegian contribution to the annual Social Watch report 2003 is written by co-ordinator of the Campaign for the Welfare State, Asbjørn Wahl, and Gunhild Ørstavik in The Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development.

Has the sun set on New Zealand’s health reforms?

This is a speech given by Laila Harré, former minister in the New Zealand Labour/Alliance government, to the Campaign for the Welfare State’s national conference on hospital politics in Oslo September 8, 2003.