Debates

Round table of the representatives of the private sector

Moderator: Helder Luis Santos

Resource persons : P. Gérondal (Belgium), A. d'Oultremont (Belgium), J.-P. Goor (Belgium), G. Mlotek (Poland)

I. Presentations

Fortis Foundation

Mrs. d’Oultremont defines the Fortis Foundation as a Belgian financial group, which has decided ‘not to mind its own business’… i.e. but to get involved in social sponsorship.

Each year, the foundation has an amount of 1.250.000 euros at its disposal for distribution; its wish is to proceed with coherence and transparency.

The supported projects come from Belgian associations and must be carried out on Belgian territory. Their aim must be to combat exclusion and give priority to children, youngsters or intergenerational groups.

The Fortis Foundation considers that the role of a private foundation must not be confused with that of the State; social investment by the private sector should be carried out in partnership with public investments. This is the reason why most interventions by Fortis Foundation aim at the purchase of specific material or at the conversion of premises rather than providing structural support (such as taking charge of recurrent salaries, for instance).

King Baudouin Foundation

The King Baudouin Foundation is a public utility establishment which main object is to support and reinforce social cohesion. It was created, about thirty years ago to pay homage to the late King Baudouin.

Its aim is to improve the living conditions of the general population.

Four main themes are given priority:

• Social justice (to promote access to resources for underprivileged persons);
• Support for civil society (such as helping associations);
• Development of governance (by allowing citizens to become more involved in regard to ‘responsible’ consuming or in regard to ethical issues such as genetic research);
• Activation of philanthropy (collecting of funds, incorporate sub-foundations coming from private property).

To realise these actions, the foundation supports projects financially, organises and finances workshops, forums or research.

Foundation for Poland

This foundation was created in 1990 at the initiative of the Fondation de France. Since 1995, the funds are French and Polish. It also enjoys the support of the King Baudouin Foundation.

It was created on the opening of the Eastern countries in order to support and contribute to the development of civil society. It is also involved in the prevention of illnesses, and, for two years, has been supporting a programme for street children.

Within this programme, we deal with street workers’ training, transfer of know-how, exchange of experience between different NGO’s and the promotion of good quality street work.

In parallel, a care centre has been opened, as well as premises for street workers and an emergency accommodation centre.

Moreover, information campaigns have been conducted in order to make the public aware of the different issues concerning people living in the street.

This is a very popular programme in Poland.The Polish situation is an exceptional one; street children do not really live in the street, since as a rule they go back to their family in the evening, but they do not attend school and roam about the street all day long. This is probably a heritage of the past communist period; at that time, the State took complete charge of children’s education and parents do not seem to have acquired the reflex of feeling responsible for their children. Nowadays, certain parents wish that NGO’s would take over from the communist State and take care of the children’s education.

Lion's Club International Foundation

This foundation is a private NGO counting 1,5 million members throughout the world, all of which are volunteers. The annual amount allocated for the support of projects is close to one billion US dollars. This sum proceeds from capital investments but above all from the millions of working hours put in by voluntary members of Lions Clubs.

This NGO is recognised worldwide and participates on the boards of other NGO’s, WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, …

It is an independent organisation acting by itself, refusing to ‘host’ other NGO’s (it is not an umbrella organisation).

Lions International supports international, national and local projects.

The most important project supported is an international project which supports the blind, but apart from that, there are all sorts of projects, mainly small size projects on a very local level in which local Lions Clubs take an interest, contribute financially or in kind (notably in connection with know-how).

As for street work, Lions International develops programmes in partnership with WHO (fighting drugs), with UNICEF (in schools), and with Handicap International (concerning housing).

Collaboration also exists with the Fortis Foundation with regard to a programme fighting drugs amongst youngsters. Some collaboration also exists with public authorities.

To introduce the debate, some recommendations and wishes expressed during the workshops are communicated.

• It is important that prevention policies establish a link between the different domains of formal and informal education, either private or public.
• It is important to advocate global and general prevention rather than targeted preven- tion acts (for instance: fight against drugs, school truancy...)
• It is important that the persons or groups who provide financial means should not merely be a helping hand but should also listen to the problems and give advice.
• It is necessary that the aid programmes are adapted to the realities and the needs of the street children; that the characteristics of street work are taken into account, especially the fact that it is a long-term task. As to street work, it is social development.

II Questions of the participants and answers of the Foundations’ representatives

- What kind of control do you have on the money you receive, what is your attitude with regard to “dirty” money?

King Baudouin Foundation : From an ethical point of view, it has happened that we were questioned about certain companies on whose account we managed sub-foundations. This has been the case for instance with a famous sport equipment firm, which created a fund to support sport projects for youngsters. This same firm was accused of exploiting children through labour in Third World countries. We appealed to an independent organisation to carry out an audit to check whether an offence was committed with regard to children’s rights; the result of the inquest turned out negative. But we go a step further, we want the donator to get involved; it is not enough to show one good example it is important for the whole group to be correct: no random relocation, respect of the environment, etc. Each one has to play his part, a partnership can undergo changes, so do ethical criteria, and everything must be regularly checked.

- What is the complementary principle applied between public and private structures

Lions Club : sometimes private solidarity is better received than when it comes from the State which, in certain projects, is not even acceptable: for instance in projects concerning squats, or when the laws do not allow certain things; in those cases only private solidarity can intervene. Otherwise, it often occurs that our actions are complementary to a public initiative.

Fortis Foundation : We consider the complementary aspect as a means of increasing the life of a project or of reinforcing it; we ensure the ‘link’ by means of a one-time partnership (purchase of a vehicle, of specific material...)

King Baudouin Foundation : The complementary dimension is very important when working on integration, on equality of rights: all this depends on the State but we invest in the ‘gaps’ which remain and this makes it possible for the ‘machine’ to function better. For instance, for street workers, we have arranged for them to get in touch with researchers so as to legitimate their practices and subsequently obtain public funds.

- How do you control if the gifts you make are used for the proper purposes they are meant for?

Lions Club : Our local clubs are of a small size and the members often become directly involved in the board of directors for projects, or put their capabilities at the service of the projects (for instance: doctors, lawyers, nurses…). Therefore contacts between those who promote the project and the donators are direct and frequent.

Fortis Foundation : Right at the beginning we write out partnership agreements containing precise clauses as to the use of the funds provided. Afterwards, we require invoices justifying the expenses incurred. But one should have faith that the promoters are trustworthy and if the project has to undergo changes in the course of the agreement, they very often let us know. We are always open for dialogue and until now, have never come across serious problems.

King Baudouin Foundation : We are not content with just giving funds, most of the time we also take part in the project or pay subsequent visits to see how the project has been carried out. Sometimes we have surprises with projects, which have developed differently from the initial request (a climbing wall has become a barbecue shelter…) but when the basic objective has been respected (for instance the creation of a community space) we show understanding. We have to accept the motives of the project and agree with its aims; however if they are not clear, we refuse to support the project.

- Sometimes, we, as street workers, have expectations, which differ from those of our sponsors. How can we find a common ground? How to make sure we get our stories straight?

Philippon Toussaint : our worlds are entirely different; to understand each other it is necessary to have a dialogue, to speak and to know how to listen. The liberal world and the social world are capable of finding a common language as long as there is the will to move closer and to understand what lies behind the words.

A Senegalese educator : In Senegal, small size projects are denatured through the support they receive; when one begins to support them financially, the aim is to try and divert them from their initial object. Often, when one is too small, one even prefers to refuse funds rather than to lose everything…

This is how larger projects receive important subsidies, which are used for the overhead expenses of these heavy structures.

Lions Club : We prefer to support small local projects, for us they even seem the ideal help. We want to be in the field where members of our local clubs can get involved directly. We are also a ‘task force’, which can signify a valuable contribution, especially where small projects are concerned.

III. Conclusions

A kind of database on street work should be created, to raise awareness about the phenomenon of street children. The exchange of ‘good’ practices should also be promoted.

Foundation of Poland : In Poland, the foundation organises regularly visits in the street with the donators; it is desirable to make them aware of the size of the problem street children are faced with, it is important to go and see in the field, as long as one has not seen the reality with one’s own eyes, one does not understand!

On the other hand, in the foundation’s reports, we show very concrete results; it is very moving to know that a youth issued from the street has succeeded in entering university or to know that ten children have been able to join a school successfully. These results are more significant than percentages.

A participant from Uruguay : With regard to control, the programmes of big NGO’s are not strictly controlled, the larger the project the more the funds are ‘lost’ to pay the organizing staff and in the end there is little left for the actual beneficiaries of the project. Hence, it would be better to support a multitude of small, local projects, which demand very modest funds and have immediate results.

King Baudouin Foundation : Donors (such as our foundations) should capitalise the experiences they have supported; often we turn the page too quickly. We are general practitioners and touch on many sectors. The influence of ‘trends’ and the impact of the media are important; then when a new issue emerges, one turns the page of the previous one, in this respect we have to own up.

Street work touches on all sorts of development issues and should retain all our attention, especially with regard to its specificity and its importance. It is obvious that it can by no means be reduced to the status of a charity topic.

A. d'Oultremont


P. Gérondal


J.-P. Goor


G. Loter


H.L. Santos