SPIRIT

SPIRIT (“Social Preparedness and Resilience Initiative”) is an effort by Samaritan International and its member organisations to address five principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) in light of its meaning for and effect on (social ) resilience.

Keeping in mind the Niinistö report’s “whole of society approach” to preparedness and the subsequent Preparedness Union Strategy, SPIRIT looks at challenges to our social model and the sustainability of services focused by the EPS, be they internal challenges such as demographic change and labour shortage or external threats, such as those posed by ever more frequent natural disasters that can disrupt social service provision for vulnerable groups of people. SPIRIT will build capacities among our membership of social service providers and emergency services to meaningfully contribute to the EU policy debate and provide insights and expertise that can support the sustainable implementation of the EPSR’s principles. Thereby, we aim to advance the approach to preparedness in the social sector, reflecting the importance of the individual citizen as well as voluntary engagement to make social services and the social model more resilient.

SPIRIT is co-funded by the European Commission’s ESF+ program.