A Well-Being of Society initiative has been launched by the Renaissance Europe think-tank programme, an initiative of the REC, the Progressio Foundation and European Partners for the Environment.

The initiative investigates strategic changes that could be incorporated in the EU’s programme for 2004-2009 with the goal of fostering a more ethical globalisation. The initiative will look into several fields, including social spending, health system effectiveness, ageing populations, labour market trends, education, the effects of poverty on health, the environment and natural resources preservation, gender inequities, cultural differences and minority issues and human security.

The Well-Being Society focuses on projects that implement one of the three core objectives of the Union, as defined in the draft European Constitutional Treaty. It addresses competitiveness in a new way, based on personal development and on the three pillars of sustainable development.

Such a society is characterised by prosperity and quality of life, solidarity and equity, justice and universal fraternity. The instrument to be used in Europe is unity within diversity, development through education, culture and innovation.

The launch of the initiative was inspired by the EU’s enlargement, current demographic trends and a will to alleviate poverty in Europe.