Dear sir
dear madam

May I please ask you to forward the attached conference announcement to potentially interested colleagues from your organisation or network(s).


Yours sincerely

Ides Nicaise
project manager HIVA
Twin colloquium 'labour market policies and social exclusion', Leuven 20-21 May, 1999
The context
The role of suitable employment as a shield against poverty hardly needs to be stressed. A secure job is not only a source of income, but also of integration, citizenship and dignity. Despite the high correlation between poverty and race in the USA, W.J. Wilson states that the poverty problem in his country should rather be seen as a labour market problem than a race problem. On the European side as well, there is an increasing awareness that even the most refined social security system can not replace employment as a lever of participation. P. Rosanvallon therefore proposes to combat social exclusion by guaranteeing a 'right to insertion' to every citizen. Both views assign a key role to labour market policy in the fight against social exclusion.
Besides political and philosophical arguments, economic considerations are an obvious dimension of the debate. After a period of rapid growth, welfare expenditures have been cut back more or less severely in most western countries, while employment programmes have been extended as a more efficient strategy to combat poverty in the long run. Welfare is often compared to a trap, with perverse effects on the recipients' potential or willingness to work their way out of poverty. On the one hand, means-tested transfer systems may tend to discourage the acceptance of jobs; on the other hand, all sorts of regulations, controls and sanctions tend to prohibit the unemployed from carrying out alternative activities that might lead them back into employment. Paradoxically, some poor people appear to perceive their unemployment as a more severe straitjacket than work.
This 'twin colloquium' seeks to promote the exchange of experience and ideas between academics, policy makers, social partners and the voluntary sector about welfare-to-work strategies in the European Union and the United States. In addition to information about the latest trends in employment policies on both sides, some fundamental policy questions will be discussed.

Day 1 (may 20): 'From welfare to work: towards an integration of social protection and employment policy'
In the past decades, both sides of the Atlantic have witnessed the development of a wide range of re-integration strategies. The concrete strategies are different but tend to converge, combining 'sticks' and 'carrots' to transfer people from welfare into jobs. Anglo-Saxon countries, concerned about the development of an 'underclass' with a 'dependency culture', are setting up welfare-to-work and New Deal models to get welfare recipients back into the labour market. US programmes are relying heavily on the individual's responsibility and initiative; they are also emphasising flexibility as a condition for the creation of new employment opportunities. Continental European countries want to preserve relatively high levels of social protection, while governments are being urged to play a more active role in employment creation, for example, through the 'activation of benefits' (or activation of the unemployed ?) as illustrated by the employment guidelines of the EU. 
What are the differences and common features in welfare-to-work policies between the EU and the US ?
What are the (implicit or explicit) hypotheses of these policies about the needs, aspirations and survival strategies of welfare recipients, and do they correspond to reality ?
What do we know about the problems and successes of active labour market policies for disadvantaged groups ?
How can an optimal balance between social and economic objectives (between social protection and effective re-employment opportunities) be achieved ?
What is the quality of jobs created through active labour market policies ? Is there a trade-off between quantity and quality ?
Preliminary programme 
9.30a.m.: Opening address by Mr. J. Peeters, Belgian Secretary of State for Social Integration
9.50a.m.: Prof. R. Blank, North-western University, Member of the President's Council of Economic Advisors: Welfare-to-work programmes in the United States: lessons and perspectives
10.50a.m.: Dr. I. Nicaise, University of Leuven: 'Labour market programmes for the poor in Europe: pitfalls, dilemmas and how to avoid them'
11.20a.m.: coffee break
11.40a.m.: Discussion
12.30: lunch
2.00p.m.: Dr. D. Finn, Univ. of Portsmouth: 'The British New Deal'
2.40p.m.: Mr. Per Kongshøj Madsen, Univ. of Copenhagen: 'The Danish Law on Active Labour Market Policy'
3.20p.m.: coffee break
3.40p.m.: Mr. X. Godinot, International Movement ATD-Fourth World: 'Emerging from forced inactivity: the perspective of people living in poverty'
4.20p.m.: N., a Southern European perspective
5.00p.m.: Discussion
5.45p.m.: Closing address by Mr. T. Kelchtermans, Flemish Minister of Employment
Day 2 (may 21): Guarantee plans for young people and the long-term unemployed
Guarantee plans correspond to Rosanvallon's plea for a 'citizen's right to work': guaranteed re-integration pathways are considered an element of the right to protection from unemployment, established in international charters of social rights and implemented in various ways, mainly in Northern European societies. A key issue in the debate is the balance between rights and duties: depending on the perspective adopted, guarantee plans are depicted as exponents of authoritarianism or citizen's rights. What are the similarities and differences between 'guarantee plans', workfare, welfare-to-work, New Deal, mandatory training ? What are the (expected) effects on inclusion / exclusion ? What lessons can be drawn from the experiences of other countries ? How should the EU guidelines 1 and 2 ('to offer every young person a new start before reaching six months of unemployment, and every unemployed adult before reaching twelve months of unemployment') ideally be put into practice ?
Preliminary programme 
9.30a.m.: Dr. I. Nicaise, Univ. of Leuven and Prof. F. Heylen, Univ. of Ghent: 'The feasibility and expected effects of a guarantee plan for the long-term unemployed in Flanders'
10.10a.m.:N, representative from the Wisconsin State Administration: 'Lessons from the experience of Wisconsin'
11.00a.m.: coffee break
11.20a.m.: Round table I: Other national experiences (Finland: N.; Denmark: Dr. M. Rosholm, Univ. of Aarhus; The Netherlands: Prof. J. de Koning, Netherlands Economic Institute)
12.40: lunch
2.30p.m.: Mr. C. Van Steenbergen, Interlabor Group and Belgian Enterprise Network for Social Cohesion (to be confirmed): 'A company perspective'
3.00p.m.: Round table II: The views of social partners and the voluntary sector (with contributions from the European Centre for Workers Questions, the Belgian Enterprise Network for Social Cohesion, the European Anti-Poverty Network, the European Network of the Unemployed; ?)
4.20p.m.: coffee break
4.40p.m.: conclusions
5.00p.m.: Closing address: Mrs. M. Smet, Belgian Minister of Employment (to be confirmed) 
Social programme (visit to 15th Century City Hall) and conference dinner
practical arrangements
Place and dates: 
Kastanjehof (Ganzendries 65, Pellenberg - near Leuven), 20-21 May, 1999
Organisation:
Hoger Instituut voor de Arbeid (Higher Institute for Labour Studies, Catholic University of Leuven)
Under the auspices of:
The Embassy of the United States of America, The European Centre for Workers' Questions, The European Commission (°), The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, The Belgian Secretary of State for Social Integration, The Flemish Minister of Employment, The Belgian Minister of Labour and Employment (°) (* to be confirmed)
Working language: 
English
Accommodation
For practical reasons (bus transport etc.) we recommend the following hotels (breakfast included): 
Begijnhof Congreshotel (****), Tervuursevest 70, B-3000 Leuven, Phone +32-16-29.10.10; fax +32-16-29.10.22	
payment via HIVA before March 30: 4,300 BEF/night (single) or 4,800 BEF/night (double). Direct booking with the hotel after March 30 (4,550 / 5,050)
IBIS Hotel (**), Brusselsestraat 52, B-3000 Leuven, Phone +32-16-29.31.11; fax +32-16-23.87.92	
payment via HIVA before March 30: 2,750 BEF/night (single) or 3,100 BEF/night (double). Direct booking with the hotel after March 30 (3,250 / 3,600 after April 30)
Information about other hotels is available on request
Special accommodation at non-commercial prices can be booked on request for NGO participants only (500 BEF / night, including breakfast). Please confirm before March 30.
For further information, please contact
Mrs. Nancy Vertongen, HIVA, Van Evenstraat 2E, B-3000 Leuven, Phone +32-16-32.33.70, 
fax +32-16-32.33.69, e-mail: [log in to unmask]
tWIN COLLOQUIUM 'labour market policies and social exclusion'
Registration form (please fill out in capitals and return before march 30 to Mrs. N. Vertongen at HIVA by mail or fax)
Yes, I am interested in participating in the colloquium. Please send me further details about the place and the final programme
Mr/Ms/Prof./other:????? Name:???.???????????????. First name:???????????...
function:????????????????????????????????..
Institute / organisation:??????????????????????????.
Address: ????????????????????????????????.
postal code: ??????	City: ???????..	Country: ??????
Phone:??????????	fax: ???????????????????..
e-mail: ????????????????????.????????????.?
date and time of arrival at Brussels Airport: ? May at ???. date and time of departure from Brussels Airport ?. May at ???.
Payment (in BEF - strike out whichever is not desired)		normal rate	NGO rate (*)	
Day one: 'From welfare to work' (Thursday, May 20 - including lunch): 	YES / NO	2,500	1,250	
Day two: 'Guarantee plans' (Friday , May 21 - including lunch): 	YES / NO	2,500	1,250	
conference dinner (Friday evening, May 21)	YES / NO	1,000	500	
book Nicaise et al., Labour market programmes for the poor in Europe: pitfalls, dilemmas, and how to avoid them (Avebury, 1995): normal price 1,900 BEF	 YES / NO	 1,425	 1,425	
report Vleugels et al., Leven na de dop. Haalbaarheid en effectiviteit van opleidings- en werkervaringsgaranties voor langdurig werklozen in Vlaanderen (HIVA, 1998): normal price 700 BEF	 YES / NO	 600	 600	
hotel room in hotel ?????????????. / NGO guest house (fill out only if booked before deadline): arrival ?. May; departure ?. May  = ?.. nights	YES / NO	??.	??.	
early registration bonus (before March 30)		- 500	- 500	
TOTAL		??.	??.	
to be paid on account n° 431-0370241-59 of HIVA with KBC Bank (Ladeuzeplein 15, B-3000 Leuven. Swift code KREDBB100). Payments in EUR can be made on the same account (40.34 BEF/EUR). PLEASE CLEARLY MENTION THE PARTICIPANT'S NAME AND 'COLLOQUIUM 20-21 MAY - CODE NUMBER 97.1213''
(*) NGO representatives should attach an attestation from their employer.
Remarks (special dietary requirements etc.):	 ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
YOU WILL RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION OF YOUR REGISTRATION AND FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE COLLOQUIUM, AFTER RECEPTION OF YOUR PAYMENT.



Nancy Vertongen
Hoger Instituut voor de Arbeid
E. Van Evenstraat 2E, B-3000 Leuven
tel. 32 (16) 32 33 70 - fax 32 (16) 32 33 69
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/hiva



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