Principles

Social Firms Europe CEFEC believes that:

  • People who are systematically excluded from work by society because of disability or disadvantage should have the right to the rewards and status of work;
  • The provision of such remedial work opportunities is best effected in market-orientated and community-based work enterprises, which are part of everyday economic activity;
  • Self-organising and co-operative forms of enterprise are the best methods of achieving such work opportunities;
  • As a result of the functioning of such enterprises, an additional element of social production arises, which is of value both to society and to the individual concerned;
  • The disadvantage of Social Firms in the market place must be compensated financially through the medium of laws and regulations enacted by the local and national state;
  • The associative and normalizing benefits of work should enable the individual to take a full and active place in society;
  • It is essential to provide vocational training of users in close connection with, and leading to, the provision of permanent jobs;
  • Vocational training of management staff is essential in order to run training initiatives and Social Firms / social co-operatives;
  • It is essential to promote research into vocational training and work in association with Social Firms and social co-operatives in order to elaborate knowledge and understanding;
  • It is important to monitor and measure the effectiveness of enterprises in order for best practice to be disseminated and adopted;
  • It should be a goal of the organization to work with the population at large in order to sensitize society to the rights and problems of the people Social Firms Europe CEFEC seeks to support;
  • Overall, it should be a goal of the organization to achieve a change of culture within Europe, which facilitates the specific aims of the organization.

The best methods of achieving those are:

  • The exchange of information and experience; the organization of practical activities such as conferences and training;
  • The development of economic and technical co-operation between members;
  • The promotion of scientific and cultural research;
  • The amendment of laws and regulations concerning welfare and the labour market;
  • The promotion of a change of emphasis in existing and forthcoming EU programmes in favour of the aims of Social Firms Europe CEFEC.