Social inclusion and poverty reduction is a relatively new paradigm which is the foundation for social policies and efforts to improve social integration and social cohesion, primarily in the European Union and its neighborhood as an area for its further expansion. This political paradigm is founded in various traditions of social theory on the European continent, as well as various welfare regimes created to protect the population from social risks. SeConS had a pioneering role in the processes of accepting this political discourse and framework, through publications, action surveys and Internet course which contributed to improving the Serbian understanding of relevant concepts, policies and instruments for developing and coordinating social inclusion policies in the EU. Independently or in partnership with other civil society organizations and relevant state institutions, primarily the Team for Social Inclusion and Poverty Unit, SeConS published reference studies, like the one on the challenges of the new social policy and carried out pioneering surveys, like the one on social exclusion in rural areas in Serbia as well as advancing the knowledge and competences of various relevant actors. The Internet course on social inclusion developed in partnership with the SIPRU team has been included in the training program of the Government Human Resource Management Unit. Through surveys, monitoring and evaluation of policies, SeConS worked on problems of social inclusion of various marginalized groups, such as the Roma population, displaced persons, migrants, the rural population, women in the position of family helpers, female victims of family and other gender-based violence, persons with disabilities, intravenous drug users, and others.
SeConS – SeConS Development Initiative Group