Social justice

Knowledge sharing, fostering collaboration and developing projects are not empty slogans for Beweging.net, we assume?

Sandra Rosvelds: “That’s right. Essentially, we are a network of 16 member organisations, each with its own activities, but all pursuing a shared mission and vision and common goals in relation to society and policy. We therefore work on overarching themes at Flemish, federal and local level, such as social security and protection, participation, democracy and fair redistribution of wealth. That may sound somewhat abstract but these broad principles translate into concrete actions on the ground and into attention for sub-themes such as affordable housing, diversity and integration, or sustainable development and climate transition. Each of our member organisations has its own area of expertise. At CM, the focus is on health and wellbeing, while Okra focuses on ageing with dignity and pensions. As Beweging.net, we focus on the bigger picture, with a particular sensitivity to social justice. On the ground, you will see that we advocate for integration programmes, affordable energy bills, better public transport, fair taxation and a solid pension.”

How many members are we talking about when we refer to Beweging.net?

Sandra Rosvelds: “As a network, we consist of 16 member organisations, but at the underlying level the CM mutual health organisation alone counts 4.5 million affiliates, while the trade union counts around 1.3 to 1.5 million members. Femma and Okra each represent tens of thousands of members. Add to that our international committee and Familiehulp as one of the largest companies in Belgium, and it becomes clear that we are dealing with a very large part of civil society. Accordingly, our ambition is significant. We aim for a sustainable, democratic society and seek, through a social justice lens, to influence policy at Flemish and federal, but also at European level.”

Taking action

How does citizen science fit into that ambition?

Sandra Rosvelds: “On the one hand, we work at policy level, but on the other, we also implement projects at local level. Not every citizen science project is relevant to our work, of course, we always start from the needs of our members. We first ask ourselves the following questions: does this theme resonate with our constituency, can we generate new insights, and does the project’s objective align with our social vision? In our view, citizen science has several important strengths: it allows you to make complex issues accessible and manageable for a broad audience, you can realise small initiatives with significant impact, and you create a sense of ownership among participants. Moreover, the evidence generated by a citizen science project can be used to engage policymakers and stimulate concrete action. Our starting point is always: ‘we identify a problem and we take action’. That is also the strength of citizen science.”

Can you give a few examples of citizen science projects initiated by Beweging.net?

Sandra Rosvelds: “One example is the ‘Luchtpijp’ project. Together with CM, we purchased equipment to map air quality and measure particulate matter. We distributed it, ensured follow-up and interpretation of the results, and scaled up the project by involving a scientific partner. Our most recent project is ‘Stapscore’, which maps the quality of pavements in a municipality. Our partner in that project is UHasselt. We always provide participants with practical tools to get started and to substantiate certain claims with data. In this way, support is built and we raise awareness while also taking a political stance. As a follow-up to these and other projects, we produce a report, a step-by-step plan, a study day and an opinion piece. We approach mayors and aldermen to encourage local action or to have certain intentions included in the next policy agreement.”

Advocating for inclusion

The theme of Scivil’s next Networking Day on 28 September is ‘policy impact’. That seems tailor-made for your organisation?

Sandra Rosvelds: “Indeed, achieving policy impact lies at the heart of our mission. More than 100 years ago, we were founded with that very intention by our founding members ACV, CM and KAV. We possess extensive expertise in this area and are happy to share it. During the networking day, we will organise two or three sessions and explore how we can support researchers and organisers. We will also present two European Horizon projects: ‘Opportunities’ and ‘Involve’. We have experience in reaching vulnerable and diverse groups, and we want to make that expertise accessible. Where can you find participants from vulnerable communities, how do you engage them, how do you build trust? These are highly relevant questions, and a partner such as Beweging.net can be crucial in achieving inclusion on the ground.”

Have you also succeeded in translating insights on inclusion to the European level?

Sandra Rosvelds: “With the results of our ‘Opportunities’ and ‘Involve’ projects, we are indeed mapping out an advocacy trajectory at Flemish, federal and European level. We prepare policy briefings and present them to European policymakers and the European Commission. For example, we have highlighted that language is a crucial element in shaping overall perceptions. The way we talk about people influences how they are seen in society, so we must be cautious with objectifying terms such as ‘transmigrants’. We urge our politicians to keep seeing the person behind the label.”

Who should get in touch with you at Scivil’s Networking Day to explore collaboration?

Sandra Rosvelds: “Any citizen science project that combines a socio‑economic objective with a scientific approach and whose organisers are genuinely committed to taking action is welcome. Beweging.net is an experienced and widely connected social movement, and that is precisely why our network can act as a driving force for citizen science projects in Flanders and across Europe.”