Experiences from Sweden

1
Experiences from Sweden

• Presentation by Peter Gustavsson, Uppsala Party
  Dictrict of the Swedish Social Democratic Labour
  Party (SAP).
• The West Bank, Palestine, November 12th-17th 2005
• The origins of Swedish Social Democracy, slides
  2-7
• Democratic decision making, slides 2-18
• Organization building in theory and practice,
  slides 19-22

2
Sweden 100 years ago

• 5,1 million citizens (today 9 million)
• Infant mortality rate 100/1000 (7/1000)
• Average age men 53, women 58 (74/80)
• Average working hours a week 75 (38)
• Average income/hour 0,45 SEK (115)
• Price of pork/kg 1 SEK (75)

3
Sweden 100 years ago

• Number of doctors 1 131 (today 20 000)
• Number of hospital beds 16 000 (120 000)
• The employers also owned the houses people lived
  in, and the stores you shopped in
• Blacklisting, starvation and lousy living
  conditions

4
When we started

• Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe
• Starvation and poverty
• Bad living conditions
• Blacklisting and harrassment by police/military
• Strong patronage system
• Capitalists and landowners who also had the
  political power

5
How long time did it take?

• Organising/struggle for democracy, 29 years
  (1889-1918)
• Fighting to win power, 14 years (1918-1932)
• Reformation of society/creating a welfare state,
  30 years (1945-1975)
• Financial crises during the 30s and second world
  war delayed the development

6
The Strong Society

• Universal welfare
• Income security
• Only the best is good enough for the people
• As everyone gets something out of the system,
  high taxes can be maintained and public support
  for the system is high

7
The Strong Society and women

• The discontent of rising expectations
• Gender equality at first a result of reforms for
  the working class.
• Elder care, hospitals, kindergartens made it
  possible for women to take part in the labour
  force
• TU demands for equal pay resulted in higher
  salaries in female jobs
• Today the Social Democrats are a socialist and
  feminist party

8
Organisation Principles

• The mirror picture of the society we want to
  create. Not the mirror picture of the society we
  live in...
• Strong members strong movement
• Internal debate is a strength, not a problem
• Equality within the movement
• Openness, transparence, accountability

9
Organisation Structure
SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY Congress every
four years, Board, Report
REGIONAL PARTY Annual meeting, Board, Report

• LOCAL PARTY
• Annual meeting, Board, Report

LOCAL ASSOCIATION Annual meeting, Board, Report
MEMBER
10
Organisation The annual meeting (in the
association)

• Activity report
• Economic report
• Auditors report
• Decision on fee
• Activity plan
• Election of new board
• Proposals/motions
• Political programs
• Election of representatives to local party

11
For the people, by the people I Popular Movement

• The Social Democrats largest strength The
  popular movement
• Local party organisations in an on-going
  struggle.
• Elections are peak-times, but there is activity
  all the time.
• Primarily a popular movement, secondarily a
  campaign organization to win elections.
• You join to change society!

12
For the people, by the people II The network
around the party

• Strong links to trade unions, the tenants
  organisation, the co-op movement etc that are
  influencing party policy.
• Strong and independent organisations for Social
  Democratic women, youth, students etc that
  advances party policy.

13
For the people, by the people III The Labour
Movement Tree
Childrens organization, Unga Örnar
Workers Education Organisation (ABF)
Social Democratic Students
Social Democratic Youth (SSU)
The Olof Palme International Centre
The trade unions insurance company, FOLKSAM
Social Democratic Women
Social Democratic Labour Party
Trade Union Congress (LO)
Religious Social Democrats (Broderskap)
Peoples Houses and Parks
Social Democratic newspapers
15 trade unions
The Co-operative movement
The Tenants Organization
14
For the people, by the people IV Selection of
candidates

• 1. Candidates nominated by the party members
  through the associations.
• 2. A committee is elected by the local party. The
  committee proposes a list of candidates.
• 3. The local party meeting (local council) or an
  election conference in the regional party
  (regional council and national parliament) vote
  and decide on the list.
• Important to mirror the population as a whole
  women, trade union people, young people, retired
  people, immigrants, geographical representation
  etc
• Who do you represent? Accountablity.

15
For the people, by the people V Government and
Opposition

• A strong opposition needed for a good government.
  Otherwise democracy loses its meaning.
• Social Democrats have around 40 and need to
  compromise to get proposals through Parliament.
• Today Social Democrats, Left Party and Green
  Party negotiate the state budgets. Conservatives,
  Liberals, Christian Democrats and Centre Party in
  opposition.

16
The Social Democratic congress I

• Every fourth year, the autumn the year before the
  general election. 350 representatives elected by
  local party members.
• 1. Motions from the party members and discussions
  on issues proposed by the party board
• 2. The party board makes a program after having
  seen the proposals from the members. The proposed
  program is sent to the delegates and is available
  on the internet.
• 3. The delegates propose amendments.
• 4. Congress vote (or compromise).

17
The Social Democratic Congress II

• Last congress More than 1 000 motions from party
  members and organisations
• Congress checked the boards accounts and records
  and the auditors reports and accepted the
  boards actions
• Congress re-elected Göran Persson as chair and
  elected a new party board.

18
Democratic popular movement weaknesses

• Difficult to make fast decisions? The board
  responds to the congress, as long as they follow
  the party program and the decisions are accepted
  by the members they can act quite freely.
• A party growing wild? Internal debate is most
  often a strength. Common goals constant
  discussion on the means. Yes-sayers are risky.
  The loyalty is to the party/movement, not to the
  leader.

19
Organisation building in theory and
practiceRecruitment of members

• A. Long term Making people enthusiastic for
  Social Democratic policy and ideology
• B. The last step Asking the question. Remember
  to do it!
• Go to people where they are jobs, trade union
  meetings, town squares, schools, universities etc
• Good material, in leaflets and on the internet.
  Always with a signing-up sheet

20
Education of new members

• The base Ideology and organisation. Why are we
  doing what were doing and how do I get involved?
  
• Two forms study circle and course
• Basic education often takes place in the youth
  organisation and in the trade unions
• Knowledge is power!

21
Getting involved in changing society

• Many forms of involvement
• Local activism arranging meetings in the local
  area, handing out information, taking part in the
  partys democratic process
• Youth, womens, student and christian socialist
  movements argue for social democracy within
  their communities, work within the party for an
  agenda
• Public office implementing party policies and
  arguing in front of the public

22
Continuity between generations

• Let the young members dream their dreams, even
  when those dreams go further than government
  policy! Unless, youll loose that generation.
• The best tool An independent youth organisation
• Links between youth organisation and party
  involve the young members in decision making
• Speak to the young generation in its own
  languague and with people in their own age