 Theme: Jobs, Family & Gender Equality

 SMALL POPULATION, BIG SOCIETY?...

 Presenter: Roberts Kilis, Associate Professor,Stockholm

School of Economics in Riga

Short Biography: Cambridge trained social

anthropologist,currently the Chair of the President’s
Strategic Analysis Commission. Has led an expert group
that prepared a Long term sustainable development
strategy Latvia 2030.
THE CASE OF
A RESILIENT
CITIZEN IN 2009
GDP fell almost by a fth

Unemployment tripled

Salaries were cut by 20-

30%

A number of small schools

And hospitals closed or
merged
Taxes noticeably increased
 THE CASE OF A RESILIENT
CITIZEN IN 2009
Yet there have been no major social protests

The government was not ‘punished’ in the

parliamentary
elections;

The crime rates have not increased substantially,

And in late 2009, cautious optimism began climbing

up again
VERY SURPRISING AGAINST
THE BACKDROP OF...

Population shrinking by one sixth

in 20 years, birth rates staying
very low;losing 1% of workers due
to emigration.

Trust level to the government,

public institutions and wider
society two times lower than that
of the neighbours (trusted on
average twelve people), 70% of
population not involved in any
organisations in 2007.

Weak social capital further

exacerbated by the post-soviet
heritage of deep skepticism
towards collective initiatives.
 Self-help networks, mutual exchange ‘shops’, retreat to
local barter exchange.
Smaller schools become social and community centres,
women entrepreneur organisations taking over some
care,support and information ‘services’.
New forms of economic activities emerging – farmers’
markets near shopping malls, creative spaces movement
to revitalize empty oce space in downtown, street corner
fairs.
Example of e-library established in late 2008. Initially to
help disabled people access books, then used by a wider
population, competing with National Library in content
digitalization; now a founder of the newly formed Baltic
culture portal.
44% ready to participate in voluntary local environment
cleaning activities

RAPID EXPANSION OF SMALL SCALE

ORGANIZATIONS DURING THE CRISIS
ARGUMENT:
Citizens’ self organisation has been
one of the key social factors that
made necessary but draconian
austerity measures politically
possible. Yet it has clearly been a
reaction to the crisis, rather than
expansion of previously existing
forms of communal organisation.

Challenge has been not so much

lack of creativity as the lack of
‘citizenship kills and competences’.

To be able to expand and develop

sustainable citizens’ initiatives,
targeted and focused public
investment in skills/competences
development and empowered
application.