Founding forum 2007
Welcome by Dr. Wolfgang Schuster, Mayor of Stuttgart and Dr. Ingrid Hamm, Executive Director of the Robert Bosch Foundation
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Europe is currently experiencing a dramatic demographic change, which will mean a long-term challenge for the sustainability of European cities. We, the decision makers of the cities, have the possibility of playing an active role in moulding the quality of life of our citizens - for today and tomorrow.
In a united Europe we have the possibility of getting together, exchanging ideas and working out innovative concepts across the frontiers. That is why the City of Stuttgart in cooperation with the Robert Bosch Foundation and together with cities, patrons and partners from 12 European countries has drawn up a strategy for a European city Network named Cities for Children.
This Network will offer European cities, the business community, civil society and science a platform to exchange and work on pioneering ideas transnationally.
I look forward to welcoming you personally at the European Founding Forum Cities for Children.
Dr. Wolfgang Schuster
- Dr. Ingrid Hamm
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If you ask children and their parents, where they experience if some-one is friendly or rude towards them, the answer will come instantly: It's where we live and work - in our cities, in our daily lives. Cities are the ground on which a sustainable family-policy can grow and develop. Responsibility lies not only with city-governments and elected officials, but with shop-keepers, neighbours, teachers, policemen and many others who form a city and make it work.
Federal policies can and should show the way, but in the end all politics is local - and child friendliness is the best example for it. Esteem for families and their children are directly related to the future of our cities. No respect most of-ten means that families move away and in the end such action dooms a cities future. A city without children is a city on the way out.
The city of Stuttgart under the leadership of Lord-Mayor Schuster can be seen as a trailblazer in regard to shaping a better future for children and their families. This city is quite ambitious - rightly so - and wants to become the most child friendly city in Germany. Therefore - together with Prognos AG - the city measured up to ambitious goals to achieve this status. It is highly laudable that the success will be audited regularly by experienced consultants and experts. Every family can observe the status in improving the state of child friendliness. Focus groups made up of regular citizens will hold the city officials accountable. This is a good practice at work and much recommendable for other cities as well.
The planned network Cities for Children, organized by the city of Stuttgart and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation, provides an opportunity to discover what can be done to improve conditions for children and their parents in quite a specific way. It will be done at grass-root level: In our streets, houses, playgrounds, schools, and city-halls. The intended network will serve one purpose: To help European cities to shape their future according to the needs of families and children.
Looking for best-practices will be central to the purpose of the network Cities for Children. There is a multitude of answers and solutions in European cities to the question of what city-governments need to address. We should and we will learn from each other. Together we face similar problems and together we search for working solutions.
I thank you for your interest and invite all of you to participate in this project.
Dr. Ingrid Hamm
