No prosperity without a strong welfare system
Prosperity was discussed at last Friday's Welfare Coffee meeting. Reykjavík City's Welfare Council holds regular Welfare Coffee meetings open to anyone interested in welfare issues. Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, Welfare Council chair, led the meeting. She spoke about the importance of measuring, monitoring, and following up on decisions that affect residents' well-being.
In a prosperity-focused economy, clear goals for public welfare and quality of life influence government priorities and decision-making. "The public's will is clear. Icelanders generally want a strong and equal society," said Sigrún Ólafsdóttir, sociology professor at the University of Iceland, in her presentation. She has studied prosperity in relation to health and inequality. Sigrún noted signs of increasing inequality in Iceland. She stressed the importance of policy makers asking if they're creating a society that reflects these values. "The big question we want to consider is what kind of society we're creating. Are we creating a society of prosperity?"
Developing tools for municipalities
The Icelandic Association of Local Authorities has been discussing prosperity. Svala Hreinsdóttir, a specialist at the Association, spoke about this work. She mentioned that the Association's 2024 school operation plan specifically addresses prosperity and lists projects that promote it. The goal is to help municipalities assess their prosperity indicators. Tools to assist in this work are being developed.
Prosperity in Reykjavík
Óskar Dýrmundur Ólafsson discussed prosperity from Reykjavík City's perspective and its welfare services. He is the executive director of the South Center, one of four centers in Reykjavík providing welfare and recreation services. Óskar believes neighborhoods play a crucial role in creating and maintaining a prosperous society in growing urban areas. Local communities offer many opportunities to facilitate the interaction of society, economy, and environment.
Call for increased dialogue
Comedian Elva Dögg H. Gunnarsdóttir spoke about prosperity from a welfare service user's perspective. She focused on language use, describing how some words can be demeaning, with negative connotations affecting people's self-image. She pointed out that ableism is strong in Icelandic society. Those affected by it are aware, while others may not notice. "I'm very pleased to have been asked to speak here today, and I'd like to call for more dialogue with people in my position," Elva said. She concluded with reflections on Icelanders' true willingness to create an equal society: "Everyone wants equality in opinion polls, but as soon as they have to pay a bit more for people to have slightly more equality, they become less enthusiastic about it."