2022 annual report: an eventful year news 24. April 2023 The founding of a Think & Do Tank, a new management team, intensive discussions at the General Meetings and an election to the Federal Council at the end of the year: the SGG has had an intensive year full of dialogue. Swiss wrestlers bring royalty and the principle of peaceful combat to the National Day celebration news 15. September 2022 The Swiss Society for the Common Good (SSCG) celebrated National Day 2022 on the Rütli today with the the Swiss Wrestling Association and over 1000 guests. On a day devoted to the idea of “peaceful combat” and under the motto #Letstalk, participants were encouraged to engage in dialogue with others holding different opinions. Nora Wilhelm, co-founder of collaboratio helvetica, and Marco Solari, President of the Locarno Film Festival, delivered the event’s keynote speeches. The “bad guys” are coming! Registration closed – admission only with Ticket. news 30. May 2022 For the first time in history, the Rütli will host Swiss-style wrestling. After a two-year delay, the SSCG is jointly organizing this year’s National Day celebration on 1 August with the Swiss Wrestling Federation. Secure one of the much-coveted seats at the celebration and register now. Annual Report 2021: SSCG in a state of constant flux news 22. April 2022 Both the SSCG’s strategic management and head office underwent significant changes in 2021. And at the heart of it all, the new “Pro Futuris” Think + Do Tank was born. SSCG Conference on Volunteer Work 2022 Commitment for the over-65s news 20. April 2022 Almost half of the people who have reached retirement age volunteer to work within organizations. And more than half of those over 65 are involved in voluntary work in their neighbourhoods independently of associations. At the same time, there is still enormous potential among retirees who wish to contribute to the solution of social challenges. Pro Futuris is the new think + do tank created by the SSCG news 30. March 2022 Pro Futuris’ objective is to create new opportunities for democratic participation for all people of Switzerland and to reinforce social cohesion in a diverse population. We provide a platform for reflection, debate and experimentation towards a thriving, effective and resilient democracy. Voluntary work 2020: 4.1 hours per week news 7. February 2022 The level of volunteer work in the first year of the pandemic was remarkable. Active individuals performed an average of 4.1 hours per week in unpaid activities, such as associations and neighbourhood help. NGOs successfully ward off attack from political opponents news 10. December 2021 During the winter session, the SSCG addressed an open letter to members of the National Council. A motion from Council of States member Ruedi Noser wanted politically engaged NGOs stripped of their nonprofit and tax-exempt status. Thanks to the commitment of several NGOs, the motion failed. Conference on Volunteering: Corporate Volunteering 2.0 news 12. October 2021 This year’s conference from the Swiss network “freiwillig.engagiert” thematizes on November 16, 2021 in Bern the interaction between companies, employees and non-profit organizations. Promotion of volunteering: UBS Helpetica connects projects and volunteers news 12. October 2021 With the online platform “UBS Helpetica”, UBS connects charitable projects with volunteers. An interview with the initiator Sonja Kingsley-Curry. Load more Analyses of the Volunteer Monitor: Who does how much, when and where? news 12. October 2021 Do you want to know more about volunteering in terms of gender, age, language region, household income, nationality or level of education? On the SSCG website, you can now download in German and French 18 factsheets and three special analyses on the Swiss Volunteer Survey 2020 free of charge. 1 August celebration was a women’s Rütli – in memory of 50 years of women’s suffrage news 1. August 2021 SSCG President Nicola Forster welcomes the 650 women at the “Rütli of the women”. Women’s meeting on the Rütli (from left to right: Simonetta Sommaruga, Maya Graf, Rosmarie Dormann, Brigitte Hauser-Süess, To sing or not to sing – that’s the question news 19. July 2021 The players of the Swiss national team are not the only ones who do not sing the current text of the Swiss national anthem. On August 1, communities and cities as well as Swiss associations around the world are invited to sing the new proposed text for the anthem, in addition to the traditional Swiss psalm. A national network will be born news 19. July 2021 The creation of the “Swiss Network of Societies for Common Good” (SNSCG) aims to strengthen the exchange and cooperation between the Societies for Common Good (SCG). On August 25, 2021, the network will celebrate its launch in Zurich. Social assistance belongs to the federal level news 19. July 2021 The SSCG supports families and individuals affected by poverty with half a million Swiss francs per year. The SSCG is now proposing a framework law in the field of social assistance. The following commentary by the director of the SSCG was published in the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” on June 25, 2021. General Assembly: New executive board elected news 19. July 2021 The 190th General Assembly of the SSCG should have been held in Altdorf. Due to the pandemic, the GA was again held in writing. The new Executive Board was elected for a four-year term of office. Swiss Volunteering Survey: Possibility for cooperation news 19. July 2021 As soon as the Swiss Volunteer Survey 2020 has been published, planning is underway for the next Survey. The SSCG started the Survey in 2002 and has already conducted it four times – together with 30 partner organizations. Organizations can integrate questions on Voluntary Work to the Survey 2025. When communities, associations and businesses work together news 19. July 2021 Many societal challenges today can no longer be solved by individuals and families, the state, the economy, or the civil society alone. When sectors of society come together, sustainable and innovative solutions emerge. This is also the case with promoting voluntary work. Workshops lead to innovative ideas news 19. July 2021 Over the past two years, the SSCG held ten workshops with experts from across the country and from all sectors of society to identify the greatest future challenges to social cohesion and to explore innovative approaches to solving them. 40th anniversary of the Swiss national anthem: What values do we want to sing? news 30. March 2021 40 years ago, on April 1, 1981, the Swiss Federal Council designated the Swiss Psalm as the national anthem. A large part of the Swiss population is convinced that the text of the anthem should express the central values of our society. Load more Federal celebration on the Rütli: Women celebrate 50 years of democracy news 30. March 2021 This year, the Swiss Society for Common Good (SSCG) invites all women and women’s associations to the Rütli to celebrate 50 years of women’s suffrage and voting rights in Switzerland on August 1. The style and program of the celebration will differ from the previous tradition. New President of the SSCG: Nicola Forster news 8. December 2020 The SSCG members elected their new President at a written general meeting. Nicola Forster was born in 1985 and belongs to the so-called “Generation Y”, also known as “Millennials”. Read the interview with the new President. Project “engagement-local”: digital kick-off event news 21. November 2020 Volunteers are primarily involved on a local level. For this reason, the project “engagement-local” supports 10 localities in Switzerland over a period of three years in order to promote volunteer work more strongly at the local level. At the online meeting on 30 October, the 10 communities presented their planned projects. “Shrinking civic space” also in Switzerland news 20. November 2020 Not only in China, Hungary or Turkey civil society organizations are put under pressure when they speak out on political issues or commit themselves to specific concerns and groups. This fall, civil society in Switzerland also experienced the “shrinking civic space”. The general assembly of the SSCG will be held in writing this year news 3. November 2020 Already in the spring of 2020, due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the official measures ordered by the authorities, the 189th General Assembly of the SSCG scheduled for June 4, 2020 in Burgdorf had to be postponed to December 3, 2020 in Berne. However, in view of the second wave of corona and the provisions of the Confederation and the cantons, Plan B was also cancelled. Not every commitment is voluntary work news 10. September 2020 The Swiss Volunteering Survey 2020 presented the latest figures on volunteer work in Switzerland in June: 6 out of 10 people regularly do charitable work for society. And 7 out of 10 people sporadically contribute to neighborhood assistance. SSCG Director Lukas Niederberger interviews Adrian Fischer. The sociologist is partner of the research institute Lamprecht & Stamm and has scientifically developed the Review 2020. SSCG President J.D. Gerber: The captain leaves the bridge news 10. September 2020 Jean-Daniel Gerber was elected President of SSCG in 2011. Before that, the former Secretary of State and multiple board member was familiar with the logic of action of state and economy. However, he quickly found his way in the territory of civil society. The interview with him was conducted by SSCG Director Lukas Niederberger. Federal celebration 2020: An act of state under the sign of Corona news 9. September 2020 Due to corona distance rules, many federal celebrations in Switzerland as well as in numerous Swiss clubs, consulates and embassies around the world were cancelled on August 1 this year. The Swiss Society for the Common Good (SSCG) also cancelled the traditional federal celebrations on the Rütli as early as May. The regret was great, especially since the celebration was organized in cooperation with the Swiss Wrestling Federation and around 2000 guests were looking forward to the first swinging on the Rütli. Corona sequences: What do we learn from COVID-19 ? news 8. September 2020 The Corona Pandemic, this surrealistic mix of medical danger, politically imposed restrictions on freedom and economic crisis, is experienced as epochal by all those who never experienced war or hunger in their own lifetime. In the lives of most of our contemporaries there are no points of reference that have had such a far-reaching global impact. Since the beginning of 2020, our lives have been marked by a widespread lack of knowledge and provisional orientation. Neither an end to the crisis nor a return to a pre-coronal normality is foreseeable. 6th SSCG Conference on Volunteer Work: Desire for contacts and skills news 7. September 2020 Management and coordination of volunteers were the focus of the 6th SSCG conference on volunteer work on September 3. SSCG President Jean-Daniel Gerber welcomed the 140 guests in the Kursaal in Berne, before sociologist Markus Lamprecht addressed some aspects of the Swiss Volunteering Review 2020. Lamprecht refuted four widespread statements about volunteer work: volunteers are steadily decreasing; volunteers are increasingly compensated; material compensation is increasingly becoming a motivating factor for volunteer work; and the potential of volunteers is limited. Load more Federal celebration 2020: Trees of hope for Corona heroes news 4. August 2020 Simonetta Sommaruga, President of the Swiss Confederation, honoured on the Rütli meadow on 1 August, one woman and one man each from all 26 cantons and from the “Fifth Switzerland” (Swiss citizens living abroad) for their commitment during the Corona lockdown. On behalf of all those who were especially committed to other people and to society, the 54 people received a young apple tree as a gift. Trees of hope for Corona heroes news 1. August 2020 Simonetta Sommaruga, President of the Swiss Confederation, honoured on the Rütli meadow on 1 August, one woman and one man each from all 26 cantons and from the “Fifth Switzerland” (Swiss citizens living abroad) for their commitment during the Corona lockdown. On behalf of all those who were especially committed to other people and to society, the 54 people received a young apple tree as a gift. Corona virus does not stop at the SSCG news 1. June 2020 In the Corona crisis, the SSCG is complying with the regulations and recommendations of the Swiss Federal Council. For this reason, the federal celebration of 1st August on the Rütli meadow will be replaced by a memorial service under the sign of Corona. The ceremony is held on the Rütli meadow with the President of the Swiss Federal Council, Simonetta Sommaruga. Because of the Corona regulations, this event is not open to the public and limited to a small number of persons. Exhibition at the “Musée Grütli”: The other Switzerland news 31. May 2020 On June 14th, the exhibition “Interrupted itineraries. Faces of Social Welfare” will open below the Rütli meadow. The theme of the exhibition could not be more topical. As a consequence of the corona pandemic, many Swiss residents will be applying for social welfare for the first time. Over the past three years, film artist and photographer Ghislaine Heger has shown the exhibition with portraits of welfare recipients in more than 15 locations in French-speaking Switzerland. New text for the Swiss national anthem news 29. May 2020 Finally an English text for the Swiss national anthemIn 2015, more than 200 artists took part in the competition in order to create a new text for the Swiss national anthem.[nbsp]The winner text is written by Werner Widmer.[nbsp]The new hymn text to the traditional melody is based on the Swiss core values expressed in the preamble of the Swiss Federal Constitution.[nbsp] Follow live the Federal celebration on the Rütli meadow news 30. April 2020 On 1 August, the President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, and the Swiss Society for Common Good (SSCG) will hold the federal celebrations on the Rütli in an unusual setting. Federal celebration on the Rütli: Corona reduces the dimension news 5. April 2020 Every year, the SSCG invites almost 2000 guests to the federal celebrations on the Rütli on 1 August. This year, the SSCG wanted to organise the federal celebration together with the Federal Association of Swiss Wrestling. Exhibition at the Musée Grütli: Faces of social welfare news 4. April 2020 Interrupted Journeys: faces of social welfare:[nbsp]Saturday,[nbsp]13th[nbsp]June[nbsp]2020[nbsp]to 11th November 2021 Opening, to which the public is cordially invited: Saturday,[nbsp]13th June 2020, 11.30 am.Since 2017, filmmaker and photographer Ghislaine Heger has staged an exhibition portraying welfare recipients at over 15 locations in French-speaking Switzerland. Parallel to the travelling show, she has organized numerous panel discussions and lectures on the subject of poverty and social welfare. Swiss Federal Day on the Rütli Celebrating in times of Corona news 2. April 2020 In the Corona Year, events with more than 1000 guests are not allowed even on the Swiss Federal Day and even on the Rütli meadow. The President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, will address a message from the Rütli meadow on the Swiss Federal Day. Serving Social cohesion news 31. October 2019 The Swiss Society for the Common Good (SSCG) was founded in 1810.The SSCG is committed to the social cohesion in Switzerland.The SSCG researches and promotes voluntary work in Switzerland.The SSCG donated the Rütli to the Swiss Confederation in 1860, has administered it ever since and organizes the federal celebration there on 1 August each year. Load more Supporting voluntary work news 30. October 2019 Since its foundation in 1810, the SSCG has been promoting social involvement in civil society in Switzerland. Since the United Nations Year of Volunteering in 2001, the SSCG has been carrying out research and promotion activities on volunteering in Switzerland. Volunteering is both the source and the fruit of a supportive society. Visit the Rütli news 29. October 2019 More than 100,000 people visit the “Cradle of Switzerland” every year. Royalty, heads of state and government leaders have honoured the Rütli with their presence, as have countless children participating in the classic Swiss school trip. Strengthening the cohesion of society news 28. October 2019 Individualisation, digitisation, multiculturalism and the pluralisation of lifestyles and social groups seriously undermine the solidarity and cohesion of society. In Switzerland, the heterogeneous, multicultural and mobile society is – in addition – not united by a single language, a common secular history and culture or a common religious credo. That is why targeted measures are needed to promote social cohesion in Switzerland. Over 2000 guests at National Day celebrations on the Rütli news 1. August 2019 In gorgeous weather conditions, more than 2000 people celebrated the 728th birthday of the old Swiss Confederation on the Rütli meadow. National Day 2018 news 1. August 2018 On 1 August 2018, over 1600 people attended the Swiss Federal Day celebrations on the Rütli. In his ceremonial address, Federal President Alain Berset emphasized the importance of compromise as an expression of political culture. The compromise is greater than the lowest common denominator, in the compromise would win both sides, and the compromise would often lead to sustainable solutions. National Day celebrations at the Rütli on 1 August 2017 news 1. August 2017 At the National Day celebrations on the Rütli, Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr delighted the 1300 guests with a thought-provoking address. Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, President of Pro Senectute, spoke about the challenges facing the organization, which was founded in 1917 by the SSCG. Crossbow world champion Joël Brüschweiler managed to hit not only the legendary apple from ten metres but also a cherry. And alphorn virtuoso Enrico Lenzin accompanied MISS HELVETIA Barbara Klossner, who sang the new national anthem. Red Cross celebrates Swiss National Day on the Rütli news 1. August 2016 The SSCG and the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) are jointly organizing this year’s National Day celebrations on the Rütli on 1 August. In 2016, the SRC celebrates its 150th jubilee. For the first time ever, the formal address will be delivered by a personality from Italian-speaking Switzerland: Carla del Ponte. National Day 2015 address was given by Simonetta Sommaruga news 1. August 2015 President Simonetta Sommaruga gave the Swiss National Day commemorative speech on the Rütli on 1 August. The 2015 celebrations took the theme of “hospitality”.
