The Western Experience with Social Safety Nets

Abstract

This Congress is taking place at a time of historic changes in Russia and Eastern Europe. These changes offer great prospects and there will be greater freedom and opportunities for individual action. There is a desire to learn from the Western experience, but in the West too changes are under way: we have just seen the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement; in Western Europe, the European Community is about to complete the common internal market and is in the process of enlargement.