Programme

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Moderator: Ms Jacki Davis of Meade Davis Communications

9.30 a.m. – Inaugural session

  • Mr Séamus Boland, President of the Diversity Europe Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
  • Ms Brikena Xhomaqi, Co-chair of the EESC Civil Society Liaison Group and Director of the Lifelong Learning Platform
  • Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe
  • Mr John Ryan, Director for Public Health, DG Health and Food Safety, European Commission
  • Professor Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights

10.30 a.m – Keynote speech

Presentation of the study 'The response of civil society organisations to the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictive measures adopted in Europe'

  • Ms Valentina Tageo, Founder and Director of Wise Angle Consulting & Ms Carina Dantas, CEO of SHINE 2Europe - authors of the EESC commissioned study requested by the Diversity Europe Goup
  • Q & A

11.15 a.m. – Break

11.30 a.m. – Why we need an active civil society?

  • Mr Cabra de Luna, Secretary General of the Spanish Platform of the Elderly and Pensioners (PMP) and Member of the Diversity Europe Group of the EESC
  • Mr Ebbe Johansen, President of Age Platform Europe
  • Q & A

12.15 p.m. – Working towards more sustainable and equitable societies

  • Mr Patrik Schröder, President of the Swedish National Forum for Voluntary Organizations and Strategic Adviser for Save the Children Sweden
  • Ms Catherine Naughton, Director of the European Disability Forum
  • Q & A

1.00 p.m. – Lunch break

2.30 p.m. – A civil society that drives community resilience

  • Winners of the 2020 EESC Civil Solidarity Prize on 'Civil Society against COVID-19' - Ms Andrea Najvirtova, Executive Director of 'People in Need Slovakia'
  • Ms Annemie Drieskens, President of COFACE Families Europe
  • Q & A

3.15 p.m. – The future we want

  • Ms Carlotta Besozzi, Coordinator of Civil Society Europe - overview of the report 'Participation of Civil Society Organisations in the Preparation of EU National Recovery and Resilience Plans'
  • Mr Jan Mayrhofer, Senior Policy Officer at the European Youth Forum  - overview of the report 'Escaping the Growth and Jobs Treadmill – a new policy agenda for post Coronavirus Europe'
  • Q & A

4.00 p.m. – Concluding remarks

  • Mr Bruno Ribeiro Barata, EPSCO Counsellor for the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU
  • Mr Séamus Boland, President of the Diversity Europe Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)