CALL to EUROPE the FEPS Call to Europe Conference Celebrates Its 10Th Anniversary in 2021
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Group of the Progressive Alliance of S&D Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament in partnership with: ABOUT CALL TO EUROPE The FEPS Call to Europe conference celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2021. Over the past ten years Call to Europe has evolved into a key progressive platform where experts, civil society representatives and policymakers jointly contribute to a melting pot of progressive ideas. This incredible yearly gathering of Europe’s greatest progressive thinkers, practitioners and activists seeks to provide joint solutions to address common European challenges while following a 3P rule of a Progressive, Participatory and Positive debate. It is this debate which is FEPS’ driving force to fulfil its mission of bridging the social gap. WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT THIS YEAR? • This 10th anniversary edition will build on a decade of profound and pertinent debates, and will welcome back some of our most inspiring speakers from previous Call to Europe conferences. • As a highly interactive and participatory online forum, this 10th anniversary edition will remove any doubts or prejudice you may have about online conferences. Give it a try because we will prove that when organised by FEPS, an online conference stands for excitement, energy and positive debates! • Set up as a festival, you’ll be able to roam around our virtual conference venue and engage with leading progressive politicians, renowned academics, and civil society and trade union representatives, activists and interested citizens. • We will offer you a wide diversity of cultural experiences ranging from music to book discussions to picture exhibitions and much more! Call to Europe 10 Virtual Festival is going to be THE most exciting pan-European online event of 2021! In short, this is YOUR progressive social gathering that is Covid-safe! Don’t wait – get clicking and register NOW! EN FEPS @FEPS_Europe #CallToEurope INTRODUCTION TO THIS YEAR’S TOPIC Europe is slowly emerging from Covid-19. It has been a major health crisis and a magnifier of multiple challenges that have been left without a solution for far too long. So, while every vaccination increases the hope that life can slowly return to ‘normal’, there is at the same time a legitimate question about what the new normal will be. The European progressives, who have just been in the driving seat of the Social Summit in Porto, are very clear that the path forward must involve a fight – a fight against inequalities and for strong welfare states; against injustice and for a sustainable economy; against abuse and for resilient democracy in Europe and across the globe. How to make this happen, how to close the social gaps and how to act upon our solidarity are the questions at the core of the conversation that we as FEPS will hold at Call to Europe 10. Be part of it and you will contribute to shaping the policy proposals that will be discussed and the way to making them reality. This opportunity is just a click away! MIND THE SOCIAL GAPS… The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic is tragic. It is leaving Europe like a battlefield covered with landmines, each of which represents a social gap and each of which can cause another explosion. It will take much leadership, perseverance and boldness to navigate this minefield and to build a bridge to move beyond. Some of the particularly large gaps to be bridged are the: • Gender gap. Since the pandemic has been an asymmetric shock, it has seen many women struggle to carry on with their professional lives and combine these responsibilities with the increased demands to provide care for their loved ones. The number of challenges in the fight for gender equality have risen and they can only all be tackled if Europe manages to build caring economies and caring democracies. • Income gap. During lockdowns, low-income people have had fewer opportunities to continue employment and have been the first to feel the painful consequences of precarious contracts and hazardous working conditions. Now is the time for Europe to focus on delivering on its promise of more and better jobs, with more lifelong learning opportunities and adequate social protection. • Territorial gap. Covid-19 has attacked disadvantaged regions the hardest. More people have died in these regions because of a lack of adequate health infrastructure and a lack of means to protect themselves against exposure. This is the toll of the neoliberal decades and austerity, and Europe needs to recover from it by investing and by improving the quality of public services for everyone across the European Union. • Intergenerational gap. 2020 made Millennials and Generation Z fall behind in terms of living and working conditions. The opportunities they hoped to grasp have become out of reach and the dreams they hoped to achieve by conquering the world to improve it seem to have blurred behind an unreachable horizon. The time is now for Europe to act and to put in place a new social contract that embodies intergenerational solidarity. The European Union must become the driver of progressive transformation – and that is the Call that FEPS, together with its members, partners and community of speakers, is making this year. FEPS @FEPS_Europe #CallToEurope DAY 1: Tuesday 25 May 2021 TEN YEARS OF CALL TO EUROPE – A DECADE OF PROGRESSIVE THINKING OPENING SESSION VIDEO SCREENING CALL TO EUROPE 16:00 – 16:10 PECHAKUCHA – LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD 10 years, 10 topics, 10 Call to Europe calls LÁSZLÓ ANDOR, FEPS Secretary General, Hungary 16:10 – 16:30 TEN YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE CALLS How do we understand the Millennials and their political attitudes? How do we build a sustainable economy? How do we ensure climate justice and gender equality? These are just a few of the most pertinent questions that the Call to Europe conferences have dealt with in the past. To inaugurate this 10th anniversary edition, we would like to take you on a journey in time, which in just 20 minutes will transport you through the Calls of the past, and which will also take a sneak peak at what comes next. FATIMA ELATIK, Former Chairwoman of Amsterdam-East district for PvdA, The Netherlands, took part in Call to Europe 2015 ‘Islam in Europe’ EUGENIO AMBROSI, Chief of Staff of IOM Director General, Italy, took part in Call to Europe 2014 ‘Building Solidarity in Asylum Policy’ JULIA HERR, SPÖ Member of Parliament, Austria, took part in Call to Europe 2017 ‘Millennials and Politics’ Recalling memories that have served as a springboard to action, ZITA GURMAI, PES Women President, FEPS Vice President, Hungary, has taken part in all FEPS Call to Europe conferences FEPS @FEPS_Europe #CallToEurope DAY 1: Tuesday 25 May 2021 TEN YEARS OF CALL TO EUROPE – A DECADE OF PROGRESSIVE THINKING 16:30 – 16:55 CALL TO EUROPE 10 TALK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A With her diplomatic talent, sharp political instincts and hard work, Federica Mogherini rose to become one of the most appreciated EU High Representative in history. She held the European Union together through major crises and ensured the EU kept its global promises. When finishing her mandate two years ago, she honoured FEPS as the place to deliver her legacy speech. Halfway into the next legislative period and from her position as Rector of the College of Europe, she comes back to engage in another intellectual crossfire about what kind of Global Europe should emerge after the Covid-19 crisis. In a conversation with LÁSZLÓ ANDOR, FEPS Secretary General, Hungary and VASSILIS NTOUSAS, FEPS Senior Policy Adviser for International Relations, Greece FEDERICA MOGHERINI, College of Europe Rector, former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice President of the European Commission, Italy 16:55 – 17:00 COMPETITION – WHAT IS YOUR PROGRESSIVE CALL? Introduced by MARIA FREITAS, FEPS Engagement and Programme Coordinator, Portugal Open competition among Call to Europe participants for the best improvised proposals on ‘What’s next for Europe after Covid-19?’ (results and evaluation on Day 3 by PES CoR, ETUC, YES, PES, S&D Group, PES Women, Rainbow Rose). Launch of FEPS Call to Europe 10 Quiz “History and present of social democracy”. FEPS @FEPS_Europe #CallToEurope DAY 1: Tuesday 25 May 2021 TEN YEARS OF CALL TO EUROPE – A DECADE OF PROGRESSIVE THINKING 17:00 – 17:30 VIRTUAL COFFEE BREAK: DIGITAL NETWORKING ROOM IS OPEN THE HUMAN FACE OF THE EU The European Union has created an ineffable bond between its people – be they European citizens or newcomers. This bond arises from the promise of a construction that aims to sustain peace for as long as humanity lives. Humans in the EU is a project that brings together creators, storytellers, journalists and influencers to compose together the human story of Europe. As well as photographs and written texts, the project now uses diverse creative media to recount human stories fostering intercultural understanding, dialogue, and active citizenship. The project has received official support and funding from the European Parliament. Tune in for the first virtual carousel of Call to Europe and to a short storytelling session with the founder of the Humans in the EU project. SOUNDOUS BOUALAM, Head of Communications at Alliance4Europe and Founder of Humans in the EU, Morocco 18:30 – 19:15 ACCELERATING AND DELIVERING ON THE GREEN RECOVERY CALL TO EUROPE 10 TALK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A There may be no other chance like the present to ensure a systemic shift in our commitments towards carbon neutrality. This Call to Europe 10th anniversary edition marks the start of what scientists consider to be the most defining ten years in the future of our planet. The EU Green deal, and implementation of EU and national climate laws, offer very positive developments, yet there is still a huge gap in what needs to be done.