Civil Society Forum in Central and Eastern Europe

Two days of debates, roundtable discussions and workshops, alog with a series of interactive side events, dedicated to democracy.

      PRESENT CHALENGES FOR DEMOCRACY IN CEE COUNTRIES 

UNTIL     09:30 AM         ARRIVAL OF PARTICIPANTS AND REGISTRATION 

09.30  –  11.00 AM         Opening session: EU’s diverse Civil Societies

Adam Michnik, Historian, essayist, former dissident, public intellectual and editor-in-chief of Poland's largest newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza (PL)

Andrei Pleşu, Philosopher, essayist, journalis, lyterary and critic (RO)

More details here.

11.00 – 11.30 AM        COFFEE BREAK 

11.30 – 13.00               DEMOCRATISATION IN EUROPE: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED? 

H.E. Astrid Emilie Helle, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Council of Europe (NO)  

Karen Fogg, Former Head of EC Delegation in Bucharest (1993 - 1998) (EU)

Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor of Democracy Studies, Hertie School of Governance (RO) 

Maurice Claassens, Senior Coordinator for Solidar (EU)

Kuba Wygnański, Director of Klon/Jawor Association (PL)

Moderator: Ionut Sibian, Executive Director of the Civil Society Development Foundation (RO) 

More details here.

01:00 - 02:30 PM         LUNCH

02:30 - 04:00 PM         HOW WILL EUROPEAN DEMOCRACIES SERVIVE THE ECONOMIC CRISIS ? 

      A. THE WAVE OF INTOLERANCE AND EXTREMISM IN EUROPE 

Bridget O' Loughlin, Coordinator of No Hate Speech Movement Campaign, Council of Europe

Florin Feşnic, Researcher of the Center for the Study of Democracy of the "Babeş Bolyai" University (RO)

Valeriu Nicolae, Regional Director for Advocacy at World Vision Eastern Europe, Middle East, South Caucasus (RO)

Björn van Roozendaal, Programs Director with ILGA - Europe, Middle East  Secreatary of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EU) 

Moderator:  Dovilė Šakalienė, Executive Director Human Rights Monitoring Institute (LT)  

More details here.

       B. DISCONTENT AGAINST BAD GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION 

Zuzana Wienk, Executive Director Fair Play Alliance (SK)

Laura Ştefan, Anti-corruption expert (RO)

Nele Leosk, Program Director at e-Governance Academy (EE)

Grzegorz Makowski, Director of the Anticorruption Programme at Batory Foundation (PL)

Moderator: Cristian Ghinea, Romanian Center or European Policies (RO)

More details here.

       C. DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT AND NEWS CIVIC MOVEMENTS 

Vintilă Mihăilescu, Professor National School of Political Sciences and Public Administration (RO) 

Georgi Iliev, Protest network (BG)

Amana Ferro, Senior Policy Officer of the European Anti Poverty Network (EU)

Miguel Ongil, Podemos (ES)

Moderator: Ioana Avădani, Executive Director of the Center for Independent Journalism (RO)

More details here. 

      D. ECONOMIC RECOVERY VS. NEW ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS 

Bogdan Olteanu, Deputy - Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Honorary Ambassador of the World Wide Fund for nature (RO)

Steffen Stierle, ATTAC Germany - STOP TTIP Steering Committiee (DE)

Lavinia Andrei, President TERRA Mileniul III (RO)

Otilia Nuţu, Policy analyst - energy and infrastructure with Expert Forum (RO)

Peter Medved, Director of the Ekopolis Foundation (SK)

Moderator: Toni Vidan, Friends of the Earth Croatia (HR)

More details here.

04.30 - 06.00 PM        A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SHADOW OF “ILLIBERAL NEW STATES”

Ognyan Minchev, Executive Director, Intitute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) (BG)

Gabor Toka, Professor at Central European University (HU) 

Vlad Mixich, Journalist (RO)

Moderator: Andrei Ţărnea, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Romania (RO) 

More details here.

     Resolutions for democracy in CEE countries 

9.30 – 10.30 AM    Supporting democracy at home and in the EU. What policy agenda for the next 5 years for CEE Civil Society? 

Pawel Krzeczunowicz, civil society expert (PL)

Oli Henman, CIVICUS European Representative (UK)

Codru Vrabie, Civil Society activist, Funky Citizens (RO)

Moderator: Mariana Milosheva-Krushe, Civil society activist and expert (BG)

More details here.

10.30 – 10.45          Coffee Break 

10.45 – 12.15         Parallel Sessions: Supporting democracy at home and in the EU. What policy agenda for the   next 5 years for CEE Civil Society? 

     a. Citizens reborn. From a new culture of protest to a new culture of participation? 

Facilitator: Oana Preda, Executive Director of the Resource Center for Public Participation (RO)

More details here.

    b. Checks and balances: the EU leverage 

Angela Filote, Head of the Representation Office of the European Commussion in Romania (EU) 

Renate Weber, Member of the European Parliament (RO)

Veronika Mora, Director of Ökotárs Foundation (HU)

Moderator: Martina Divjak, Head of Advocacy at Center for Information Service, Co-operation and Development of NGOs CNVOS (SI)

More details here.

     c. Civil Society for all 

Ewa Kulik - Bielinska, Director of Stefan Batory Foundation and Chair of the European Foundation Centre (PL) 

Goran Forbici, President of the European Network of National Civil Society Associations (SL)

Luben Panov, Program Director of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-profit Law (BG)

Moderator: Valentin Burada, Program Director of the Civil Society Development Foundation (RO)

More details here.

1.00 – 2.00 PM        5 projects that will rock the future 

The architecture of our future is an arm length away for each of us. Some choose to wait and see what future has in store for them. Others systematically act on anticipating and influencing its design. This session will present only a fraction of the work NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe do every day in creating a future that avoids our past mistakes and answers to society’s ever-evolving needs. 

a) Anti-Corruption

Frank Bold Society, Czech Republic:

Lobbying against Lobbyists (The Reconstruction of the State anti-corruption campaign), by Jiří Boudal

 b) Good Governance/Transparency

ePF – Fundacja ePanstwo, Poland: Information is Power, by Karolina Wysocka

c) Public Participation

Via Iuris Association, Slovakia: We, the People, by Eva Kovacechova

d) Hate Speech

National Institute of Social Integration, Lithuania: Panda is Spreading the Virus of Joy. Let’s get infected!, by Indrė Maršantaitė

e) New Civic Movements

Alburnus Maior, Romania: Save Roșia Montană Campaign, by Ștefania Simion

More details here.

2.00 – 2.30 PM        Closing session. [Final remarks] 

Ewa Kulik-Bielińska, Director of Stefan Batory Foundation (PL)

Ionut Eugen Sibian, Executive Director of Civil Society Development Foundation (RO)

2.30 – 3.30 PM        Lunch