[ENGLISH] The Third Sector as a pillar of democracy in Europe
Plataforma del Tercer Sector, the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 and Social Platform are organising a side event to the Informal EPSCO Council (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council) titled 'The Third Sector as a pillar of democracy in Europe: towards a European Strategy for Civil Dialogue'.
The event will bring together representatives from national and European institutions as well as from networks and platforms of the most important third sector organisations in Europe, around two round tables. The institutional opening will be led by the Minister for Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Ione Belarra; the president of the Third Sector Platform, Luciano Poyato and the acting president of Social Platform, Heather Roy.
Roundtable 1: Mechanisms for collaboration and civil dialogue between the Third Sector and Public Administrations: their democratic importance.
The first-round table, moderated by Asunción Montero, vice-president for funding and sustainability of Plataforma del Tercer Sector, will focus on the role of the Third Sector as an interlocutor of Civil Dialogue and will analyse the mechanisms of collaboration with Public Administrations. This roundtable will be attended by Laura de Bonfils, Secretary General of Social Platform; Ignacio Álvarez, Secretary of State for Social Rights of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030; Carlos Susías, Vice-President of the Third Sector Platform and President of EAPN Europe and, remotly, by Katarina Ivankovic-Knezevic, Director of Social Rights and Inclusion at DG EMPL of the European Commission.
Roundtable 2: The Third Sector and building the future of Europe.
The second-round table, moderated by Natalia Peiró, vice-president for social impact and internal cohesion of Plataforma del Tercer Sector, will focus on the possibilities of articulating the Third Sector at a European level, to be recognised as a valid actor before the European Commission. For this round table, we will have the European counterparts of Plataforma del Tercer Sector, such as: Juliana Wahlgren, Director of EAPN-Europe; Ana Peláez, Secretary General of the European Disability Forum; Marie Louise Coleiro, President of Eurochild; Gabriella Cívico, Director of the Centre for European Volunteering; Javier García, Secretary of the Board of CONCORD (European NGO confederation for relief and development); Lucy Anns, officer for social policy and advocacy at Caritas Europa; and, finally, Ronan Mangan, Director of the Social Inclusion Unit of Red Cross Europe.
The event will take place on Wednesday, 12 July at 10:30 am in the Europa Room of the European Commission Representation in Spain, located at 46, Paseo de la Castellana. It can also be followed via streaming.
