WISERD and WHEB Workshop: The Role of Civil Society in Building a Strong, Dynamic and Cohesive Europe

In June 2024, members of the European Council will meet to agree the Strategic Agenda for the European Union for 2024-29, that will aim to safeguard a “strong, dynamic, competitive and cohesive Europe in a changing world”. In the declaration from an initial meeting in Granada, Spain, in October 2023, the Council stated that, “we will anticipate potential challenges and seize the opportunities for our Union in the green and digital transitions, in order to ensure the sustainability of our economic model, leaving no one behind”.

In this event, researchers from the WISERD Civil Society Research Centre will make the case for putting civil society at the heart of this agenda, setting out ideas for how civil society organisations and activists can contribute towards these objectives, and how they can be supported in doing so. The contributions will focus on building resilient and inclusive economies, enhancing social cohesion, and managing the digital transition.

The short presentations will draw on research projects funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Horizon 2020, including:

• Case studies on the Foundational Economy in Amsterdam, Zagreb and the UK;
• Analysis of EU policy documents and civil society commentaries on Artificial Intelligence;
• Research with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller organisations in Czechia, England and Wales;
• Comparison on UNICEF frameworks for child-friendly cities in France, England and the USA;
• Quantitative analysis of territorial inequalities across Europe and qualitative research on civil society responses;
• Case studies of civil society action to counter polarisation in the Republic of Ireland and Wales;
• Research on worker representation and trade union activism in garment industry supply chains in India;
• Innovative work with communities using hyper-local data in Wales.

These WISERD projects have involved researchers at five universities in Wales (Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Swansea, and South Wales) and at partners in the rest of the UK, Europe and globally.

Programme

09:30 – 09.45  Welcome and agenda (including WISERD video) - Prof. Ian Rees Jones

Panel 1: Resilient and Inclusive Economies in the Green and Digital Transitions (09:45 – 10:35)

09:45 - 09:55 Presentation 1: Foundational Economics and Sustainability in European Cities - Dr Matt Thompson & Dr David Beel
09:55 - 10:05 Presentation 2: Securing Worker’s Welfare in Global Supply Chains - Prof. Jean Jenkins
10:05 - 10:15 Presentation 3: Civil society perspectives on AI regulation in the European Union - Prof. Paul Chaney
10:15 - 10:35 Q&A and Discussion - Discussant: Prof. Kevin Morgan

10:35 – 10:50 Break

Panel 2: Enhancing Social Cohesion (10:50-11:50) 

10:50 - 11:00 Presentation 1: Experiences of migration, diversity, and integration: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller civil society organisations in the Czech Republic and England and Wales - Prof. Martina Feilzer & Dr Robin Mann
11:00 - 11:10 Presentation 2: The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Spatial Justice and Tackling Polarisation - Prof. Michael Woods
11:10 - 11:20 Presentation 3: Promoting Child-friendly Cities - Prof. Sally Power
11:20 - 11:30 Presentation 4: Empowering Civil Society with Local Data - Prof. Scott Orford
11:30 - 11:50 Q&A and Discussion - Discussant: TBC
11:50 - 12:00 Closing Remarks - Prof. Ian Rees Jones

12:00 – 13:00 Working lunch