Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD) and Welsh Higher Education Brussels (WHEB) are holding an event focused on the role of civil society in building a strong, dynamic and cohesive Europe. The workshop will be held on 25 January at Wales House, Brussels.

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 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 with partners in the rest of the UK, Europe and globally.

The full programme for the event is attached.

Please register here.