Intergenerational solidarity

On 24 and 30 June, as also 1 July, FEPS, in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Warsaw, Foundation Max van der Stoel and Centrum im. Ignecego Daszynskiego held 3 events in the framework of training initiative “Challenges for social democracy”. The activities took place in Włocławek, Kielce and Dąbrowa Górnicza and were devoted respectively to the questions of housing, future of work and intergenerational solidarity.

Dąbrowa Górnicza was chosen because the city, having transformed itself from a purely industrial town, now connects with its history, using it as a building block for progressive forces to flourish. Being the biggest city of the Silesian Voivodeship, the working-class roots of the city cannot be overlooked. 

The concept behind this initiative is to improve the programmatic debate on the Centre-Left in Poland, enable the exchange of best practices, and provide high-quality training. All of these are essential contributions to strengthening progressive forces, and by extension, to providing a further boost to the discussion about alternatives and ways of improving deliberative democracy in the country.

Each of the session included an open part with a keynote address(es) and experts’ debate (with participation of the European stakeholders), and a closed one with a training (provided by external instructors for 20 participants each). The public parts were hosted by these respective cities Presidents and attended also by the leaders from Nowa Lewica, chairs of the Programmatic Committees, members of the Parliaments, President of PES Women, Vice President and Advisor of the PES, advisor to the PES CoR, academics, trade unionists, youth organisations’ activists and civil society stakeholders – as also FEPS Training Team.

In the case of Włocławek, there was also a field visit organised – feeding into the educational and exploratory aspect of the event. Altogether they have reached about 600 people and helped train 60 in the dimension on how to translate the more theoretical debate into concrete political ideas and narratives. The essence of the training will remain available in a shape of a toolbox, which can be further used also by other members in Europe.

The entire initiative was very welcome on the ground – being also decentralised, and has attracted some worthwhile media attention.

For more information, please contact Elena Gil, FEPS Training Coordinator or Aleksandra Iwanowska, FEPS Trainee.