Agenda

This first live dialogue opens up the virtual conference and will focus on tactics and strategies in a context of social distancing. Following a pre-recorded video input from the key-note speaker (available on conference platform prior to live session) on general tactics for nonviolent action and key principles in nonviolence, various inspirational examples and cases of campaigns and actions during restricted covid19 context will be presented and discussed.

During this panel discussion, various tactics of women groups to protect and advance women rights during the covid19 pandemic will be presented and discussed. The discussion will highlight new challenges faced by women in covid19 affected communities in Europe and the South Caucasus and how the covid19 crisis could be transformed into reinforced women rights, stronger gender equality and the recognition of the role of women in the care and health sectors.

This live dialogue session allows the audience to enter into dialogue with two key members of the Ulex Project following a pre-recorded video input on the Ulex competence framework for activists (see conference platform). Ulex framework is made of 5 key social movement capacities (narrative, disruptive, institutional, prefigurative and resilience) from which Ulex capacity development projects are derived. Current covid19 related challenges and responses in terms of competence development of activists will be highlighted, drawn from recent needs assessments and on-going capacity development programmes across Europe.

Tbilisi Pride is a civic movement which opposes homo/transphobia and fights to overcome it through exercising the constitutional right of assembly and manifestation. The goal of the movement is to contribute to forming the environment, where LGBT people are protected, accepted, free and equal with the other citizens of Georgia.

The Shame Movement is a youth-led democratic movement campaigning for electoral reforms in Georgia, which emerged from the violently repressed pro-democracy protests of June 2019.

Oyan, Qazaqstan (Wake Up, Kazakhstan) is a movement aiming at democratic political reforms and strengthening Human Rights in the country, especially ending political repression, developing free and fair elections, a local level self-governance system, etc. The movement was launched in June 2019.

This live dialogue session will allow the audience to ask specific questions on digital organizing and digital safety, following a pre-recorded video input available on the conference platform prior to the live session. Due to covid19, many campaigns and activities of activists’ groups and movements were forced to move into the digital world creating challenges and new risks, as well as a large debate on digital rights and digital security.

This second panel discussion will tackle the ecological transition and environmental challenges faced by our communities. The panellists will present which tactics they use in their work and campaigns to ensure that the covid19 emergency response does not overlook the actual climate change and environmental crisis. The current situation and challenges on how to raise interest of the public and of decision-makers will be emphasized, looking at the realities and actual situation in Western Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia.

During the closure panel discussion, the panellists will share their views on the potential of the covid19 pandemic to be transformed into a momentum for social and environmental changes in our communities, both locally and globally.