Culture Action Europe at Civil Society Days 2019

June 13, 2019, 1:38 pm

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted two days of vibrant civil society exchange in Brussels. This year’s Civil Society Days (13-14 June) took place in the crucial times for Europe, namely after the Sibiu Summit and the European Elections and focused on two main pillars: democracy and sustainability.

Culture Action Europe, together with Lifelong Learning Platform and European Students’ Union organised a workshop on protecting freedom of expression in culture and education.

A sustainable democracy depends on the freedom of a diversity of voices to express a range of views. In contrast, societies that attempt to control freedom of thought and expression, rights protected by Articles 10 and 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, constrict the necessary space that allows for democratic debate and divergent ideas. Both in artistic and academic domains, challenges to freedom of expression are increasingly prevalent in countries across Europe. The context in which these challenges emerge, and how we can therefore go about addressing them, formed the basis for discussion of this session.

Oonagh Aitken, Lifelong Learning Platform’s Pool of Experts, Yamam Al-Zubaidi, Equality & Diversity Manager, Riksteatern, Sweden, Peter Inkei, Chief Editor, Central European University Press, Hungary and Rosa Perez monclus, Policy Director at Culture Action Europe were among contributors of this workshop.

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