Volunteering and social/civic engagement are fundaments of democratic societies. They strengthen social cohesion but deeply depend on the free time at disposal of the citizens.
AI robot tutor helping a student with homework, they are sitting on the couch. (Photo: Stock-Asso/Shuttertock)
If the free time that could be invested for such important social activities will be scarcer, will Hashtag activism replace the ‘traditional’ ways of social and civic commitment? Will digitalisation undermine or facilitate civic engagement? And if the lack of civic engagement will increase, what can the EU do to help countering this tendency?
In a time of radical social changes, COMECE and its partners of the European Sunday Alliance, will organise a panel debate on the theme “A question of time – volunteering, social and civic engagement in a connected society”. The event hosted by MEPs Thomas Mann and Evelyn Regner will take place on Thursday morning, 22nd of February, at the EU Parliament.
Participants will dialogue on the decline of traditional ways for social/civic engagement and on the rise of new forms of participation (Hashtag activism) offered by the development of social networks.
The debate will be led by Prof. Dr. Paul-Stefan Roß (Cooperative State University Stuttgart), Gabriella Civico (Director of the European Volunteer Center) and Chris Van Droogenbroeck (Belgium Trade Union LBC-NVK).
Registration process open until Wednesday 15 February 2018. The meeting will be held in English. We are looking forward to a lively discussion!