We are very pleased to invite you to the Progressive Alliance Parliamentary Conference “Decent Work and Education – Investing in Equal Opportunities” in cooperation with the S&D Group in the European Parliament and hosted by the PS Portugal, which will be conducted in Lisbon, Portugal, on 4 – 5 December, 2014.
This conference is an ideal platform for bringing together progressive participants from all over the world: from political parties, in particular progressive members of parliament through trade unions to civil society. It stays in line with a core idea of the Progressive Alliance, namely, to provide a common forum for political discussions, networking with fellow progressives and the exchange of experiences from all over the globe.
With decent work and education as the focus of this event, and with Portugal as a country whose significance in this field is widely recognized, we are convinced to have found just the right place for our conference work and the examination of its important topic. This, of course, is also a reason why we highly appreciate the offer of the Socialist Party of Portugal to be the conference host.
Dear Comrades, Dear Friends,
Education policies are at the center of a progressive agenda that will foster individual autonomy, diffusion of knowledge, development of science; promote the protection of a public school system and equal opportunities for all.
A strong and inclusive system of public education is one of the pillars of the welfare state and an essential tool to strengthen the equality among our citizens and guaranteeing more and better jobs and a fair labor market. Our political family in Europe and worldwide must find adequate common policies to promote the public investment in education and science and to combat unemployment and exclusion.
In the light of these political priorities, we invite you, in close partnership with the Group of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament and the Progressive Alliance, to attend a conference entitled “Decent Work and Education – Investing in Equal Opportunities for All”, in Lisbon, 4 and 5 of December 2014.
It would be our pleasure to be able to count on your presence in this meeting.
Fraternal Regards,
António Costa, Socialist Party Candidate to Prime Minister
Maria de Belém Roseira, President of the Socialist Party
Education is a human right and is essential to ensuring that children and youth become active citizens as well as that elderly people adapt to changes. The evidence on why education should be afforded greater priority globally and nationally is clear and abundant. Education is a key ingredient for the implementation of any new comprehensive human development agenda, for reducing extreme poverty and for achieving decent work for all. But achieving a meaningful breakthrough in education will require all actors working together. The Progressive Alliance Conference seeks to offer a platform for a global exchange focused on addressing the most pressing needs in education.
The second priority of the Conference is International Parliamentary Cooperation as the Progressive Alliance intends to develop common strategies at parliamentary level to push our agenda forward on a global scale. Another focus of the working groups will be Progressive Campaigning. The Progressive Alliance intends to support the campaign capacities of progressive parties, so that right around the world progressives and our agenda win electorally. In the working groups the participants will have the opportunity to discuss shared best practices from different world regions.
Please register for the conference at the latest by 24 November, 2014.
Kind regards and looking forward to seeing you in Lisbon
Invitation (PDF)
