Draft Program
Conference of the Progressive Alliance
Empowering the people: Our agenda for a democratic, inclusive and sustainable society
10 – 11 November 2017, San José, Costa Rica
Friday, 10 November 2017
Hotel Aurola Holiday Inn
5th Avenue and 5th Street
San José, 1000, Costa Rica
08:00 hrs Registration
09:00 hrs Meeting of the Steering Committee
All parties and associated organisations of the Progressive Alliance are entitled to send delegates to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee prepares the conference, discusses and approves resolutions and the upcoming activities of the Progressive Alliance.
Chaired by Konstantin Woinoff, Coordinator, Progressive Alliance
Welcome by the Citizens’ Action Party (PAC)
- Marcia González, President, Citizens’ Action Party (PAC), Costa Rica
Introduction into the input paper
- Bonaventure Mbaya, President, Citizens’ Convergence (CC), Republic of the Congo
Current Situation in Iraq
- Sadi Pire, Member of the Politburo, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Iraq, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
Challenges and Opportunities for Peace in Middle East
- Esawi Frej, Member of Parliament, Meretz Party, Israel
- Faraj Zayoud, Fatah, Palestine
Amendments of the Guiding Principles of the Progressive Alliance
10:00 hrs Coffee Break
10:30 hrs Progressive Alliance Working Group on Gender
Chaired by Marja Bijl, Vice-Chair, Dutch Labour Party (PvdA), Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance and Bahia Amra, Palestinian National Initiative (PNI)
Prospects for gender equality policy in Costa Rica
- Nielsen Pérez, Citizens’ Action Party (PAC), Costa Rica
Prospects for gender equality policy in Nicaragua
- Ana Margarita Vijil, President, Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), Nicaragua
Prospects for gender equality policy from the European perspective
- Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group, Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), Spain
Introduction into the “Guidelines for an inclusive gender approach” and discussion
- Marja Bijl and Bahia Amra
11:45 hrs Progressive Campaigning
- Robert Fox, National Director, New Democratic Party (NDP), Canada
- Marije Laffeber, Deputy Secretary General, Party of European Socialists (PES)
- Iain McNicol, Secretary General, Labour Party, Great Britain, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
- German Pino, Secretary General, Party for Democracy (PPD), Chile
Moderator: José Irán Moreno Santos, International Secretary, Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Mexico
13:00 hrs Lunch
14:00 hrs Plenary Session: Empowering the people: Our agenda for a democratic, inclusive and sustainable society
14:00 hrs Welcome
Margarita Bolaños Arquín, Citizens’ Action Party (PAC), Costa Rica, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
14:10 hrs Video
14:15 hrs Introductions into the first topic: Technical innovation and Social Justice – Our Progressive Agenda
Speech
Víctor Báez, Secretary General, Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA-CSA)
Speech
Elke Ferner, Deputy Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Member of the Board of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Germany
14:45 hrs Video
14:50 hrs Key Debate: Technical innovation and Social Justice – Our Progressive Agenda
- Dante Delgado, National Coordinator, Citizens’ Movement (MC), Mexico
- Katarina Nevedalova, Vice President, Party of European Socialists (PES), SMER – Social Democracy, Slovakia
- Eduardo di Pollina, Member of Parliament of Santa Fe, Socialist Party (PS), Argentina
- Pablo Velozo, International Secretary, Socialist Party of Chile (PSCh), Chile, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
Moderator: Humphrey Polepole, Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Tanzania
16:00 hrs Progressive Alliance Award for special political courage to Etta Rosales
For the jury of the Progressive Alliance Award: Giacomo Filibeck, Deputy Secretary General, Party of European Socialists (PES)
16:05 hrs Laudatory Speech
Mathias Tegnér, Member of Parliament, Swedish Social Democratic Party (SAP), Sweden
16:15 hrs Speech by the Laureate
Loretta Ann “Etta” P. Rosales, Chair emeritus of AKBAYAN, Philippines
16:30 hrs Video
16:35 hrs Speech: Central American’s challenges to build democratic, inclusive and sustainable societies
Carlos Andrés Alvarado Quesada, Presidential Candidate, Citizens’ Action Party of Costa Rica (PAC)
16:50 hrs Speech
Monica Xavier, Secretary General, Socialist Party of Uruguay (PSU), Uruguay, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
17:05 hrs Speech
Josh Osih, Vice President, Social Democratic Front (SDF), Cameroon, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
17:20 hrs Key Panel Discussion: Empowering the people: Our agenda for a democratic, inclusive and sustainable society
- Moussa Boly, Vice President, Movement of People for Progress (MPP), Burkina Faso, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
- Neena Gill, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group
- Eran Hermoni, Secretary General, Israeli Labour Party, Israel
- Jesus Zambrano, Member of Parliament, Party of Democratic Revolution (PRD), Mexico, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance
Moderator: Kirsten Meijer, International Secretary, Labour Party (PvdA), The Netherlands
18:30 hrs Family Photo and Closure
19:30 hrs Reception
Saturday, 11 November 2017
11:00 hrs Discussion: Recent Developments in American Countries
- Rafael Baéz Pérez, International Secretary, Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Dominican Republic
- Johanna Paola Ortega Ghiringhelli, International Secretary, Party for a Country of Solidarity (PPS), Paraguay
- Viviana Piñeiro, International Secretary, Socialist Party of Uruguay (PSU), Uruguay
- Rotsay Rosales, Professor at the University of Costa Rica
Moderator: Sandra Cartin, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Costa Rica
12:30 hrs Lunch
13:15 hrs Visit and Discussions
Visit local experiences that promote environmental sustainability
There are two options to choose.
Tour 1: Visit to the cooperative farm COOPENARANJO to get to know the production and processing of coffee beans grown at high altitudes. These are among the best coffee products because of its aroma and flavour. The cooperative is located in the Naranjo district of Alajuela province.
Tour 2: Visit to the Rural Aqueduct Association of Paso Ancho y Boquerón, to learn about small-scale water resources management as a rural development experience. The project’s aim is to promote the protection of water resources, sustainable agriculture and rural landscapes. It was launched and implemented by the Rural Ecotourism and Multiple Services Cooperative Paso entre Volcanes which is situated in the Oreamuno district of Cartago province.
Note: for both tours it is necessary to have suitable footwear to walk on farmland, as well as comfortable clothes and a parasol. It is recommended to bring a coat in case of temperature changes, especially for the visit to the Oreamuno district.
18:00 hrs End of the Conference
Return to Hotel Aurola, evening at your free disposal.
