7 – 8 September 2018 in Tbilisi, Georgia
The conference “Future of Work in the Digital Era”, hosted by our sister party Georgian Dream, will be held on 7 – 8 September 2018 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
We are living in a time of deep transformation: the working environment is changing everywhere and therefore societies are changing as well. Digitisation has raised hopes and fuelled fears at the same time. Because robots do not sleep, they never get sick – and they do not pay taxes. However, life and actions of a community are being financed through human work. This is only one example of the challenges we are facing in times of digitisation. As agreed, our meeting in Georgia will be the kick-off of a series of discussions about how we will be able to shape these huge upheavals caused by the digital revolution in a social and fair way worldwide. These debates shall contribute to a comprehensive positioning of the Progressive Alliance which we would like to present next year.
The second thematic focal point will be Regional Cooperation and Integration. We are seeing contradictory trends worldwide: regional disintegration, the questioning of multilateral agreements and even the termination of treaties. With this debate we want to develop strategies together on how to stop this rollback of an order of society which was developed in a struggle over several decades.
In our working groups we will learn about recent developments in the region. Another important part of the conference will be the meeting of Progressive Alliance Working Group on Gender, which will be hold for the fourth time. If we want to take up political responsibility we need to win elections. That is why the discussion about campaigning techniques and strategies is an important pillar of our common work. For this purpose, we will organise a working group on Progressive Campaigning. And, as it has become good practice, we will start our conference with a meeting of the Steering Committee to discuss all important political and organisational aspects of our network.
On the first day, 7 September, 12.00-14.00 hrs, we will have a meeting of the Board of the Progressive Alliance. Beside the political discussion about the way forward of our movement in these times of change we have to discuss and conclude the activity and financial reports as well as the membership applications. The documents for the three latter issues will be distributed in due time before the meeting.
As stated in our Guiding Principles, should elected members of the Board be unable to attend this meeting, they may send a previously designated representative. Please be aware that leaders of parties that have no representative on the Board have the right to attend the Board meeting without voting rights.
Dear comrades, dear friends, this conference will not only be an excellent occasion to continue our political debates. It will also be a splendid opportunity to exchange experiences, to learn about best practices and to deepen our progressive network.
For more information about the conference, please find enclosed the draft program, the technical details and the registration form.
Please get registered for the board meeting and the conference in Tiflis at the latest on 24 August 2018.
We are looking forward to the confirmation of your participation and to seeing you in Georgia.
Draft Program
7 September 2018
08.00 hrs Registration
Venue: 14 M. Kostava Str., Tbilisi, Georgia
09.00 hrs Meeting of the Steering Committee (not open to the press), Room: Central Room
All parties and associated organizations of the Progressive Alliance are entitled to send delegates to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee prepares the conference and the board meeting, discusses resolutions and the upcoming activities of the Progressive Alliance.
Chaired by Konstantin Woinoff, Coordinator, Progressive Alliance
Welcome
Tamar Chugoshvili, International Secretary, First Deputy speaker of the Parliament, Chair of the Gender Equality Council in the Parliament, Georgian Dream Party, Georgia
Dimitri Tskitishvili, Member of Parliament, Georgian Dream Party, Georgia
Introduction into the input papers and draft resolutions
Presentation of the preliminary activity and financial report
Peter Hug, Auditor of the Progressive Alliance, International Secretary, Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and Konstantin Woinoff
10.00 hrs Coffee Break
10.15 hrs Working Group on Gender (not open to the press), Room: Garden Hall
Chaired by Marja Bijl, Member of the Board, Labour Party (PvdA), Netherlands and Bahia Amra, Palestinian National Initiative
Prospects of Gender Justice in Georgia
Tamar Chugoshvili, International Secretary, First Deputy speaker of the Parliament, Chair of the Gender Equality Council in the Parliament, Georgian Dream Party, Georgia
Prospects of Gender Justice in Indonesia
Sondang Tampubolon, Deputy International Secretary, National Democratic Party (Nasdem), Indonesia
Prospects of Gender Justice in Austria
Ilia Dib, International Secretary, Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), Austria
Introduction into the Draft on “Strengthening the Cooperation with the Gender and Women’s Movement”
Marja Bijl and Bahia Amra
11.00 hrs Working Group on Progressive Campaigning (not open to the press), Room: Garden Hall
Archil Talakvadze, Leader of the Parliamentary Majority, Member of the Political Council of Georgian Dream Party, Georgia
Margarita Bolaños Arquin, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, Chair of the International Commission, Citizens’ Action Party (PAC), Costa Rica
Johan Hassel, International Secretary, Swedish Social Democratic Party (SAP), Sweden
Moderator: Ana Pirtskhalava, Secretary General, International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY)
12.00 hrs Lunch
12.00 hrs Meeting of the Board of the Progressive Alliance over Lunch (not open to the press), Room: Central Room
Welcome
Irakli Kobakhidze, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, Chair of the Parliament of Georgia, Georgian Dream Party, Georgia
Rising Right-wing Populism and Authoritarian Rule – a Threat to our Societies and Peace
Risa Hontiveros, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, Chair of the Citizens’ Action Party (Akbayan), Phillipines
Sadi Pire, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Iraq
Sergei Stanishev, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, President of the Party of European Socialists (PES)
Mónica Xavier, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, Secretary General, Socialist Party of Uruguay (PSU), Uruguay
Presentation of the activity and financial report, discussion on memberships
Konstantin Woinoff and Peter Hug
14.00 hrs Plenary Session (open to the press), Room: Garden Hall
Opening
Konstantin Woinoff, Coordinator, Progressive Alliance
Welcome
Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia
Irakli Kobakhidze, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream Party
Video
14.30 hrs Introductions into the topic ”Future of Work in the Digital Era”
Speech
Sergei Stanishev, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, President of the Party of European Socialists (PES)
14.45 hrs Speech
Maria João Rodrigues, President of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), Vice President of the S&D Group in the European Parlament
15.00 hrs Key Debate on “Future of Work in the Digital Era”
Víctor Báez, Secretary General, Trade Union Confederation of the America’s (TUCA)
Hilik Bar, Miembro de la Dirección de la Alianza Progresista, Viceportavoz de la Knéset, Partido Laborista Israelí (Avoda), Israel
Artur Henrique, Worker’s Party (PT), Brazil
David Sergeenko, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affiars of Georgia
Manish Tewari, Speaker of the Indian National Congress (INC), India
Moderator: Anna Sundström, Secretary General, Olof Palme International Center (OPIC)
16.30 hrs Introduction into the second topic “Regional Cooperation and Integration”
Speech
Enrique Guerrero Salom, President of the Global Progressive Forum (GPF), Member of the European Parliament
16:45 hrs Leaders’ Debate on the topic “Regional Cooperation and Integration”
Antonio Bonfatti, Member of the Board of the Progressive Alliance, President of the Socialist Party (PS), Argentina
Herta Däubler-Gmelin, Chair of the Human Rights Commission, Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Germany
Tamar Khulordava, Member of Parliament, Chair of the EU Integration Committee, Georgian Dream
Norbert Neuser, Member of the European Parliament, Group of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D Group)
Moderator: Conny Reuter, Secretary General of SOLIDAR
18.00 hrs Family Photo and Closure
19:30 hrs Departure from the hotel
Meeting point at the main entrance of Rooms Hotel
20.00 hrs Reception
Venue: Restaurant “Funicular”
Address: Mtatsminda plateau, 0114 Tbilisi, Georgia
8 September 2018
9:30 hrs Departure from the hotel
Meeting point at the main entrance of Rooms Hotel
Transfer to Open Air Museum of Ethnography
Address: 25, M. Berdzenishvili Str. (Turtle Lake Road), Tbilisi, Georgia
10.00 hrs Workshop: Recent Developments in Countries of the Region (open to the press)
Vlodimir Cebotari, Vice President of the Democratic Party of Moldova (DPM)
Bohdan Ferens, Social Democratic Platform, Ukraine
Sofo Katsarava, Member of Parliament, Chair of the Foreign Affiars Committee of Georgian Parliament, Georgian Dream Party, Georgia
Alen Simonyan, Board member of Civil Contract Armenia
Moderator: Dimitri Tskitishvili, Member of Parliament, Georgian Dream Party, Georgia
12.00 hrs Lunch and cultural program
15.00 hrs End of the Conference
