The forthcoming Polish presidency in the EU-Council in 2011 will not only be a big political and organizational challenge. This six months should also be used to increase interest among the Poles for European Union matters and the Polish role in the EU. That is why the non-governmental organizations should be incorporated into government’s activities – plan-consulting and information campaign – before and during the presidency. In this area it would be worth using the successful experiences of other countries, especially from our region. The example of the Czech Republic shows that the governmental administration can successfully cooperate with the third sector in many domains. The conference will aim at presenting the methods and effects of this cooperation. Based on these elaborations, the panelists invited, Polish and Czech officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations, will debate on how the cooperation between the government and the non-governmental could and should be arranged, what are its chances and challenges and what measures should be taken.

This conference is held in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic, and with the support of the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union, and of the International Visegrad Fund.

A gathering of young civic leaders from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and the Slovak Republic, and democracy and human rights campaigners from EU Eastern Partnership countries, with representatives of the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament, and EU member governments on the occasion of International Human Rights Day to mark 20 years since the end of the cold war and the end of communist rule in Central Europe.

The conference is part of Return to Europe – Reflections After 20 Years of Democratic Renewal, a PASOS project including studies and opinion polls into attitudes, especially among the younger generation, towards democracy in the Visegrad Four countries after two decades of democracy, and a survey of the public’s attitudes to their own governments’ support for democratisation in third countries.

Additional studies from the project, to be presented at the Prague conference and subsequently, include: Prospects for, and potential impact of, a new EU policy framework for democracy building in EU external relations and a policy brief on the Implications of the Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty for European Democracy Support (focusing in particular on the development of the EU diplomatic service, or External Action Service.

The conference, which will include a screening of the documentary film, The Power of the Powerless (directed by Cory Taylor, USA, 2009), is held in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic, and with PASOS members: Center for Policy Studies at the Central European University, Hungary, Institute of Public Affairs (ISP), Poland, and the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO), Slovak Republic.

To register, please send an email to Eva Rybková at eva.rybkova@pasos.org by 7 December 2009