Since February 24, 2022, Ukraine has been facing Russian invasion. In addition to the military and financial aid that arrives from all over the world, European and Ukrainian civil societies are working hand in hand to help the populations in distress. In this episode of The Grassroots View, we invited some of their representatives to tell us their stories.

Elena Calistru, member of the European Economic and Social 
Committee, explains how and why many Romanian citizens help fleeing Ukrainian refugees find shelter and food. She also talks about the role of the EESC which, by using the power of its network, manages to quickly set up mechanisms to help the weakest.

Marta Barandiy, founder of the NGO Promote Ukraine, based in Brussels and Kyiv, gives us a Ukrainian perspective on the situation. She tells us how her work changed when the war broke out, how the role of civil society is crucial, and how the Ukrainian people will never give up in the face of an invader.

Finally, Bartosz Wieliński, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, tells about the impact of the war in Poland and how the Polish people adopt a new view on the phenomenon of refugees. For example, he explains how the school system welcomes and
helps young Ukrainians.

17. Civil societies hand in hand against barbarism

In this edition of The Grassroots View we look at gender equality. Women make up slightly more than half the population of Europe and there’s no doubt that, in the years since the Union was founded, their position in society relative to men has been transformed. But what is the state of gender equality in the EU now? What challenges remain and, in particular, what role can gender equality play in Europe's road to economic recovery? 

Joining us to provide their perspectives are Chiara Corazza, who sits on the G7's Gender Equality Advisory Council and is Private Sector Representative for France within the G20 EMPOWER Alliance, Maria Nikolopoulou, President of the Ad Hoc Equality Group at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Agata Araszkiewicz, one of the leaders of the feminist group "Elles sans Frontières", and Loubna Azghoud a gender equality expert with a particular interest in the digital economy.

23. Gender equality and the future of Europe: where are we at?

The Grassroots View is a new podcast series launched by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). It explores the hot topics everyone seems to be debating these days, but does so from a civil society perspective, bringing testimonies from stakeholders on the ground and accounts from the EESC members who represent their interests in Brussels.

17. Civil societies hand in hand against barbarism

The Grassroots View

Related tracks