By Drazen Simlesa, Ripess Europe General Coordinator
The world is still suffering from the COVID-19 crisis and it seems that they were right the ones who were saying last year that we would have to wait for quite a while for the post-COVID-19 world and that we should think of strategies, activism and a life parallel to the pandemic fever. With this notion and challenges, we are organizing our 10 years anniversary and General Assembly in Villarceaux (France) from 7 to 10 September 2021. It will be a unique opportunity to talk and discuss, share ideas and practices, tell how we see paths, in our organisations and through RIPESS, for promoting, advocating, producing and living SSE in parallel to the COVID-19 world. And to reach one hug. Or many more. To refill ourselves.
We know how the past year and a half was hard for many ordinary citizens, for many marginalized groups, for many vulnerable people that suffer the most because of the devastating impact of the virus not just on our health, but also on society and economy. That also affected many of our members and other SSE initiatives and organisations that were on the front line and needed to find new ways to adjust, to be innovative and more crisis solutions oriented, to test their resilience. That is why it is important to reach that hug, to get the feeling that we are so many, that we are not alone in this struggle to make this world more solidarity based, just and responsible toward others, toward fellow creatures and planet. For many of us, it is still hard or very demanding to travel, so if you can’t be present in Villarceaux, join our during online sessions at GA, in the recent past we used to appreciate virtual hugs and presence as well. Every participation counts.
