The European Economic and Social Committee organized Civil Society Week in Brussels between 2 and 5 March 2026. 

Each day of the event was dedicated to one of the three priorities of the current presidency, held by Mr. Séamus Boland, who represents Group III (Civil Society Organizations): 

-    a Union of Opportunities

-    a Union of Security

-    a Union of Resilience

Ms. Adelina Dabu, a member of the ESC Plenary, represented the Romanian ESC as a facilitator during the World Café session held on March 2, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and at the closing session on March 5, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

In this year’s edition of Civil Society Week, national ESCs participated for the first time in a World Café session dedicated to the question “What holds us together? The power of social cohesion.” Together with approximately 150 participants, ESC representatives explored this topic and made recommendations regarding rebuilding trust in European democratic values in the context of current challenges: geopolitical instability and conflicts, threats to free media and democracy; ensuring that no one is left behind; and strengthening intergenerational equity.

At the end of the session, Adelina Dabu presented the main conclusions on the topic “Rebuilding Trust in Our Democratic Values.”

Participants were asked to choose the image that best reflected their priorities for social cohesion. The image below was the one chosen by the majority of respondents, and it was also presented at the event’s closing session.

Here are some of the key points highlighted: 

Through this image, participants sought to highlight the strong link between citizens’ trust, truth, and social cohesion, while acknowledging that experiences and perceptions differ across countries and social groups. 

To counter misleading narratives, participants recommended investing in education, strengthening traditional media and promoting high-quality content, as well as supporting media and digital literacy. 

Photo credit: EESC https://www.flickr.com/photos/202849617@N07/55129175070/in/album-72177720332345601/