We are pleased to announce that the next edition of the event will be held on October 18-20, 2024, in Lodz, Poland, and the accompanying slogan will be “City. Europe. Future”!
Most Poles – like most Europeans and most of the world’s population – live in cities.
The city is the center of events. A space for social interactions and a forum for exchanging ideas; a platform for democratic processes, dialogue, and cultural diversity. It was in cities that the ideas of liberalism, capitalism, civil rights, and tolerance were born, to later become enshrined in state systems.
The city is an incubator of social change. It is the leader of cohesion, the provider of social services, and the actual implementer of immigration policy.
The city is the driving force of the economy: a stimulator of development, creativity, and innovation; it is also a wealth generator – 85 percent of global GDP is generated in cities.
The city means independence and freedom of choice; the opportunity to be who you want to be. It provides a perspective of personal development, access to education, culture, and entertainment.
The city is a place where the greatest challenges of today are revealed. It is responsible for 75 percent of global consumption of natural resources, 60-80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. It is unemployment, poverty, social segregation, and exclusion.
The city is an obligation. A social, an economic, an environmental, and a climate-related one – it is the key to solving global problems and improving the well-being of the next generations of citizens.
The city is the future.
In 2024, Poles will vote in local government elections and elections to the European Parliament. The way in which cities, Poland, and Europe will respond to the most important problems of the modern world will depend on the conscious votes of citizens and the policies pursued by their elected representatives. After a long eight years, we can be part of the solution again. For ourselves. For Poland. For Europe.
Europe is something more than a continent. It is a community of values and the most successful economic development projects based on the idea of a common market within the European Union.
Europe is a space of freedom and security, and in this context – urgent challenges related to the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine: the need to intensify actions to maintain partnership relations with the United States and the United Kingdom and develop our own defense doctrine and energy independence.
Europe means gender equality, protection of human rights, and respect for diversity. It is also a growing need to strengthen these values, which are fundamental to democracy in the face of growing populism and global migration.
Europe is in urgent need of institutional reform that will allow it to maintain the community without deepening the phenomenon of the two-speed European Union while strengthening the agency and dynamics of action, which are a condition for future enlargement.
Europe means a development based on constant economic growth, price stability, and a highly competitive market economy. Today, it is also necessary to reconcile these goals with ethical challenges regarding emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, as well as the needs of environmental protection. While pursuing these goals, Europe cannot lose its global perspective.
Europe means a commitment to a green transformation: creating infrastructure and an environment that will allow for a smooth transition to low- and zero-emission without harming national economies and the needs of citizens.
Europe – strong and united – is a condition for peace, economic development, and the well-being of its citizens.
Europe is the future.
City. Europe. Future. Let us meet on October 18-20, 2024, in Lodz, Poland, at the Freedom Games!
