UCM's regular discussion format aims to introduce current social issues through engaging discussions with external guests and experts from academia.
Civil society is considered one of the key pillars of the state in developed countries. In Slovakia, however, civil associations or non-profit organisations have been facing many obstacles for years instead of support. Journalist Xénia Makarová from the Stop Corruption Foundation, Post Bellum's Director of Communications Juraj Rizman, psychologist and founder of the IPčko project Marek Madro and political scientist from the Faculty of Arts of UCM Jozef Lenč will discuss the role of civil society in strengthening democracy, how it can contribute to social or political change and what are the challenges it is currently facing.
The discussion entitled The Power of Civil Society will take place on Tuesday, 22 October at 18.00 in the premises of Malý Berlin at Štefánikova 4 in Trnava. Admission is free for all visitors.
Xénia Makarová graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava. She has worked in various positions in the editorial offices of Pravda, Nový čas and TREND, where she focused mainly on the financial sector and the tax area. In 2016, she won the Journalism Award for a series of articles on Ladislav Bašternák's links to political leaders. Currently, she works at the Stop Corruption Foundation, where she focuses on investigative topics.
Juraj Rizman is a former director of Greenpeace Slovakia and a two-time winner of the Spokesperson of the Year award. In the past, he worked as a spokesperson for several NGOs and coordinated successful environmental campaigns, for example against planned uranium mining or for the adoption of the law on environmental burdens. He currently works as Director of Communications and Public Relations at the civic association Post Bellum.
Marek Madro is a psychologist specialising in communication with people in acute crisis situations. In 2012, he founded the IPcko civic association and its first project - an online counselling centre for young people ipcko.sk, which provides psychological help and support to young people around the clock, anonymously and free of charge. He has been working as a director of IPcko since its foundation.
Jozef Lenč is a Slovak political scientist. He graduated in political science at the Faculty of Arts of Trnava University and completed his doctoral studies at the Institute of Political Science of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Currently he works at the Department of Philosophy and Applied Philosophy at the Faculty of Arts, UCM in Trnava.
