For the first time, the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) took place in digital space due to the COVID19 pandemic. What a premiere!
The European Forum Alpbach (EFA) is an interdisciplinary platform for science, politics, business and culture. It has been connecting international decision-makers with committed young people and the interested public since 1945. In the 75th year of the annual event, which otherwise welcomes its guests to the Tyrolean village of Alpbach, the forum - by necessity - had to reinvent itself.
This year's version of the international conference took place from August 23 to September 3 as a hybrid live event. In addition to a few hundred people on site, several thousand participants from all over the world took part in the more than 300 live sessions. In a variety of formats, they discussed the challenges of the corona pandemic for society as a whole, but also questions on international cooperation, climate change, digitization, democracy and social cohesion.
More than fifty Mercator alumni and staff member joined EFA and took part digitally in discussions with more than 600 speakers and were able meet and connect virtually. On August 27, we welcomed alumni from Stiftung Mercator Germany and Stiftung Mercator Switzerland and the participants of the Re: Think Alliances project, which is funded by both organizations, at a virtual Mercator Network Meeting at EFA. Our exclusive guest that day was Bailey Richardson, co-founder of People & Company and author of "Get together: How to build a community with your people" (2019).
Did you miss our digital meeting with Bailey Richardson or would you like to find out more about her input on community building? Then listen to the podcast series by Dezentrum x EFA20.
Mercator/Re: constitution Fellow Neus Vidal Marti also took part at EFA and shares her thoughts and impression in her review Coronavirus: What next for Democracy? A report from the European Forum Alpbach.