© European Commission
The Encounters event will offer a multi-disciplinary perspective of current transitions in progress, mainly in Ibero-America, and experiences of transitions to democracy in light of new global challenges.
The European Academy of Yuste Foundation is opening its programme of educational activities with the 8th edition of the “Transition Encounters” with the title “The lengthy process of European integration (1982-1996). The annual conference held at Yuste aims to take stock of how perceptions of the transition have changed over time to the present day in Spain, Europe, and the world. The course will take place from 30-31 March, with the first day being held at the Royal Monastery of Yuste and the second at the School of Philosophy and Letters at the University of Extremadura, at its Cáceres campus.
The course will reflect on the decade of the 1980s being one of the most turbulent periods of Spain’s recent history, and from there will analyse the period from a historical and multi-disciplinary perspective. Significant social, economic, cultural, and political milestones took place throughout these years, allowing the consolidation of the democratic process in Spain, which had just approved a new constitution. Some of these events were: growing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union; the fall of the Berlin wall, and developments in the European Communities which were at the time turning their gaze towards the south. This last development is one of the main themes to be debated in the year commemorating 60 years since the signing of the Treaty of Rome, and 25 years since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, or the Treaty on European Union.
This will be the first year we will examine not only Spanish transition, but also current transitions in progress, paying particular attention to those in Ibero-America, and to how experiences of transitions to democracy can help us tackle the challenges of an increasingly uncertain future in light of major global challenges.
The Encounters will also examine the process of Spain’s membership to the Council of Europe 40 years ago, which was a key milestone for cultural development and the advancement of human rights in Spain.
Speakers at the event include Anna Bosch, TVE journalist; Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra, Ex-President of the Regional Government of Extremadura and member of the European Academy of Yuste Foundation; Pilar Barraca, from the Sub-Directorate General for the Protection of Historical Heritage for the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport; Alejandro Cercas, Ex-MEP; Susanne Gratius, researcher for the Foundation for International Relations and Foreign Dialogue (FRIDE), and University of Extremadura professors Enrique Moradiellos and Mario Díaz Barrado, with the latter being in charge of managing the Encounters.
There are a limited number of spaces available on the course, and places will be allocated to students on a first come, first served basis. It is free to register and you can sign up on the Foundation’s website: www.fundacionyuste.org
The “Transition Encounters” are organised by the European Academy of Yuste Foundation, the University of Extremadura and the King Juan Carlos University, with additional support from Histipres Research groups, CRINI y FRAMESPA, the Extremaduran Centre for Study and Cooperation with Ibero-America (CEXECI), the European Union’s European Fund for Regional Development, the University of Nantes, the Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, the University of Almería, National Heritage, and the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport.
