August 30-31, 2021 — 6:30p.m. (EDT)

Online event via YouTube

ABOUT THE EVENT

Theme: “Social inequality and poverty: psychosocial impact of the pandemic”

We are pleased to present the LGW’s 26th International Congress on Social Assistance, whose goals are to discuss the effects of the pandemic on Social Assistance in order to promote global citizenship; to provide the audience with moments of reflection and the opportunity to debate the historical and social processes that have resulted in inequality and poverty; as well as to analyze the problems and issues caused by the global crisis as a result of COVID-19, which have greatly impacted individuals materially, psychologically, and socially.

The Congress will take place on August 30 and 31, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. (EDT).

“The Soul needs constant stimulus to the practice of Good Deeds. Why say to the youth that they should not nurture Hope? If noble idealism does not survive, what is left for them? An open field for discouragement. Everyone realizes that in this globalized world the evil that takes place out there (wherever it may be) may hit us right where we are.” Paiva Netto

Programming

August 30 (Monday)

• Inaugural talk by Katyna Argueta — Resident Representative in Brazil of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and director of the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), which is linked to UNDP. Her talk’s topic will be: “Inclusive and resilient recovery from COVID-19 for sustainable livelihoods, well-being and dignity for all: eradicating poverty and hunger in all its forms and dimensions to achieve the 2030 Agenda,” which will also be the theme of ECOSOC 60^th Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD60), in 2022.

• Debate about “Psychosocial impact of the pandemic and the aggravation in inequality and poverty in all its dimensions,” moderated by Danilo Parmegiani, LGW’s representative at the UN. Participants:

Antonio Paulo Espeleta — Social Superintendent of the Legion of Good Will and a specialist in Management of Non-profit Organizations, University of California, Berkeley.

Ricardo Bomfim — Responsible for the Circular Economy of ENEL, in Brazil. He has a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from UFRJ, a master‘s degree in Urban & Environmental Engineering from PUC-RJ, and a specialization in Business Management from IBMEC-RJ.

Ionara Rabelo — A psychologist, with a Ph.D. in Psychology, a Manager of Violence & Accident Surveillance at the Municipal Department of Health in Goiânia (Brazil), and a CEPED/FIOCRUZ collaborator for COVID-19-related Mental Health and Psychosocial Care.

Alan Bojanic — Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Colombia. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics from Utrecht University (Netherlands), a master’s in Agricultural Economics from the University of Reading (UK), a master’s in Political Science from the University of Costa Rica, and an Agricultural Engineering degree from the Gabriel René Moreno University, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia). He has also worked as a professor at several universities in Latin America.

August 31 (Tuesday)

• Talk: “The impact of the pandemic on individuals and families helped by the LGW” — Wilson Bigas, Manager of the LGW’s Social Assistance Department, a business administrator, and a specialist in Social Policy Management. 

• Talk: “The role of basic social protection during the pandemic” — Aldenora Gomes González, a social worker, president of the EcoVida Institute, founder and executive secretary of the National Forum of Users of the Unified Social Assistance System (FNUSUAS), and vice president of the National Council for Social Assistance.

• Talk: “Facing up to COVID-19 and humanized actions in institutional shelters for the elderly” — Marília Berzins, Ph.D. in Public Health, a specialist with a graduate and master’s degree in Gerontology. She is the president of the Human Longevity and Ageing Observatory (OLHE).

• Live debate about tonight’s talks moderated by Karine Nogueira.

• Panel presented by the teams of the LGW’s shelters for the elderly