Thank you for joining Umbrella 2.0 Awareness Raising Event!
Over 125 participants joined us on Tuesday, 27th April to learn more about the cooperation possibilities in the Baltic Sea Region! More than 90 participants stayed also for the thematic workshops part and enjoyed the discussion with the experts from all BSR countries. On behalf of Umbrella 2.0 Partnership: Euroregion Baltic, Union of the Baltic Cities and Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation, together with Swedish Institute, which is funding our initiative, we would like to thank everyone for your presence, comments and great inputs!
Our event started with a presentation on the Umbrella 2.0 project given by Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło – Project Coordinator and Head of the International Permanent Secretariat at Euroregion Baltic, which you can also see here:
This part was followed by the presentation of 3 project partners, their organisations and the possibilities they offer to the Baltic Sea region smaller actors and institutions eager to start transnational cooperation.
Finally, Gabor Schneider presented the Swedish Institute offers for the Baltic Sea Region actors, coming from all over the Baltic Sea, but also available to participants from Russia and Ukraine.
The second hour of the webinar part was dedicated to knowledge sharing – Olga Zuin, Programme Coordinator of the CBSS Baltic 2030 Unit presented her great input on Sustainable Development Goals and their implementation measures in the Baltic Sea Region. She mentioned two important reports prepared by the CBSS:
Finally, Sebastian Magier from Vestanda AB, Umbrella 2.0 Expert presented the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region “entry points’ for small and local actors based on 14 interviews with EUSBSR Policy Area Coordinators. The full report will be provided in May and available to all Baltic Sea actors.
The whole webinar part of the Umbrella 2.0 Awareness Raising Event was recorded and is available online here:
After the break, the event continued with the Q&A Session, where experts related to BSR cooperation answered the questions we’ve received from our participant before the event. Q&A session was related to the Baltic Sea Cooperation related to EUSBSR, SDGs and EU Green Deal.
Questions that were taken live: COMING SOON!
Is the EUSBSR action plan updated from time to time? How often? And how does the negotiation work? Can local actors contribute to it? How?
Our expert: Anders Bergström, EUSBSR Policy Area Education Coordinator
2. Who’s in charge of monitoring the SDGs achievements in each country of the Baltic Sea States?
Our expert: Olga Zuin, Programme Coordinator of the CBSS Baltic 2030 Unit
3. How do you think the situation in the tourism sector will change after Covid in the Baltic Sea Region, e.g. how the pandemic affected the way of travelling? Will there be any incentives to prefer “green transports?
Our expert: Andrea Krabbe, EUSBSR Policy Area Tourism Coordinator
4. How to find partners for cooperation activities/ international projects?
The coronavirus pandemic is spreading fast, which calls for rapid, concerted and consistent reactions from all sides. We are witnessing the unprecedented closing of the borders that were never expected to be closed again and demands to stay home as the most powerful sign of citizens’ solidarity.
In February 2020, Tim Bradshaw, a technology correspondent for the Financial Times wrote ‘ (…) for Silicon Valley’s evangelists, remote working is more than just a stopgap in a crisis — it is an improvement on office life. If the coronavirus continues to spread, many more of us may have the chance to find out for ourselves which it really is’. A few weeks later almost the whole Baltic Sea Region, as did other parts of the world, had to go into the ‘online’ mode and most of the international/ transnational/cross-border projects have since been run from home-offices.
For the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, it is a challenging time, as well. Its Annual Forum has just been postponed from mid of June to 19-20th October 2020 and most of the other events are being cancelled or moved to later dates. For the time being, the prospects are that the Autumn will be packed with face-to-face conferences and meetings.
With the restrictions in moving across countries and the situation when thousands of citizens have serious problems with coming back home from abroad, ministries of foreign affairs work full-hand (also partially remotely) so the process of the revision of the EUSBSR’s Action Plan became more difficult for the time being. ‘There are no physical meetings of National Coordinators’ group planned at the moment’, confirms Joanna Wojtkowska, EUSBSR National Coordinator from Poland and adds that the work will be carried out in a written procedure for now.
The new reality is also a challenge for international organizations working in the Baltic Sea Region. Anna Sośnicka, from the Secretariat of the Union of Baltic Cities, which is the leading network of cities in the Baltic Sea Region with Member Cities from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden says ‘UBC planned to have a UBC Executive Board meeting in Liepāja, Latvia on 17 April 2020, but due to all those restrictions it has been cancelled and an online meeting will be held at the same time instead. Two other meetings of the UBC Commissions to be held in April and May are postponed; new dates are not settled yet. The Commissions limit their activities concerning project implementation. They have only online activities – emails, teleconferences’. The situation across the Baltic Region is very similar, with some exceptions. Magda Leszczyna- Rzucidło, the head of International Permanent Secretariat of Euroregion Baltic says: ‘In Euroregion Baltic, we have now entered the home-office mode mostly. Since our International Permanent Secretariat is based in Poland, we work from home now, and our offices are closed. From all ERB Partners, only Sweden is still regularly working from their offices, the rest of the ERB Secretariats from Poland, Denmark, Lithuania and Russia are all experiencing lockdown.’
The consequences of COVID-19 for the cooperation within EUSBSR and the Baltic Sea Region as a whole, are difficult to predict. Many measures have been taken to ease certain problems. Many solutions are yet to be found. And we must be aware that some problems just can’t be avoided and we will just need to face in their full scope and strength. An important issue is raised by Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło: ‘Since we had worked a lot using online tools before, it was not a problem for us to switch to Zoom and Wheraby meetings and we use them both for the internal work, but also our projects. i.e. Interreg South Baltic Project Umbrella, where ERB acts as a Lead Partner. The biggest problem we face now is the number of physical meetings cancelled or postponed. Due to the uncertain situation, we are not able to tell whether they could happen still in Spring/early Summer, or we should postpone to fall, which may be very busy then’.
On the other hand, much of the Baltic Sea cooperation can be very successfully carried out using the available technology, without the necessity of physical interactions. In fact, a lot of the work carried within EUSBSR has already been done online for years. Projects, flagships and platforms have got used to Internet tools, virtual meetings and data sharing. The current situation can, therefore, give an additional incentive to scale-up and upgrade the technological skills for the benefit of ongoing operations. ‘As many people in Europe, for the time being, we are awaiting further developments more than actively doing ’corona-business’, says Anja Uhlenbrok, who is EUSBSR’s Priority Area Culture Co-Coordinator from Schleswig-Holstein. ‘With regards to the cooperation with our flagships, no change has yet shown up. We presume that they are available through the usual channels and go on in their work as usual’.
Apart from communication between the partners, also the events themselves can go online. Krystyna Wróblewska, the Secretary-General of the Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation (a network of the Baltic regions) says that, upon the agreement with the BSSSC Youth Coordinator, the organization is now moving the BSSSC Spring Youth Event planned for Gdańsk in April to the virtual space. She claims that it will change not only the method of communication but also make its thematic scope more suitable for the current situation. ‘Let’s be honest– Mrs Wróblewska notices –how to talk about the circular economy now when millions of disposable plastic gloves, etc need to be used’. We have to address the new situation not forgetting the ambitious green goals”
Another example comes from UrbCultural Planning, a EUSBSR flagship project in the area of Culture (https://urbcultural.eu/about/). Partners are discussing to what extent it is feasible to go virtual when dealing with social change while using cultural planning methods. One of the issues is to what extent the project activities can be carried out as planned with some postponements and how much partners should focus on the new situation and use other – virtual tools. Anyway, the project is about making cities and neighbourhoods better places to live.
As Anja Uhlenbrok notices ‘Changing our working routines is probably the most emerging tasks for the time being: most people involved in the implementation of the PA are working in the home office now, many also taking care of small children. To ensure the usual cooperation in day-to-day business is the biggest challenge so far.’ So- yes, current remote working on a full Baltic scale is a challenge. But it is also an opportunity. And a great chance for creativity. Now, it depends on our institutions, our companies, and to a great extent on us- if we take a ‘Silicon Valley evangelists’ stand and ‘re-programme’ ourselves, opening for possible innovations. Certainly, they can benefit the EUSBSR and the whole Baltic Sea Region cooperation. Yet, we are maybe even more aware now that not everything can and should be moved to virtual reality –that direct human relations are really important.
Author: Marta Czarnecka-Gallas, Association “Pomorskie in the EU”
On 17th Oct 2020 Baltic Sea Youth representatives gathered for the whole afternoon for the virtual Baltic Sea Youth Camp 2.0. Their goal was to get together to contribute meaningfully to the future of the Baltic Sea Region. This was set out in the Baltic Sea Youth Declaration, put together by the young participants at the camp.
The Declaration was presented to the Baltic Sea Region policy and decision-makers at the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Annual Forum on 20th Oct 2020, to be taken into account by each of the Policy Areas of the EUSBSR. Read the full document below.
On 10th June 2020, Ms Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło, Head of the ERB IPS, took part in the BSSSC online Board meeting. She presented shortly the latest ERB policy paper on the Future of the South Baltic Programme with the special attention to the capacity building initiatives for the small and local actors. She also introduced the BSSSSC Board members to the series of Umbrella project webinars being organized on ZOOM platform.
BSSSC Chairman, Mr Mieczysław Struk, Marshal of Pomorskie Region and BSSSC Secretary-General, Ms Krystyna Wróblewska
BSSSC Board meeting Draft Agenda
1. Opening of the Board
meeting
1.1. Opening of the meeting – Mr. Mieczysław Struk, BSSSC Chairman
1.3. Adoption of the agenda
1.4. Adoption of the minutes from the Board Meeting in Brussels,
February 18th, 2020
2. BSSSC Annual
Conference
3.1. Digital BSSSC AC 2020 – Information from the hosts
3.2. Discussion on the shape of the conference in relation to Covid-19
pandemic
3.3. Discussion on experts to be involved
3. Covid-19 pandemic –
status in BSSSC regions
4. Youth involvement and
empowerment
4.1. Report from Youth Coordinator – Mr. Christopher Lucht
4.2. Status regarding the Baltic Sea Youth Platform BSYP
4.3. Baltic Youth Camp 2020 – online edition
4.4. Report from the BSSSC Spring Youth Event – Ms. Krystyna Wróblewska
4.5. Other EU youth-oriented initiatives
5. Interreg BSR 2021-2027
programming
Report from Mr. Matti Lipsanen, Häme
6. MFF and Cohesion
Policy
Update from Rapporteur – Mr. Reiner Kneifel-Haverkamp, Brandenburg
7. EUSBSR revision of the Action Plan
7.1 Information on state of affairs – Ms. Marta Czarnecka-Gallas,
Pomorskie
7.2. EUSBSR Annual Forum in Turku – BSSSC workshop
8. Transport
Information from Rapporteur – Mr. Jon Halvard Eide, Adger
9. Culture
Update from Rapporteur – Mr. Stefan Musiolik, Schleswig-Holstein
10. Report from Brussels
Antenna Ms. Anna Drążek, Director of the Pomorskie
Regional EU Office
10.1 How the EU reacts to Coronavirus pandemic
11. BSSSC communication
activities report
12. Reports from other
BSR organizations
12.1. Euroregion Baltic – Ms. Magda Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło, Head of
ERB International Permanent Secretariat
12.2. Union of Baltic Cities – Mr. Paweł Żaboklicki, Secretary General, Union
of the Baltic Cities Secretariat
13. Next Board meeting:
14. Upcoming events
14.1. The Online
edition of the Baltic Sea youth Camp – June 12-13, 2020
15. Any other business
END OF MEETING
The #BalticSeaYouthCamp#bsyc 2020 was a great success! It was a fantastic opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, have fun and celebrate the Youth! Get inspired by Baltic involvement of Julia Orluk and Martin Ruemmelein and find your own way to contribute to the #EUSBSR.
Read the article prepared by Marta Czarnecka-Gallas, representing the Let’s Communicate Interreg BSR project promoting the EUSBSR.
Youth initiatives contributing to the common goals of the EU Strategy of the Baltic Sea Region.
June 12th, 2020
by Marta Czarnecka-Gallas, Let’s Communicate!
I met Julia and Martin for the first time almost two years ago. It was in September, at an Annual Conference of Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC) in Gdańsk. For her, it was just the onset of an adventure into the Baltic Affairs. For him, it was a big step forward. At that time Martin was in the middle of his cadency at BSSSC Board as a Baltic Sea Region Youth representative and he had already earned his reputation as an engaged and visionary lad with lots of ideas on the youth empowerment in the Baltic Sea Region.
After these almost two years and some personal and online encounters, I talk with Julia and Martin again. It is a very specific time. The Spring is at the full thrust but many in the Baltic Sea Region, Europe and the world still cannot indulge in the simple joys it usually brings. The lockdowns our societies have experienced, the social distancing on a mass scale and numerous limitations to daily life and work have changed our perception of things. It is just before the online Baltic Sea Youth Camp, the initiative which aims to use the power, vision and ideas of the young generations to contribute to a more sustainable EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR).
So how Martin and Julia are doing today? And what has changed in these two years in the youth empowerment and inclusion in the EUSBSR?
Full of energy, full of passion
‘On a perfect day, I will wake up before my alarm rings at about 6:00, go for a small run, get ready for work, check some social media on the bus and learn some Chinese’- starts Martin. Now a 25-year-old-student of International Economics and Business Relationships at the University of Southern Denmark. ‘In the office, I really enjoy days on which I meet many of my great colleagues, get to work on challenging tasks and have time to move a meeting to the cafe. After work, I like to go for a longer run, meet up with friends, and cook fresh. I have many hobbies, the first of which is to get politically engaged, but I also go running, love to take photos and be part of the Young European Federalists’. Being active within many different fields is also a feature of Julia. Just like her broad and constant smile, which opens many doors, she knocks at with her ideas. Julia, who is currently a first-year student of International Economic Relations at Gdańsk University and the President of Euroregion Baltic Youth Board, is also a great fan of baking (she brings to our meeting homemade carrot muffins in a quantity that could feed a small army unit) and extreme sports.
When you see the passion Julia and Martin speak about the things, which are important for them and hear how they try to change the world around them, it seems clear that having Youth onboard EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is the key to make it work. ‘The Baltic Sea Affairs include many important issues that will decide, on how we will live in the region in the future- says Martin. ’For example, when discussing sustainability, responsible consumption and production, we can try to avoid polluting the Baltic Sea with too much plastic that will make it impossible to eat fish from the Baltic Sea in the future due to microplastic. Also, we can take action against climate change to do our fair share to ensure that our children can show their grandchildren the beautiful cities along the Baltic coast how I can experience them without extreme weather situations and food insecurities. To young people, this is all much more relevant as they will ask themselves, „in what kind of world do I want to have my future children living in one day?”. The outcome of this question is essential and needs to be taken into account when discussing Baltic Sea topics’. Julia agrees with that completely and confirms that ecology and economy are important issues for the young generations. ‘I come from Gdańsk and I am very proud of my city because of its long and inspiring history. I also observe how much Gdansk has benefitted from international cooperation, exchange of experiences and knowledge transfer. This proves that the whole Baltic Sea Region will be better off while acting together’. While being active in the Baltic Affairs, Julia got more sensitive to environmental issues and is a great advocate of sustainable development goals. She would explain to her grandmum why resigning from meat can contribute to a cleaner planet and with an unhidden satisfaction observes some changes in her diet in this respect. She helps her neighbours to understand the philosophy behind garbage segregation and inspire her parents to ask in a restaurant whether the potatoes on their plates come from a local farm. ‘For me, the realization of the SDGs simply means becoming a better person’, she concludes.
Youth involvement in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
There is much scope for Youth involvement in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. ‘I firmly believe that the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region can empower Youth to be more active’, claims Martin. ’However, this will not just happen on its own. We need to implement structures, where the Youth governs. The Baltic Sea Youth Camp, the Baltic Sea Youth Platform and the Baltic Sea Youth Declaration are a good start. Now we need to ensure that they get a fixed role in the EUSBSR, and take care that it is the Youth that governs in these initiatives.’ Julia underlines that the Youth cannot be only a nice adding to the picture. ‘We don’t want to be invited to the discussion because it’s cool to have a hashtag #Youth or similar while twitting from a conference. At one event I participated, young people were asked to present their statement but it even wasn’t brought up by the moderator. No one reacted to what we said. We felt completely ignored and this is very demotivating’. Such practices certainly won’t earn youth engagement. ‘In debates, we need to understand that young people are not better scientists but should be able to advocate their values and ideas and point of view to the discussion’, Martin adds and continues: ‘In my opinion, we do not need a culture in the EUSBSR were everyone nods and agrees to everything that the Youth proposes, and forgets about it a minute later. We need a culture where proposals of the Youth are critically discussed on the same eye-level. For this, we need a fixed role of the Youth in the EUSBSR. There are many ways that this is possible.’
The institutional culture of the Baltic Sea Region favours active citizenship. Numerous organizations from very local to transnational allow for youth involvement in various projects. The first step into being young activists on an international scale for both Julia and Martin was taken during their school years. That is why they strongly support initiatives like the Baltic Sea Youth Camp or Baltic Sea Youth Platform, dedicated to young people in their secondary and tertial education. ‘When we drafted the concept for this in Gdansk last year, we stated clearly, that it needs to be governed by the Youth, and that it should not be a one time project’, Martin explains. ‘If the Youth is not enabled to drive the platform further and ensure continuous funding, then we will not see the Youth making a significant impact. I think we can understand the youth platform as a constantly sailing boat. Now we have the sailboat. We need to set the sails, sail to the right harbours to pick up support for continued funding beyond the Erasmus project and give the command to the Youth which can choose which direction to sail and what goods to take along, which are represented by the Contents of the Baltic Sea youth declaration’.
Taking the stage at the 10th Annual Forum of EUSBSR in Gdańsk with their Declaration elaborated at the first Baltic Youth Camp, the young people in the Baltic Sea Region showed that they are engaged and they want to be involved. The Baltic Sea Youth Platform is as a step further and has probably the highest chance to make an impact in the future on the young people empowerment in the Region, being an umbrella for various initiatives (like the Baltic Sea Youth Camp and Baltic Sea Youth Declaration). So let’s keep the fingers crossed for more youth-inspired and youth-led projects and remember that the Youth will only have a voice when it is active.
For more information please check:
EUSBSR– European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the first Macro-regional Strategy in Europe approved by the European Council in 2009. It is divided into three objectives, which represent the three key challenges of the Strategy: saving the sea, connecting the region and increasing prosperity. Each objective relates to a wide range of policies and has an impact on the other objectives https://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/
Julia Orluk: a first-year student of International Economic Relations at Gdańsk University. Chairwoman of the Euroregion Baltic Youth Board. Member of the Young Diplomats Forum. Youth representative of Pomorskie Region. Passionate about her home city of Gdańsk, baking and a Lhasa Apso dog, called Taker. Addicted to extreme sports. Photo: Julia’s Album
Martin Ruemmelein: currently studying International Economics and Business Relationships at the University of Southern Demark in Sønderborg and writing a thesis about IoT business models in collaboration with Danfoss Drives. Apart from his passion for politics, he is interested in business and digitalization. Former chairmen of the state students board of vocational schools and former board member of the Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation. Loves jogging, taking photos and cooking with friends. Photo by Paula Graetke
We start tomorrow at 15.30 CET. Please create your
Hi
We’re happy to announce that tomorrow at 15.30 CET we start the Baltic Sea Youth Camp 2020, digital edition.
We kindly
ask you to register at your earliest convenience so that we do not experience
any delays during the event.
After your
registration you will receive 2 reminder emails from HOPIN – one email 24 hours
and one email 1 hour before the event begins. This is unfortunately not
something we can turn off.
There are
many breaks for you to recharge your batteries, but please attend and be active
in all the plenaries and one workshop per session to get the most out of the
Baltic Sea Youth Camp.
We will
provide Certificates of Attendance after the event.
Clarification
of platform concepts
•
Reception – waiting area before the event. Nothing happens here.
•
Stage – is the big stage, where we broadcast presentations and have plenary
sessions. Here you can only listen & watch. You can comment and ask
questions using the chat function.
•
Networking – an area where short ONE-on-ONE meetings takes place to get to know
each other. Use coffee and lunchbreaks to meet other participants.
•
Sessions – are used for the smaller workshops with a maximum of 20 participants
(sharing audio and video) and 100 participants who can listen and watch.
FYI: Only
some plenary sessions will be recorded, you are encouraged to actively
participate with your audio and video in the workshops and you can be sure
these sessions won’t be recorded.
Apart from
the sessions we want you to get in touch with Baltic Sea food culture,
therefore we have prepared a recipe booklet, please feel free to check it out
and choose your favorite recipe for the weekend and buy the ingredients to get
the full Baltic Sea experience.
We would
also like to let you know that there will be a movie night on Friday starting
at 20:00, the Nordic Pulse Documentary will be screened and you get the chance
to ask questions from two of the protagonists from the Baltic Sea Youth
Philharmonic.
If you
still have some friends who would like to join the event, please let them know
to get in touch with us, through sending a mail to: info@bsryc.eu
We are also
happy to answer any of your questions.
We are very
much looking forward to seeing you all on Friday and Saturday.
Want to know more about the BSSSC Sporing Youth Event supported by the Euroregion Baltic and Union of the Baltic Cities?
In these difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic, which has already changed our lives and mindsets, we believe that maintaining communication is even more important than before. We, in the Baltic Sea Region, want to speak across generations on the most important issues. On our fears and ambitions, on the problems we face and the solutions that can be undertaken.
Therefore, on behalf of the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation, Mieczyslaw Struk – Pomorskie Region Marshal and the BSSSC Chairman, together with the Union of the Baltic Cities, Euroregion Baltic, Pomorskie youth and climate activists invite you to the very first online BSSSC Spring Youth Event to take place on June 2nd-5th 2020.
We already know that the Corona crisis is with us for longer and influences a lot of aspects of our lives. It affects, among others, the ambitions we have had to make our planet clean and safe, and the society caring and prosperous. So we want to discuss what will be the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on:
the climate crisis;
digital world;
education;
modern democracy.
There are lots of challenges around us, which we can try to face together! We believe that we all need to think about how to critically react to information flow selecting facts from fakes and getting to know the whole picture. And how every one of us can contribute to a better life.
Working together and across the Baltic Sea, we can be more effective. Our voice will be much stronger, so decision-makers will have to listen. It will be important to take your voice to the EUSBSR AF in Turku, the Conference on the Future of Europe launched by the European Commission and other fora dealing with the state of our Earth and condition of our lives. Acting in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals we have to find solutions.
Let’s do this together!
Programme
Date: 2nd – 5th of June 2020
Online sessions on ZOOM
Please join ZOOM via link before 15:00 PM
June 2nd, 15:00 -18:00 CET
Welcome and opening of the BSSSC Spring Youth Event 2020 meeting – Mr. Mieczysław Struk, BSSSC Chairman
General introduction to the idea of the BSSSC Spring Youth Event 2020 meeting
Expert debate/Introduction to the thematic area Green Deal to Fight Climate Crisis in Corona Times
Mr Kamil Wyszkowski – Global Compact Network Poland
Ms Katarzyna Bałucka – Dębska – European Commission
Mr Marcin Gerwin – University of Gdańsk, Sopot Development Initiative
Ms Marta Wróblewska – Youth Climate Strike (Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia local group)
Discussion
Summary of day 1
June 3rd, 15:00 -17:00 CET
Expert debate/ Introduction to the thematic area Digital World in Post – Corona Times
Ms Aleksandra Przegalińska – Skierkowska – Koźmiński University
Mr Timo Väliharju – The Finnish Centre for Open Systems and Solutions
Mr Krzysztof Stachura – University of Gdańsk, The Foundation Center for Social Research and Analysis
Mr Darius Šoparas – Creative Partner
Mr Martin Rümmelein – former BSSSC Board Member
Discussion
Summary of day 2
June 4th, 15:00 – 17:00 CET
Expert debate /Introduction to the thematic area Education for the New World
Ms Małgorzata Bukowska – Ulatowska – Teachers Education Centre in Gdańsk
Mr Timo Väliharju – The Finnish Centre for Open Systems and Solutions
Ms Indre Razbadauskaite – Venske – Globalkey.lt and Nepaleisk svajones
Mr Przemysław Staroń – psychologist, cultural expert and teacher
Discussion
Summary of day 3
June 5th, 15:00 – 18:00 CET
Expert debate/ Introduction to the thematic area Democracy in the Post – Corona World
Mr Marius Ulozas – Institute for Policy Research and Analysis
Mr Wietse Van Ransbeeck – CitizenLab
Mr Dominik Ringler – Children and Youth Participation in Brandenburg
Ms Ewelina Górecka – the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation
Ms Daniela Vanić – Democracy International
Discussion
Introduction of the BSYP project
Ms Kaarina Williams – Council of the Baltic Sea States
Ms Aline Mayr – Council of Baltic the Sea States
Presentation of the results to the politicians/decision – makers, debate and summing up
Make sure you send us the motivation letter (not too long! max 1 page A4 format:-)) – tell us what drives your activities in the BSR. Add graphics, a collage, a film, or a photo if you wish – be creative!
Follow the instructions in the registration form. If you need more information, contact the BSSSC Secretariat:
In these difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic, which has already changed our lives and mindsets, we believe that maintaining communication is even more important than before. We, in the Baltic Sea Region, want to speak across generations on the most important issues. On our fears and ambitions, on the problems we face and the solutions that can be undertaken.
Therefore, on behalf of the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation, Mieczyslaw Struk – Pomorskie Region Marshal and the BSSSC Chairman, together with the Union of the Baltic Cities, Euroregion Baltic, Pomorskie youth and climate activists invite you to the very first online BSSSC Spring Youth Event to take place on June 2nd-5th 2020.
We already know that the Corona crisis is with us for longer and influences a lot of aspects of our lives. It affects, among others, the ambitions we have had to make our planet clean and safe, and the society caring and prosperous. So we want to discuss what will be the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on:
the climate crisis;
digital world;
education;
modern democracy.
There are lots of challenges around us, which we can try to face together! We believe that we all need to think about how to critically react to information flow selecting facts from fakes and getting to know the whole picture. And how every one of us can contribute to a better life.
Working together and across the Baltic Sea, we can be more effective. Our voice will be much stronger, so decision-makers will have to listen. It will be important to take your voice to the EUSBSR AF in Turku, the Conference on the Future of Europe launched by the European Commission and other fora dealing with the state of our Earth and condition of our lives. Acting in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals we have to find solutions.
Make sure you send us the motivation letter (not too long! max 1 page A4 format:-)) – tell us what drives your activities in the BSR. Add graphics, a collage, a film, or a photo if you wish – be creative!
Follow the instructions in the registration form. If you need more information, contact the BSSSC Secretariat:
On the 6th and 7th
of May the Baltic Sea Youth 2030 meeting took place in Gdansk.
Several Youth organizations have
contributed and young people have had the opportunity to build the future plan
together with experts on youth and
cooperation.
ERB was present, along with CBSS, BSSSC, ERB, Latvian Youth Council, Swedish Youth, Council,
Leontief Centre, Nordisk Institute på Åland/Ålands Natur och
Milljö, ReGeneration 2030, International
Cooperation Burau at the Office of the Marshal of
the Pomorskie Voivodeship, Morena Association, as well as LSU
and LJP representatives who joined
online.
It was a crucial meeting to start a more
systematic process of coordination amoung youth in the Baltic Sea Regions, to
share with all the participants what has been done so far and which steps to be taken for the future.
The topics discussed focused on the
practical instruments to engage young people and to improve communication
between youth organizations.
Young people underlined the real need to
have the opportunity to meet several times a year, in addition to online
meetings, to build a strong cooperation within the Baltic Sea Regions.
The wokshop on the second day, brought
some real ideas for the possibilities and applications that youth can catch in
the frame of Erasmus + program. Thanks to the experts present, youth have
started to draw the initial ideas that will be developed in the future.
Young people are planning to create a video and a
letter for all organizations, politicians and adults who can and want to actively contribute, in
order to ask their support.
Let’s make our voice heard!
Text by our IVY volunteer – Milena Pallotta
Circular and sharing economy as an answer to demographic changes and environmental challenges in the Baltic Sea Region
This is the main topic of the 10th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region that will take place in Gdańsk on June 12-13, 2019.
The Forum will create the opportunity to participate in 18 thematic panels/workshops and Networking Village within three main thematic sessions:
‘Going circular – a pathway to well-being in the Baltic Sea Region’
‘Business-driven approach to circular economy in the Baltic Sea Region’
‘Demography and circularity in the Baltic Sea Region: interdependent or disconnected?’
The Forum will be hosted by the Pomorskie Region, together with the Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC) under the Norwegian chairmanship, in close cooperation with the European Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and other partners.
About 800 participants from governments, international organisations, NGOs, universities, local and regional administrations and businesses will gather to debate on trends and opportunities in the Baltic Sea Region.
