EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Annual Forum

The Annual Forum is the yearly gathering for collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The Forum takes place over two days on 30 and 31 October, with the overall themes of Sustainability, Resilience, and Security. It aims to deepen our understanding and enhance collaborative efforts in these areas. 

The project coordinator, Matias Barberis, was invited as speaker to the session "Recipes for Resilience – Communities, Culture and Comprehensive Security" organised by the Council of Baltic Sea States Secretariat. 

Session description: Description: Communities form the backbone of resilient societies. Cohesion, belonging, trust and the ability to cooperate are only some of the qualities that communities need to function effectively under stress and to overcome hardship together. Local authorities play a key role in coordinating, communicating and creating conditions for citizens to build the traits, skills and bonds needed to thrive in the face of challenges. Meanwhile, civil protection has become a top priority for all governments in the region in light of the Russian war. Rapid climate change and weather-related threats also increasingly pose a threat to local communities. 

How can the narratives of civil protection and social resilience be united in practice? What formats for learning, development and exchange exist in the BSR? What can the experiences of Ukraine teach us about communities in crisis? And what role does culture, cohesion and identity play? What does the “whole-of-society” approach look like in practice? Join researchers, national agencies for civil protection, local authorities, and Ukrainian stakeholders in a conversation on how to integrate various resilience narratives into a regional understanding of comprehensive security. 

More information at: https://eusbsr.eu/annual-forum/