EU FOR CITIZENS: REMEMBRANCE

On 16th September 2021, the European Association ” World – Our Home” organized E-Forum “Active citizenship: Your Growth Opportunities” in Rezekne, Latvia. The forum was organized within the framework of the project “15th Anniversary of EU Enlargement” which is funded by the program “Europe for Citizens” Strand 1 “European Remembrance” and co-funded by the Ministry of Culture of Latvia.
NGO representatives and experts from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland shared their best practices and project experiences to promote active citizenship and involvement in local communities.
The forum was chaired by Āris Adlers, a board member of the European Association for information on local development. The speakers were professional and skilled persons from Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia. A total of 111 people participated in the seminar, 33 people participated on site and 79 people logged in ONLINE via the ZOOM application.
Iveta Balčūne, Luznava Manor Manager, Ambassador for Social Entrepreneurship, spoke about the development of social entrepreneurship in Latvia – a way to build a better society.
Lia Hamming from the European organization “KobieTY” in Poland, shared their approach, experiences, and examples of projects connected with climate change and climate crisis as well as nature education as a tool for working with young people and people in general (based on the experiences from different projects).
Asta Pipiraite, a public speaking coach from Lithuania. Asta talked about personal growth and development. Her key points were: 1. Fear in general and fear of change 2. The importance of a choice 3. How to choose your path. Asta shared her own story.
Meeli Laane from Estonia – A grief counselor and a transpersonal psychotherapist who shared her experience of mental health – how to stay fit, how to overcome the changes as fast as possible but the key lies in how to be present in changes, thought patterns, and in emotions that it evokes. The focus of her presentation was on long-term results and accepting the reality of the impact of the crisis on mental health.
Physiotherapy – its lifestyle. Indrė Kalnutė, physiotherapist, “Kalnutės Studija”. During her speech, Indrė talked about how emotions and stress affect our bodies. Also, she shared her practices about empowering and motivating others to reach their true potential.
Charlie Moreno-Romero– founder of Estonia’s first democratic education branch within a public school (Tallinn’s Art Gymnasium), where he talked about youth participation: a democratic approach to education.
Milena Bors from the European Association “KobieTY” (Poland) is a young activist representing the generation of youth with technology at their fingertips, who spoke about youth impact on reducing inequalities, as well as building bridges between science and people of influence in climate action matter.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. Analysis of the SDG movement is an excellent example of the generator of „agents of change” among young people.
The forum was also organized on the Zoom platform online, where it gathered more than 150 people from different countries.
By sharing experiences and learning new ideas, together we can make the world a better place!
Thank you to everyone who came to the forum personally at the Culture Center “Ziemeļblāzma” in Rēzekne, Latvia, and joined the ZOOM online, as well as to those who helped to create this event.