Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture - NDPC’s Post

From April 26 to May 1, I have participated in the EU4Dialogue Change Makers Forum in Helsinki, Finland. In times of deep societal divisions and conflicts, promoting positive change becomes more crucial than ever. This forum has been an incredible platform for young change makers like myself from the South Caucasus and Moldova to come together and amplify our efforts for positive transformation. The third edition of the Change Makers Forum focused on impact-oriented community actions and effective communication strategies for change. It was great oppprtunity to engage in dialogue, share experiences, and gain valuable insights on how to drive meaningful change within our communities and beyond. #ChangeMakersForum #PositiveChange #EU4Dialogue #YouthEmpowerment

Is Denmark a socialist country? No! Denmark is just as capitalist as the United States. My colleague Otto Brøns-Petersen explains in this video with more than 9 million views and 36.000 likes that Denmark is a "full-on, free market capitalist country and some of the strongest protection of individual property rights." In other words, Denmark has strong institutional design, thus a high level of prosperity. The winners of this year's Nobel Prize in Economics, Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson, have developed a method to establish that the empirical connection between economic prosperity and strong institutions is causal, i.e. that good institutions drive prosperity, rather than the other way around. Both parts can reinforce each other, but the institutions come first. Denmark rank consistently as one of the top-ranked free mark economies in the world by Fraser Institute, IMD, WEF and Heritage Foundation. And we became wealthy before we created the welfare state. That is one of the key-points. It is not the distribution of wealth that made Denmark wealthy. And it is not the distribution of wealth that has increased the income for the lowest income groups in Denmark. That is economic growth.

As we cruise towards 20% of the population in Denmark... the internationals are starting to wake up to the new reality. That's my conclusion, after attending probably the largest English-speaking event in Denmark TechBBQ There are multiple voices in the ecosystem that took upon themselves the burden of representing the interests of the internationals living in Denmark, some of which will be soon presented in Last Week in Denmark. As someone who has actively worked for the International Community for more than a decade, it makes my heart jump to see their actions, actions that we all stand to benefit from. As we near one million internationals in Denmark, it should be clear that no man can take on the responsibility to ensure we have a future in this country. It needs to be a shared responsibility where everyone, with a bit of time and motivation, contributes. That means organization, that means union, that means a common platform. Luckily, there are a few projects coming up soon that will attempt to do either of those three very important actions—to organize, unionize and bring together the internationals living in Denmark. One project that is dear to me, is the advocacy clubs network from AMIS - A More Inclusive Society which I hope will get funded soon. It will empower internationals with the much-needed tools to enact change around. Empowering internationals, allowing them to take up space in society to establish their roots and maintain identities, will connect them to the project, we all care most about... Denmark.

Welcome to Global Outlook 2024 - Seeing the world as it is. We face a world riddled by crisis and many are seemingly unresolvable. This year’s event takes a realistic look at developments in the world of business, politics and the environment - assessing root causes and likely future trajectories. Our set of renowned experts combine somber analysis with progressive ideas for how we can move forward.  According to tradition the event opens with a keynote speech by the Norwegian Foreign Minister - this year it will be offered by Espen Barth Eide. Anita Pratap will moderate the event. Global Outlook takes place on the opening day of Arendalsuka, Norway’s biggest political and societal festival offering 2,000 seminars and events over five days. It is attended by Norwegian activists, policy and decision makers from civil service, business and politics. All events are free of charge and open to the public. #Globaloutlook #business #politics #civilservice #Arendalsuka Arendalsuka

As winter sets in, I’m heading up north. A neighbour spotted fresh bear prints near the forest house, reminding me of my grandmother, who one winter evening looked up from her crossword to see a wolf staring in. She outstared the wolf and shrugged. I have other plans. They include clanging sauce pans as soon as step out of the door. Before the year ends, however, two major projects remain on my plate: 1. Next week, on behalf of Fingo - Finnish Development NGOs and together with UNRISD and Katja Hujo, I’ll be co-leading the Nordic consultation paving the way for the United Nations World Summit on Social Development. Together with the rather brilliant group, we’ll prepare a brief highlighting Nordic perspectives on the global agenda. 2. With Silla Ristimaki we are finalizing an analysis based on a series of excellent conversations with experts across the globe. These discussions have explored what might come after the Sustainable Development Goals conclude in 2030. It seems there’s consensus from all sides is that the real drivers of transformational change are not the traditional big and cumbersome structures. Enter small states, cities and leaderless movements! I’ve loved working on this thought-piece - we’ll keep you posted once the summary is ready! As for the KuKKuu collective, we’ll host two Death Cafés (one on-line, in English on 4th Dec, and the second in person and in Finnish on 12th Dec) and one Utopia Path (in person, in Finnish 18th Dec) - and we’d love for you to join us! DM me, Silla Ristimaki or Senja Vaatainen-Chimpuku for details, or email KuKKuu.kollektiivi@gmail.com for an invite. Also, stay warm ❄️

In the runup to the #consulcon25 conference in February, we're posting a series of 'use case stories'. This time: Fryslan province, Netherlands. ✨ An interesting case because Fryslan is a culturally distinct region of the Netherlands, with its own language, Frisian. ⛪ The provincial administration is using the Consul Democracy platform for, for instance, making progress on its cultural agenda by empowering citizens to codecide which complexes or buildings become Frisian cultural heritage. 🎛️ One of the main challenges, according to Rigt Kalsbeek, participation project leader in Fryslan, is to provide a clearer oversight of all the different participation processes that the province organizes, and bringing them together on a single platform. Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/d4RhP5W6 Stim Fan Fryslan platform: https://lnkd.in/eW9BCW69 Info about the ConsulCon25 conference: https://lnkd.in/d48GQWXq

🔊 Internationals in Lund and the wider region: 👉 Do you see yourself as a “real citizen” of your current domicile – or a “Lundabo”, as we are referred to in our kommun? 👉 Do you recognize your role as a creator within our society? 👉 Do you feel entitled to voice your opinions on local and national decision-making in Sweden? At the Social Hub, we believe that the these questions are interconnected. We believe that engaging in discussions about the development of our society builds a sense of belonging, as well as a healthy anticipation about what is around the corner. And we would like to invite all our followers to share this experience. 🤗 “Become a Lundabo - by sharing your opinions!” is a new series of events, aiming to involve internationals in the Swedish political discourse - locally, nationally and internationally. We are excited to announce four sessions during the spring, welcoming everyone to participate, contribute, and explore topics central to the Swedish societal debate. Each session will feature engaging presentations from representatives of our community, alongside group exercises and continuous exchanges of ideas. 🙋♀️💡🤷♂️ 💬 During the upcoming months, the main political event is the European Parliament election which in Sweden is held on June 9th. The election will provide an overall platform for the spring sessions, and allow for interactions with representatives of the Swedish political parties. More detail is to follow, as we unveil topics and lineups for each of the sessions. You can already now sign up for the inaugural session, held on 2 April at 18:30-20:30 in Stadshallen. 📅 Secure your spot through this link: https://lnkd.in/gEYB4Tmt If you would like to participate as a speaker 🗣 during our round of short 5-minute presentations which is included in each session, send us an e-mail at social-hub@interkultur.nu We are much looking forward to involving you in the collective effort of improving our Lundabo experience. 🤩 #participation #integration #belonging #democracy

🌍 2024 is a geopolitical year. 2024 is a year when people's voices matter more than ever at global level, european level, but also at national level, especially for Romania. 📣 In this case, one of the big events with global impact this year is the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy. Are you wondering what this forum is about? 🤔 🎊 The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy is the largest convention dedicated to direct democracy worldwide. For the first time in history, the Global Forum is taking place in Eastern Europe. 📍 Wait, there is more! The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy will convene in Bucharest, Romania! When? Between 15-18 May 2024! 🗓 👥 The journey has taken place over 16 years on five continents where it has brought together a global, diverse community of activists, organisations, experts, academicians, political practitioners and many others. 📃 The Global Forum addresses global, international and national interest issues such as democracy, civic participation of citizens, especially young people, the lack of trust in institutions, digitalisation and others. 🤝 The conference is co-hosted by Democracy International, The Swiss Democracy Foundation, the Centre of European Expertise - EUROPULS, Bucharest City Hall (Primăria București) and University of Bucharest (Universitatea din București). 💡 This interesting edition of the Global Forum will incorporate in a unique form the EUROSFAT Forum, the imprint of Europuls. 😱 More details about the full programme with speakers and other information will be announced soon on the website of 2024 Global Forum, social media and all platforms. Stay tuned! #GFMDD #GFMDD2024 #Bucharest2024 #democracy #globaldemocracy #internationaldemocracy #civicparticipation

Trust is like a web of tiny threads. It connects people and organizations and creates the resilience that every civil society needs to stand upright.   I took away this image and several others from an early April meeting with Nadácia Pontis / Pontis Foundation in Bratislava, just after the presidential election. It took place in the very spot of the first meeting of the People Against Violence group in the revolutionary days of 1989. The topic was philanthropy and ways of supporting civil society, and it was very timely indeed.   The debate was full of emotion and urgency. I learned once again how the problems Czechs and Slovaks face are similar in nature. When a society is doing fine, we tend not to see the ways in which civil activity helps it to flourish. But times of crisis really show the value of the work of active citizens. That’s why they’re so important.   Democracies die by their own weakness. We need to keep on making them resilient and strong. It’s hard work, but we really need to direct our sights towards partnership and cooperation at every point, and to build trust at every junction. Sustainable and sustained civil activity has the potential to be a store of growth, innovation and thoughtfulness for everyone. This is the role we’d like to foster, and I hope we can do more of it in cooperation with our Slovak friends.

“Finland 2024: Where Diversity Shines Brighter Than Government Double Standards” In a country consistently ranked the “happiest in the world,” Finland’s struggle with diversity is a sobering reminder that happiness is not equally shared. The recent racist backlash against Daniela Owusu—chosen as this year’s Lucia, a cultural role symbolizing light and hope—highlights a disturbing reality: for some, “Finnishness” remains trapped in a narrow box of blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Daniela, a 20-year-old Finnish-Ghanaian woman, became the target of online abuse because her existence challenges outdated ideals. The vitriol, cowardly spewed from behind screens, reveals not just societal ignorance, but an alarming lack of leadership when it comes to addressing racism. And here lies the real issue: how can we expect the younger generation to value diversity and inclusion when even members of the Finnish government—those meant to set the example—have histories tainted by discriminatory views? When political leaders normalize prejudice with silence or deflection, they embolden hate. When no consequences follow, racism becomes part of the system, not the exception. This is a message we cannot afford to send in 2025. It’s time for Finland to look in the mirror and ask itself: who do we want to be? Because “Finnishness” today isn’t just one color or one heritage—it’s a blend of cultures, backgrounds, and stories that make this country stronger. To people and leaders still living in the past: the world is changing, and you are falling behind. To young people like Daniela: keep shining. Your light is exactly what Finland needs. #danielaowusu #finland #fiversity