Date: 25 February 2013
Location: Club Shahmatt, Pikk 39, II floor
Where: Tallinn, Estonia

The last decade has been characterised by the upheavals in the integration and multiculturalism policies in Europe. European countries have been searching for new solutions to the problem of lack of social cohesion in their ever more multicultural societies. Multiculturalist policies, that were the norm in 1990ies, have been discarded by many political leaders, while at the same time no alternatives have been promoted.

In the Baltic Sea region, countries have varied experiences with multiculturalist and integration policies. Sweden has stayed in the course of multiculturalism despite of the widespread pessimism in the other European countries. Estonia and Latvia have proclaimed their aim to integrate their large Russian-speaking communities while some observers have pointed out to strong assimilationist tendencies in these policies. Lithuania and Poland are at the beginning of the policy development process for developing more socially cohesive societies.

The expert seminar ‘New era in integration policies in the Baltic Sea countries?’ will look at the new challenges in integration policies for countries in the Baltic Sea region. Government officials, experts and NGO community representatives from six countries will come together to discuss the concepts of integration that are applied in different countries, the challenges all countries face and the expected outcomes.
 

Registration

Programme

9:30     Arrival, coffee 

10:00   Welcome by the Ms Laine Randjärv, vice-president of Riigikogu, Estonia
10:15   Keynote speech Ms Kristina Kallas, Institute of Baltic Studies, Estonia

11:00   Coffee break

11:30   Panel one: Multiculturalism is dead, long live multiculturalism?
Moderator: Mr Andri Maimets (Open Estonia Foundation, Estonia)
       11:30   Mr Viktor Vesterberg, REMESO, Linköping University, Sweden
       12:00   Dr Sirkka Komulainen, University of Turku, Finland

13:00   Lunch

14:00   Panel two: Challenges of integration in divided societies
Moderator: Lisa Pelling (Global Utmaning, Sweden)
       14:30   Ms Aune Valk, researcher at the Museum of Literature, Estonia
       15:00   Ms Iveta Kazoka, researcher at the Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS, Latvia
       15:30   Dr Vilana Pilinkaite Sotirovič, researcher at Ethnic Studies Centre, Lithuania

15:30   Coffee break

16:00   Discussion: new era in integration policies?
Moderator: Kari Käsper (Estonian Human Rights Centre, Estonia)

17:00   End of seminar