Council of the Baltic Sea States

As the holiday season approaches, the entire CBSS team would like to extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. Thank you for being part of our journey this year in building a stronger Baltic Sea Region. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a bright, prosperous New Year ahead! 🌟

Join Us for the ‘Strengthening Resilience: Child Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction’ Conference! 📅 When: 28–29 January 2025 📍 Where: Wellton Riverside Spa Hotel, Riga / Online This two-day event will gather experts, practitioners, and advocates to: ✅ Explore ways to integrate child participation in disaster risk reduction (DRR). ✅ Share tools and strategies to build resilience. ✅ Discuss innovative crisis communication approaches with children. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to building more resilient societies through child participation! 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dsQJbPbD More information and programme updates: https://lnkd.in/dEpj3khk Organised as part of the Secure Kids project, this conference highlights our shared commitment to safer, stronger communities. We look forward to seeing you in Riga! 🙌 #CBSScivilsecurity #CBSSchildparticipation #DisasterRiskReduction #ChildParticipation #SecureKids

Discover the inspiring stories of six remarkable cities recognised as the BSR Cultural Pearls of 2025! These communities are using culture as a tool to strengthen resilience, foster unity, and ignite pride as part of the #BSRCulturalPearls project led by the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Here’s a glimpse into their exciting plans: 🇱🇻 #Smiltene, Latvia: Breathing new life into their open-air stage, hosting vibrant festivals, and empowering youth-led events to celebrate traditions and boost community spirit. 🇸🇪 #Helsingborg, Sweden: Launching co-creative projects that connect children, youth, and the elderly to combat loneliness, enhance safety, and build trust within the community. 🇪🇪 #Peipsiääre, Estonia: Highlighting unique heritage with youth camps, a Dance Festival, and innovative hackathons to inspire the next generation to shape their future. 🇵🇱 #Płock, Poland: Bringing "culture to go" to underserved neighborhoods, creating cultural hubs that unite the community and celebrate local identity. 🇱🇹 #AlytusDistrict, Lithuania: Dedicating 2025 as the "Year of Dzūkija Songs," organizing traditional choirs, and hosting Eldership Community Festivals to strengthen bonds and promote inclusion. 🇫🇮 #Kaskinen, Finland: Restoring historic landmarks, enhancing community connections, and celebrating the city’s 240th anniversary to spark hope and attract new opportunities. These cities exemplify how culture can transform lives and bring communities closer together. Follow their journeys as they bring these ambitious projects to life! 🚀💫 💡 Learn more about this year’s #CulturalPearls here: https://lnkd.in/d_MVEGzu #CulturalPearls2025 #CultureForResilience #MadeWithInterreg Interreg Baltic Sea Region Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Schleswig-Holstein Loov Eesti/Creative Estonia Varde Kommune Vidzemes plānošanas reģions / Vidzeme Planning Region Alytaus miesto savivaldybė Regional Council of Ostrobothnia Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture - NDPC Danish Cultural Institute Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Helsingborgs stad Smiltenes novada pašvaldība

We’re on the lookout for a talented intern to join our Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings (TF-THB) team at the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat in Stockholm! This is a full-time, paid internship lasting 4 to 6 months, starting in March 2025. Are you a university student or a recent graduate from a field such as International Humanitarian Law, International Migration, Political Science, International Relations, Security Studies, Social Sciences, Education or any other related field? Here is your chance to make a meaningful impact in combating human trafficking. Apply now! 👉 Learn more: cbss.org/careers #CBSScareers #HumanTrafficking #AntiTrafficking #Internship #StockholmJob #TFTHB #CBSS

📣 Calling all youth councils and organisations in the #BalticSeaRegion to participate in a Youth Assessment Survey! The Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum (#BSRYF), supported by the Council of the Baltic Sea States, has launched a thematic survey to gather your insights! This is your chance to share your priorities and areas of interest to help shape future collaborations and initiatives. 📋 Why Participate? Your feedback will ensure that #CBSS initiatives resonate with the real needs of youth councils and organisations across the region, so don’t miss the opportunity to make your voice heard! 🌟 ✍️ Learn more and take the survey: https://lnkd.in/dQM9Qv6P #CBSSyouth #YouthEngagement #BalticSeaYouth 

🏆 The Awardees of the #BSRCulturalPearls Title 2025, part of the BSR Cultural Pearls project led by the Council of the Baltic Sea States, have been announced! Congratulations to these six exceptional municipalities for their ambitious Culture and Resilience Action Plans: 🎉👏 🔹 Helsingborg (Sweden) 🇸🇪 🔹 Alytus District (Lithuania) 🇱🇹 🔹 Peipsiääre (Estonia) 🇪🇪 🔹 Płock (Poland) 🇵🇱 🔹 Kaskinen-Kaskö (Finland) 🇫🇮 🔹 Smiltene (Latvia) 🇱🇻 These municipalities, chosen from 14 remarkable candidates, stand out for enhancing community resilience through cultural initiatives. Becoming a Cultural Pearl fosters a stronger sense of belonging and equips communities to face challenges with confidence and mutual trust. 🔗 Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/dHHHV3Ry #CulturalPearls #CultureForResilience #BSRCulturalPearlsTitle #MadewithInterreg Interreg Baltic Sea Region

🇫🇮 Happy Independence Day, #Finland! 🇫🇮 On 6 December, we celebrate 107 years of Finnish independence, honouring the sacrifices made to secure freedom. Known as "Itsenäisyyspäivä", this day is filled with quiet contemplation, remembrance of the wartime generation, and traditions like enjoying a sauna, a cold dip, some coffee, and watching the President’s Independence Day Reception. As a key member of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Finland greatly contributes to regional security, sustainability, and cooperation. Thank you, Finland, for your commitment to a stronger Baltic Sea Region! Hyvää #itsenäisyyspäivää, Suomi! 🇫🇮🎉 #FinlandIndependenceDay #CBSS Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Director General Gustav Lindström warmly welcomed former Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde to the CBSS Secretariat premises today. DG Lindström and Ms Linde – representing Norden International – engaged in fruitful discussions concerning the #BalticSeaRegion.

🌟 Reflections on the Journeys End Conference in Linköping 🌟 Last week we had the privilege of participating in the Journeys End Conference in Linköping. The event brought together practitioners, advocates and experts dedicated to ensuring children’s rights to information and participation in Barnahus, and highlighted the incredible strides being made to ensure every child feels heard, supported, and respected. The day was filled with inspiring presentations, practical discussions, and meaningful exchanges aimed at strengthening child-centred approaches in Barnahus. Highlights included: 🔹 The importance of child participation: Professor Laura Lundy's keynote speech on creating a participatory culture in Barnahus provided valuable insights for ensuring children’s voices are truly heard. 🔹 The Role of the Child Liaison: Hearing from practitioners provided a unique perspective on the hands-on efforts required to support children within Barnahus and brought clarity to how this role ensures tailored support for children. 🔹 The introduction of the Journeys App, CAB Toolbox and Child Log showcased creative solutions to amplify children’s voices, increase participation and enhance feedback mechanisms. 🔹 The crucial role of professional networks in shaping the continued evolution of Barnahus and the need to strengthen Barnahus Quality Standards to ensure that child-centred approaches remain at the core of the work. A heartfelt thank you to all speakers, participants, and organisers for your contributions and commitment, and for making this conference a success. Let’s continue this important journey together. 💙 This conference was held in the context of the JOURNEYS project, co-funded by the EU, which aims to ensure safe and informed pathways through Barnahus, from referral to follow-up. #ChildrensRights #Barnahus #JourneysProject #ChildParticipation 

Join us for the #2KNOW Project Final Conference on 4 February 2025 at the European Parliament in Brussels (or online) hosted by Protect Children! Calling all #childprotection professionals, decision makers, and law enforcement agents! Be part of this crucial discussion on ending online crimes of sexual violence against children. What to expect: 🔹 Insights from the You Are Enough™ peer support groups for caregivers. 🔹 Ground-breaking research on online child sexual abuse offenders. 🔹 Collaborative solutions to tackle online crimes of sexual violence. 🔔 Register here: https://lnkd.in/d8M2E2qU ℹ️ More information: https://lnkd.in/dQn2QVzQ The 2KNOW project is a collaborative effort by Protect Children, the University of Eastern Finland, and the Council of the Baltic Sea States / CBSS Children at Risk. #CBSSchildprotection #ChildrenAtRisk