The Summer Camp gathered a group of around ten youngsters aged 13 – 17 years from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. The camp facilitated cultural and social exchange within the Baltic Sea Region – the same context in which the coordinators of the EUSBSR are working on a daily basis.
Impressively, the young participants expressed their strong belief in Baltic Sea Region collaboration, a true spirit of neighbourliness and in joining efforts to tackle common challenges in our region.
On this promising note, the CBSS Secretariat explained some of the basic facts about the EUSBSR and introduced the visiting group to the strands of the Strategy in which the CBSS is actively involved, in particular with reference to Policy Area Secure, Horizontal Action Climate, as well as cooperation in science and higher education discussed by Baltic Science Network; and research – business cooperation structured in the framework of Baltic TRAM.
The overall emphasis was put on explaining what it means in practical terms to work with international cooperation, and to provide the participants with an idea for potential engagement and career opportunities in their future.
Of particular interest to the Rotary campers was macro-regional cooperation for safeguarding the marine environment, the mechanisms of transnational collaboration and governance as well as the CBSS’ engagement with schools. In relation to the latter question, the participation in the EU-wide campaign “Back to School” in Latvia (2017 & 2018) was highlighted as one of the outstanding examples during the meeting.
Hopefully, this brief overview will serve as an inspiring example for other EUSBSR stakeholders to explore their opportunities on how to promote the benefits of macro-regional cooperation among young people, who are keen on exploring the macro-regional interconnections and becoming the backbone of the Baltic Sea Region cooperation.