Brief presentation of the Baltic Sea Forum
Foundation of the Baltic Sea Forum in August 2021, Leading District D 1900
STRUCTURE
Discussion platform for geographically neighboring Intercountry Committees and Contact Points of the Baltic Sea countries with the involvement of experts
Members :
- Chairpersons of the Intercountry Committees Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
- Heads of the Contact Point Denmark, Norway/Sweden,
- Experts (currently 9) from all socially relevant areas,
- Chairwoman: PP Birgit Osterwald, RC Gütersloh-Verl, D 1900
Working method :
- Three annual meetings in plenary as face-to-face and/or zoom meetings,
- Thematic and project-related meetings in working groups,
- Documentation of work results and state of affairs through minutes and newsletters,
- Changing venues with country-specific events of the member states.
OBJECTIVES
- Key objective: Vitalization of cross-border and interactive Rotarian dialogue as well as initiation and support of joint, high-impact projects and encounters
- Communicative goals: Intensification of communication between the ICC sections, transfer of information from the forum work to the districts and clubs, maintenance of a website
- Structural goals: Further development of the CPs into ICCs , Perspective: Integration of the Russian Federation into the community of the Baltic Sea Forum with Kaliningrad/Königsberg Oblast and the St. Petersburg region
- Content-related and thematic objectives: Promotion of club partnerships, active assistance in Ukraine and for Ukrainians who have fled to neighbouring countries, Support for projects for refugees from Belarus, focus on the culture of exchange with young people.
CURRENT PROJECTS in 2025
- Charter of the ICC Denmark on 27 January
- BASRAN Baltic Sea RYLA in Roskilde (D1480), Denmark from 7 to 10 August
- ICC Poland-Germany International Youth Sailing Camp in Masuria from 8 to 16 August
- International seminar in Kreisau / Krzyzowa on the topic ‘Together for democracy, dialogue and peace in Europe’ from 17 to 23 August
- ‘Rotariada’ in Palanga/Lithuania from 4 to 7 September
- Visit of the Estonian friends of the ICC Estonia-Germany from 18 to 21 September in Bielefeld
- ICC Annual Conference on 17/18 October in Augsburg
- European Summit in Brussels in September
- Choir project ‘Music unites the world’
- Vocational Exchange with the Tartu Vocational College
- Support for current projects in the O-F member countries
- Continuous Ukraine aid from all O-F member countries
- Initiation of joint activities and projects as required
- RYLAS from the different districts
Following the Baltic Sea Forum’s visits to Estonia, Lithuania and Poland, meetings are also planned with the Danish and Latvian ICC sections as well as with Rotary radio stations in both countries.
OPPORTUNITIES
The Baltic Sea Forum offers all interested Rotarians – whether as individuals or as a club – comprehensive exchange of discussions and up-to-date information about the Baltic Sea countries, supports initiatives of transnational meetings and projects in various Rotarian formats to promote international understanding, friendship and peace.
The merger into a forum working synergistically and dialogically increases the effectiveness of the Rotarian community of values – especially in times of increasing conflict – in its responsibility for humanitarian assistance, solidarity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
This year (2025), the Baltic Sea Forum is expanding its previous meeting format to include guest speakers on current topics, thereby providing additional new impulses. For example, friend Joachim von Braun, Professor of Economic and Technological Change at the Centre for Development Research at the University of Bonn, gave a highly interesting lecture on the bioeconomy – globally and in the Baltic Sea region. Security policy in the Baltic region will be another topic over the course of the year.
Participating Countries
