BackAnnual Forum 2025 – The Soft Core of Hard Security: Community Cohesion and Agency in Times of Insecurity
The Policy Area Secure, in partnership with PA Culture organised a joint session at the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025: “The Soft Core of Hard Security: Community Cohesion and Agency in Times of Insecurity”.
The room was full — nearly 100 participants joined to explore one essential question: How can culture and community engagement help societies become stronger from within? Moderator Felix Schartner-Gierta (CBSS, project manager BSR Cultural Pearls project) opened with a powerful thought: “Resilience starts with people. It’s not something governments can give us – it’s built through community engagement and what holds us together at the core.”
The speakers approached this theme from different angles:
- Harri Ruoslahti (Laurea University) spoke about preparedness and the idea that resilience is not a destination but a process that must be constantly nurtured.
- Maja Allard (Region Gotland) reminded us that “Resilience is not the absence of hardship, but the presence of emotional security and purpose.”
- Prof. Beata Fabisiak shared the moving story of the KidLikeUs project, supporting Ukrainian children in Polish schools through creative play and sensory experiences.
- Joren Dobkiewicz (New East Culture Institute) addressed disinformation and the need for empathy, saying: “You can build big walls, but if you cannot talk to the people you’re trying to protect, you lack a crucial layer of resilience.”
- Egita Prāma (LAMPA Conversation Festival) showed how democracy festivals in Latvia bring people together — from politicians turned DJs to children exploring civic life — proving that dialogue truly keeps democracy alive.
The message that resonated most deeply: Community is made of people who care, connect, and act. Our shared future in Europe is unwritten — and it’s through these everyday acts of cooperation and empathy that we write it together.
Explore further by reading the session summary by the BSR Cultural Pearls project here.
Securing the Future – Views from the Policy Area Coordinators
“Securing the Future – Views from the Policy Area Coordinators” publication consists of thematically focused articles that are aligned with the Strategy objectives and support informed discussion.
To read more about the security and resilience, read the article “Creeping crises in the Baltic Sea Region: challenges and strategies”.
Download the publication here.
More about the Annual Forum
- Securing the Future – Views from the Policy Area Coordinators
- Building the Baltic Sea Region’s AI Future: From Hype to Real Impact
- New Circular Economy Solutions: Perspectives to Circular Economy in a Panel Discussion
- Energy Transformation: pathways to Baltic Sea region‘s energy resilience
- The Soft Core of Hard Security: Community Cohesion and Agency in Times of Insecurity
- Routes That Resonate: Tourism and Culture as Bridges in the Baltic Sea Region
- Economy of Wellbeing of People: Building Sustainable Working Lives in the Baltic Sea Region
- Regions bordering Russian Federation and Belarus
- Beyond Borders: Turning Interreg Results into Policy Action
- Are Our Green Fuels Ready for Green Shipping Corridors?
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