Baltic Sea Future Radar

This year, the Baltic Sea Future Radar went into its seventh round and it would become quite memorable for a number of reasons: Not only did it take place in Riga for the first time, but it was also the most attended one. Furthermore, it took place during the Baltic Pride, which was also the most attended one since its foundation – perfect conditions for fruitful discussions.

This year was all about migration and integration. To kick things off on the first of three eventful days, Tarek Ziad Hussein, blogger and lecturer from Denmark, shared his personal experience as a second generation immigrant as well as his take on the discourse in Denmark. He focused on the role and perception of Muslims in today’s Danish society and identified the homogenization of Muslims as one of the main issues, because it puts Muslims under a general suspicion.

During the second day of the workshop, experts from Germany, Denmark, Latvia and Estonia gave an introduction into the specific cases in their countries and deepened the discourse in certain aspects. Marcus Engler from the Humboldt University in Berlin focused on the legal aspects of international migration and discussed the question on whether there is a right to migration. While Danish journalist Anne Lundbye shed some light on the interrelations between migration and security issues, the third expert, Agnese Lāce from Latvian think-tank Providus, talked about the cultural dimension of migration and integration. Juhan Saharov from the Estonian Johannes Mihkelson Centre, discussed preconditions and methods for a successful integration process.

During lunch break, the participants took part in this year’s Baltic Pride Parade through Riga and supported a plural, equal and diverse society.

Finally, on the last day, Hannes Alpen, chief editor of the online journal Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft (IPG), discussed the foundations of successful political communication with the participants.