"The strength of the BSR region is very visible. "
about the course?
It is good that the course combines both academic and practical perspectives and that we are touching on social media, on building the culture of safety in an organisation and an atmosphere for making improvements. Now I will think of my work…

"Now I have new partners that I will be able to contact directly "
about the course?
I know 8 or 9 people here already from the activities we have had before. However, it is always good to meet regularly and to strengthen our network. Here we can all bring our assets, our impacts – how we are dealing…

From 23-26 November 2015, the second Baltic Leadership Programme for Future Decision makers took place in Warsaw, with around 30 Civil Protection professionals from the 11 CBSS member states. After a great kick-off with Helena Lindberg, Director General of the Swedish Contingencies Agency, Ambassador Michal Czyz, representing the Polish Presidency, Åsa Lundmark from the Swedish…

"Sometimes the smallest idea is the most useful"
about international cooperation?
"We have a saying in Estonian, 'to get stuck in a “frog’s pond', meaning if you only swim back and forth in the same small pond - you cannot really learn from that. So if you spend too much time in Estonia with your problems,…

"We like having guidelines, but we prefer having non-binding guidelines"
international cooperation?
"For me personally, in my job international cooperation means almost everything - because it is what I do on a daily basis. But also, I think that most countries in this group are small countries,…

"Looking back helps us to look into the future"
about international cooperation?
"I have been participating in different EU- and NATO courses. They have given me a lot of contacts, which I have used to improve our systems. The Estonian system is quite new actually, and that is why we have tried to use…

"International cooperation is now more substantive. I think this is really going forward and it should."
about international cooperation?
"Our challenges are structural but also cultural, I think that people are having national minds and in that sense international cooperation is not as established in civil protection as it is in other areas. The EU cooperation in…

"It is good to get out of the daily routine, to take a step back and see the bigger picture"
about the programme?
"It is an important possibility to meet other people from around the Baltic Sea Region and to exchange ideas and experiences. Networking is good and to have a face to countries we are working with - for me…

"We need to raise awareness in the community"
international cooperation
"In my role I am responsible for all phases in disaster management, prevention, preparedness and recovery, so the exchange with other countries helps me: if something works in a neighbor country, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. You can get inspiration from other knowledge or structures."
main…

During the first week of December 2014, the Swedish Institute – in collaboration with the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) - invited 25 high-level professionals from the field of Civil Protection to the Baltic Leadership Programme in Civil Protection for Future Decision Makers in Tallinn.
The participants, representing all CBSS Member States, spent four…