Baltic-Nordic Youth Forum 2023

The Baltic-Nordic Youth Forum 2023 was an important three-day event that brought together around 100 people, including students, young professionals and experienced diplomats. The main focus of the Forum was to address key issues such as the future of NATO, the perspectives of the Nordic and Baltic states, the evolving dynamics of the Arctic region, and advances in cybersecurity. 

The Forum was characterised by its interactive and high-level panels and workshops, led by distinguished experts in their respective fields. These included Rachel Rizzo, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council; Tinatin Khidasheli, Chairwoman and Founder of Civic IDEA and former Minister of Defence of Georgia; Professor Louis Wierenga, Lecturer in International Relations, Department of Political and Strategic Studies, Baltic Defence College; and Dr Balkan Devlen, Director of the Transatlantic Programme and Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute. 

A notable feature of the Forum was the use of NATONIA, an internationally recognised game developed by the Estonian Atlantic Treaty Association (EATA). This game provided a platform for participants to apply and test their knowledge of NATO in a dynamic and interactive environment. The experience was not only educational, but also fostered new relationships among participants and enhanced their understanding of the operational dynamics within the NATO security environment. 

The event was meticulously organised by the Estonian Atlantic Treaty Association with the support of several distinguished partners. These included the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, the Estonian Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, and the Canadian Embassy in Estonia. The success of the Forum was a testament to the collaborative efforts of these organisations and highlighted the importance of such international gatherings in shaping the future of global security and diplomacy.