Summer Academy 2023
The association’s fourth Summer Academy took place in Druskininkai on 18-20th August. This year, we focused on the topic of TRUST, which was discussed by 40 participants and invited guests. Trust in politics, business, art, even in private life – is it merely a theoretical concept? Can societies function without trust? And what should a state and its citizens do if another country – especially a neighbouring one – cannot be trusted?
As usual, the academy theme was discussed among attendees both in debate training sessions and in informal activities. However, the most important aspects of the issues raised were addressed during contributions of the invited guests – specialists and experts. Dr Reinhard Krumm, the head of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) office in the Baltic States and former correspondent for “Der Spiegel”, spoke on the topic of trust in security policy. Marius Jurgilas, the former member of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania and Vice-President of “SuperHow?” for Research and Innovation, reflected in an interactive discussion on (mis)trust in economic and financial systems. The former President of the Constitutional Court Professor Dr Dainius Žalimas spoke about public trust in the international legal system and the establishment of a special tribunal for Russian crimes in Ukraine. Finally, we spoke with the theatre actress Elžbieta Latėnaitė, the host of the LRT Opus podcast “Žaidžiam žmogų” and activist for LGBTQ+ rights, about the importance of self-confidence in the cultural sphere and the courage to make life-changing decisions.
A big thank you to the members of the association who spoke on topics of their choice. Sergej Stoma’s lecture focussed on the history and possible actions of international law institutions, while Margarita Kalesnykaitė addressed the problem of identity in northern Italy during the so-called Movement Period in the 5-7th CE. We would also like to thank the members who agreed to crown this year’s academy with a classical music concert, which, this year, took place at a very symbolic venue – the M. K. Čiurlionis Memorial Museum in Druskininkai. We would like to thank the participants of the Summer Academy who contributed to the organisation and success of the event. We are also grateful to our partner and sponsor, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), for their support and assistance in organising the academy.
The Summer Academy is just one of many events organised by the association to promote democratic values, critical thinking and civic engagement. Read more about our other events in the projects section.
Here you can watch a short video about the Summer Academy 2023.
A few snapshots from the event:
