Conference ”Cesis in the World”, 23 July, 2014

Conference ”Cesis in the World”, 23 July, 2014

“Worldwide Cēsis Days”, the first major Latvian diaspora meeting, will be held in the charming northern-Latvian city of Cēsis on July 21-25.

The highlight of the week will be a conference “Cēsis in the World” with the main aim of drafting a Cēsis re-emigration plan. It will feature a four part panel discussion as well as an address from the President of Latvia H.E. Mr Andris Bērziņš and other excellences.

A high level of interest for the conference has already been expressed by government bodies and organizations as well as the diplomatic corps. But everyone interested and willing to take part in the free conference to discuss diaspora matters is welcome to register here: http://ej.uz/KonferenceCesis

This initiative of the Cēsis municipality has already been praised by H.E. Mr Rolands Lappuķe, Ambassador-at-Large for diaspora matters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Mr Andris Teikmanis, Latvian Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, for being the first of its kind.

Moderator of the conference: Inese Suija – Markova

Conference Part I

8:30 – 10:00 Arrival, Registration, morning coffee
10:00 – 10:10 Welcome Speech: Mr Janis Rozenbergs, Cēsis City Mayor
10:10 – 10:20 Address by H.E. Mr Andris Bērziņš, the President of Latvia
10:20 – 10:35 Mr Jānis Kukainis, Chairman of the World Federation of Free Latvians (WFFL),
topic: WFFL on implemented and planned projects in co-operation with Latvia and Latvians
living abroad
10:35 – 10:50 Mr Aldis Austers, Chairman of European Latvian Association, topic: Latvian
diaspora interests on the European level
10:50 – 11:05 Ms Ilona Platonova Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Economics, topic:
Practical Implementation of the Re-immigration Support Action Plan Courses of Action and
their Solution
11:05 – 11:20 H.E. Mr Andris Teikmanis, Latvian Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, topic: The Promotion of Cooperation with the Diaspora in the
UK
11:20 – 11:35 H.E. Mr Rolands Lappuķe, Ambassador-at-Large for diaspora matters of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, topic: Taskforces on Issues of Diaspora Activities and their
directions
11:35 – 11:50 H.E. Mr Gints Apals, Latvian Ambassador to Ireland, topic: Latvians in Ireland:
11:50 – 12:10 Mr Artis Eglītis, Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ireland pastor,
topic: Latvian Emigration and Diaspora Issues

12:20 – 13:20 Lunch Break

Conference Part II

13:20 – 14:35 Parallel sessions:
1. Business and Investment (Moderator: Pauls Irbins, Director of the Society “Vidzeme
Innovation and Business Centre”);

2. Culture and Tourism (moderator Aija van der Stein, Managing Researcher, Latvian
University of Economics and Management, Scientific Director of the Institute);

3. Family and Education (Moderator: Aivis Dombrovskis, psychotherapist);

Conference Part III

14:40 – 15:30 Panel Discussion: “We for Cēsis, Cēsis for us”: Creation of Cēsis return migration
plan (representatives from the local municipality, ministries, entrepreneurs, WFFL, those who
have returned and who live abroad, representatives of the session panels)
15:30 to 16:00 Coffee Break

Conference IV: True Life Stories

16:10 – 16:20 Pauls Irbins: Latvian on Mars
16:20 – 16:30 Liene Rjabkova: Life in Norway, or what I can give to Cēsis!
16:30 – 16:50 I returned to Latvia (tentative)
16:50 – 17:00 Closing: Mr Jānis Rozenbergs, Cēsis City Mayor
Conclusion: Networking