Nordic Day 2024: The Nordic Region – Stronger Together

NB! 09:30–12:30 GMT+2 /08:30–12:30 CET

Programme:

09:30 Breakfast

10:00 Welcome, Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, Anni Sinnemäki.

10:05–10:15 Opening speech: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen.

10:15-10:55 How well is the Nordic Region doing?
Panel discussion with the Nordic ambassadors. Challenges and opportunities – toward a safer, greener and freer Nordic Region.

• The Swedish Ambassador, Nicola Clase
• The Icelandic Ambassador, Harald Aspelund
• Deputy Head of Mission at the Norwegian Embassy. Svenn J. Bjerkem
• The Danish Ambassador, Jakob Nymann-Lindegren
• The Minister for Education and for Nordic Co-operation, Anna-Maja Henriksson

Moderator: Kirsi Heikel, former Nordic correspondent for Yle.

10:55–11:00 Cellist Lukas Stasevsky Finnish-Ukrainian Lukas Stasevsky is known for making music in war-torn Ukraine.

11:00–11:35 Culture, Trust, Democracy – Nordic Keys in Times of Crisis?
Panel discussion about our strengths and the challenges our societies face on the path to greater resilience.

• Sari Multala, Minister of Science and Culture
• Sixten Korkman, economist, professor emeritus and social commentator.
• Gunvor Kronman, CEO Hanaholmen, the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre
• Lukas Stasevsky, cellist and documentary filmmaker

Moderator: Mikko Haapanen, journalist, Yle.

11:35–11:45 Cultural feature: Santeri Helinheimo-Mäntylä, actor. Santeri is part of the Swedish Now network of artists who tour schools and talks about the doors the Swedish language has opened for him.

11:45-12:00 Reaching across language boundaries. The Language Ambassadors, Swedish Now, Info Norden, Nordic Culture Point, the Youth League of the Finnish Norden Association, the Norden Association in Finland, Nordplus.

12:00 Closing remarks. Niina Aagard, Head of Communications, the Nordic Council of Ministers.

12:00–12:30 Mingle and sandwiches.

A link to the livestream will be posted here later.