PEACE, NATURE &COOPERATION IN THE BALTIC AND ARCTIC REGIONS
Supporting Peace with UN, not the Global Arms Race.
15.9.2024
PEACE, NATURE & COOPERATION IN THE BALTIC AND ARCTIC REGIONS
Supporting Peace with UN, not the Global Arms Race.
International offline/physical Conference and round table discussions
St. Petersburg, Russia – September 21-22, 2024
Registration form: https://forms.gle/Qdg8oEVyBLDCEHLs8
PROGRAM – WITH RESERVATIONS FOR UNEXPECTED CHANGES
Presentations representing countries around the Baltic and in the Arctic zone (physical and virtual/zoom)
September 21, 2024 – Peace between people
09.45 – 10.30
Opening of the congress – 10 min/speaker
- Oleg Bodrov – Chairman of the Public Council of the Southern Shore of the Gulf of Finland – Interregional Public Socio-ecological Movement of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, member of the Board of the International Peace Bureau. (St. Petersburg) – Russian Federation –
(physical)
- Tamara Lorincz – Canadian organization Women’s Voice for Peace (VOW) -Canada – (physical)
- David Swanson – World BEYOND War – US – (virtual)
- Reiner Braun – International Peace Bureau (IPB) – (virtual)
10.30 – 11.30 – Section 1 – 10 min/speaker
Military actions and challenges of the militarization in the Baltic Sea – introductions
- Nikolay Kuzmin – Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region, member of the Standing Committee on Ecology and Natural Resources (Sosnovy Bor, Leningradskaya oblast) – Russian Federation –
(physical)
- Reiner Braun – IPB – Germany – (virtual)
- Christer Lundgren – journalist (retired but active), member of the Folket i Bild association, The National No to NATO Organization and the No to NATO Network as well as the Working Group against the DCA. Has worked actively in solidarity and friendship organizations for more than five decades, including with Vietnam, DPR Korea, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. At present mainly writes for the Folket i Bild/Kulturfront magazine. – Sweden – (physical)
- Tove Jensen – board member of the Peace Initiative in Denmark, and in the Campaign “No to US-Bases in Denmark – (physical)
- Olli Tammilehto – Finland – (not confirmed) (physical or virtual)
- Mechthild Klingenburg Vogel – Germany – (not confirmed) (virtual)
11.30 – 13.00 – Section I
Round table discussion – Emphasis on cooperation and common activities
- All forenoon speakers
13.00 – 14.00
Lunch
14.00 – 15.00 – Section II – 10 min/speaker
Military actions and challenges of the militarization in the Arctic region – introductions
- Elena Kruglikova – Kola Ecocenter, public eco-social movement of the Murmansk region (Arctic region) – Russian Federation – (physical)
- Tamara Lorincz – Canadian organization Women’s Voice for Peace (VOW) -Canada – (physical)
- US speaker – (not confirmed) (virtual)
- Ingeborg Breines – Former Chair of IPB and UNESCO Director – Norway – (virtual)
- Agneta Norberg – Women for Peace – Sweden (Esrange) – (virtual)
15.00 – 16.00 – Section II
Round table discussion – Emphasis on cooperation and common activities
– all afternoon speakers
16.00 – 17.30
Working groups
– Group 1: Creation of a network of interaction between the participants of the
Conference – further cooperation – common activities
- Group 2: Elaboration of a joint declaration on action to achieve the goals of the conference to be sent to the organizers of the World Peace Forum 2025
September 22, 2024 – Peace among people and with nature
- – 10.45 – Section III – 10 min/speaker
Military pollution and socio-ecological consequences of the militarization of the Baltic and Arctic regions
- Oleg Bodrov – Chairman of the Public Council of the Southern Shore of the Gulf of Finland – Interregional Public Socio-ecological Movement of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, member of the Board of the International Peace Bureau. (St. Petersburg) – Russian Federation –
(physical)
- Isabelle Cassel – Deutscher Friedensrat (climate issue) – Germany
– (physical or virtual)
- Gunnar Norén – Senior adviser at Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) – Sweden -(physical or virtual)
- Ulla Klötzer – Women for Peace Finland – (physical)
- Palle Bendsen – Friends of the Earth Denmark – (virtual)
10.45 – 12.00 – Section 3
Round table discussion – Emphasis on cooperation and common activities
- All forenoon speakers
12.00 – 13.30
Lunch
13.30 – 14.30 – Section IV – 10 min/speaker
Agenda 2030 – Sustainable Development Goals 16 & 17 through peace and partnerships – Public Statements – Public communiqué to the World Peace Forum 2025
- Oleg Bodrov – Chairman of the Public Council of the Southern Shore of the Gulf of Finland – Interregional Public Socio-ecological Movement of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, member of the Board of the International Peace Bureau. (St. Petersburg) – Russian Federation –
(physical)
- Susanne Urban – WILPF Norway – (virtual)
- Lea Launokari – Women for Peace and GWUAN – Finland – (physical)
- Heidi Meinzolt – member of WILPF and coordinator of a women’s WG in the OSCE area – Germany – (virtual)
- Tamara Lorincz – Canadian organization Women’s Voice for Peace (VOW) – Canada – (physical)
- Mia Stubbendorff – Nej till NATO/No to NATO – Sweden – (physical)
14.30 – 15.30 – Section 4
Round table discussion – Emphasis on cooperation and common activities
- All afternoon speakers
15.30 – 17.00
Working groups – Statements – Further steps
– Group 1: Creation of a network of interaction between the participants of the
Conference – further cooperation – common activities
- Group 2: Elaboration of a joint declaration on action to achieve the goals of the conference to be sent to the organizers of the World Peace Forum 2025
17.00 – 18.00
Working group presentations – Further activities – Common statement approval
BACKGROUND – ORGANIZERS – TRAVEL INSTRUCTIONS
Background:
• The Baltic and Arctic regions are militarizing, and new risks of global military confrontation, climate and environmental disasters are emerging.
• Civil society in Russia and Western countries are limited in the ability to cooperate to reduce the risks of military escalation, stop climate change, radioactive contamination and destruction of natural ecosystems.
• UN: 2024 is the year of promoting a culture of peace; September 21 is the International Day of Peace.
Organizers:
- Public Council of the Southern Shore of the Gulf of Finland (PCSCG), interregional environmental movement of St. Petersburg – Leningrad Region, Russia.
- Global Women for Peace United Against NATO (GWUAN) – international network
- International Peace Bureau (IPB) – Geneva, Barcelona, Berlin
- World BEYOND War – a global anti-war organization with chapters and affiliates in about two dozen countries. It is opposed to the very institution of war and not just individual wars
Supporting organizations:
- Regional Press Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia (information support)
- Canadian organization Women’s Voice for Peace (VOW) (Canada).
- International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom of Canada (WILPF)
- Women for Peace (Finland)
- Women for Peace (Sweden)
- Boligaktionen – Activism for a World with space for everyone (Denmark)
- WILPF – Norway
Objectives of the conference and (round table discussion?):
• Strengthening peace and sustainable development through civil diplomacy.
• Combating climate change and protecting the environment through peacebuilding.
• The transformation of the Baltic and Arctic regions into a nuclear-weapon-free zone of peace.
• Uniting peacekeeping and environmental human rights organizations in the Baltic and Arctic regions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals: 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) and 17 (Partnership for Sustainable Development).
- Making the Baltic Sea region and the Arctic zones of peace between people and with nature
Participants of the conference and (round table discussion):
• Non-governmental organizations of the Baltic and Arctic regions from Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Canada, USA.
• Deputies of the regional parliaments and municipalities of the Leningrad region,
St. Petersburg, Russia
• Environmental experts from St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast.
Expected results:
• Creation of a network of interaction between the participants of the Conference and round table discussions.
• Elaboration of a joint declaration on action to achieve the goals of the conference to be sent to the organizers of the World Peace Forum 2025
Venue of the conference:
St. Petersburg, Ligovsky Prospekt 87, Regional Press Institute in the center of St. Petersburg.
Filming of the event:
A video will be produced of the round table discussions if agreed upon by the speakers.
Voluntary participation fee and donations:
Also small amounts are appreciated to cover interpretation and technical equipment and can be transferred to the bank account of Women for Peace/Amandamaji – Finland:
- Amandamaji
- FI54 4055 0017 7228 40
- BIC: HELSFIHH
Interpretation
Interpretation Russian – English, English – Russian is provided.
Travelling to St.Petersburg:
It is advisable to travel (by plane, ferry) to Tallinn (Estonia), and then by bus to St. Petersburg via Narva. The duration of the bus trip is 6-7 hours. There are many different companies. Tickets can be purchased online.
You can also travel by air to Istanbul and from there by air on to St. Petersburg.
Participants from abroad must make their own travel arrangements.
Visa:
To apply for an invitation to obtain a business Russian visa and participate physically in the conference, please send the following information to
- Oleg Bodrov’s e-mail [email protected]
- and Anna Sharogradskaya [email protected]
- Passport number
- date of issue of the passport
- The expiration date of the passport
- The authority that issued the passport
- Name Last name
- date of birth
- place of birth
- sex
- Place of work
- Residential address
- mobile phone number with country code
- A scanned passport page with a photo
Any question, please contact Oleg Bodrov: [email protected] or by phone +79217452631
Money, payment for services and purchases in Russia:
Almost everywhere it is possible to pay with a bank card, BUT only bank cards from Russian banks are accepted (US sanctions).
Near the conference venue there are points for exchanging Euros and $ for RUR. Currently 1 $ = 82 RUR; 1 Euro = 93 RUR.
Cash up to $ 10.000 or another currency equivalent to this amount can be imported and exported into Russia without declaration.
Booking a hotel:
Most booking centers (internet service) do not reserve hotel rooms in Russia (sanctions).
To book a hotel room, you must contact the hotels directly.
The IBIS hotel is recommended. It is a 7-minute walk from the planned conference location. The hotel website describes (in English) how to book a room outside of Russia https://ibishotelspb.ru/en/ .
Meals:
Breakfast in the hotel.
Lunch and dinner at cafes nearby.
Costs for lunch or dinner 1000 – 2000 rubles (11- 22 Euros).
Further information
Oleg Bodrov – the Public Council of the Southern Coast of the Gulf of Finland (Leningrad Oblast – St.-Petersburg) – [email protected]
and Ulla Klötzer, [email protected] Can be contacted also by Signal, Telegram, Wh
