Opening of the EU Exhibition and Debate in Kaunas

On the 25th of April 2019 the premises of Historical Presidential Palace of the Republic of Lithuania will host the debate and exhibition „The Emergence of New States in Eastern Europe after the First World War: Lessons for all of Europe“ supported by Europe for Citizens programme of the European Union.

The topic of the exhibition is the emergence of the new states in  Eastern Europe after the First World War, it shows the formation and process of development of independent states of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. As well the unsuccessful attempts to create inpependent Belarusian, Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar and other states, that were disrupted by Bolsheviks. All the processes of 1918-1921 period has had a huge impact on the future of Europe and its awareness is crucial to building a shared future.

The discussion seeks to talk over the issues of national and religious minorities, that had impact on the process of emergence and development of the states. The participants will try to answer what was the role of minorities in those events and what was the minority policy of new states.

The entire event will be held in English.

The project „The Emergence of New States in Eastern Europe after the First World War: Lessons for all of Europe” is financed with the support of the Europe for Citizens programme of the European Union. The leader of the project is think-tank WiseEuropa (Poland). The partner institutions: Czesław Miłosz Centre of Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Latvian Institute of Foreign Affairs (Latvia), The City Council of Pori (Finland), Tallin University of Technology (Estonia) and the Journal „New Eastern Europe“ (Poland).

PROGRAM

The Emergence of New States in Eastern Europe after the First World War: Lessons for all of Europe. Debate and Exhibition.

Hosted by Czesław Miłosz Center of Vytautas Magnus University

15:00 Welcome Speech: Ineta Dabašinskienė, Vice-Rector for International Relations

15:15-16:15 Key-Note Speaker

Alena Marková, Charles University, Czechia

“Nation-Building Processes after 1918 in Belarus: Three Waves of National Emancipation”

16:15-18:00 Round-Table

Moderator: Tomasz Błaszczak, Czesław Miłosz Center

Participants:

-Adam Balcer, WiseEuropa, Poland

-Andrejs Gusachenko, University of Latvia

-Šarūnas Liekis, Vytautas Magnus University

-Anna Sivula, University of Turku, Finland

-Vlad Alex Vernygora, Tallin University of Technology, Estonia

18:00-19:00 Opening of the Exhibition

Opening remarks Rūstis Kamuntavičius, Head of the Czesław Miłosz Center