Nordic, Baltic and Caucasus Dialogue 2026
Culture, Youth and Gender Equality
Five days of structured dialogue, study visits, and concrete partnership development — bringing together civil society from the Nordic, Baltic, and South Caucasus regions.
Registration deadline: 1 June 2026 · Working language: English
The urgency of Nordic–Caucasus civil society dialogue in 2026
Three converging crises that civil society can no longer address in isolation.
Gender equality is losing ground
Across Europe and the Caucasus, hard-won gains are being questioned, defunded, or actively reversed. Women’s rights organisations face shrinking civic space and rising political pressure. The Nordic model requires active defence and international solidarity — it is not automatic or permanent.
Youth are disengaging from democracy
Participation in formal democratic processes is declining across all three regions. Young people are active in cultural and digital spaces — but this energy is not being captured by civil society structures. Organisations in Azerbaijan, Finland, and the Baltic states face the same challenge from different starting points.
Nordic–Caucasus cooperation is underdeveloped
Most European civil society networks stop at EU borders. Despite shared values and complementary strengths, structured cooperation between the Nordic and South Caucasus regions remains thin. This forum is the infrastructure for what comes next — joint projects, shared advocacy, and a durable cross-regional network.
What decision-makers and practitioners are saying
These are the policy positions and civil society voices that make this forum not just timely — but necessary.
“Gender equality is not a women’s issue — it is a democratic issue. When women are excluded from public life, democracy itself is diminished. Civil society organisations are on the front line of this work, and they need European solidarity, not just European rhetoric.”
Sanna Marin
Former Prime Minister of Finland (2019–2023)
“The Nordic countries have shown that gender equality is achievable — but it requires sustained political will, structural investment, and a civil society that is resourced and free to hold governments to account. These conditions do not emerge on their own.”
Mette Frederiksen
Prime Minister of Denmark
“Young people are not the future of democracy — they are the present. When we fail to give them meaningful roles in civic life today, we are not investing in the future. We are dismantling it. Youth organisations are not a luxury. They are essential infrastructure.”
Kaja Kallas
Former Prime Minister of Estonia, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs
“Intercultural dialogue is the most underused tool in European foreign policy. When civil society organisations build real relationships across borders — not just exchange visits, but joint work and shared accountability — they achieve what diplomacy cannot.”
Tobias Billström
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
“We cannot speak of sustainable development without gender equality, and we cannot achieve gender equality without the active participation of civil society. NGOs are not stakeholders in this process — they are the engine of it.”
Elina Valtonen
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
“Azerbaijan’s youth are ready for deeper engagement with European civil society. We have the energy, the ideas, and the commitment. What we need is structured cooperation — real partnerships, not symbolic ones. Forums like this are exactly what makes the difference.”
Asif Asgarli
Chairman, ADSAYO — Azerbaijan Democratic Student and Youth Organization
“Through our Legal Clinic, we have seen what happens when migrant women have access to legal knowledge and civil society support — their lives change. This forum is about taking that knowledge across borders and building the partnerships that make it possible at scale.”
Laura Maria Rajala
Head of Legal Clinic and International Cooperation, Femina ry — Finland
“The Baltic experience of democratic transition in the 1990s taught us one thing above all: civil society does not emerge after democracy is established. Civil society is what establishes democracy. Investing in NGO cooperation across regions is investing in democratic resilience itself.”
Civil Society Voice
Estonian Women’s Studies and Resource Centre — Estonia
Four areas of shared work
Each theme is a working area — not just a panel topic. Participants produce concrete outputs in all four.
Culture as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Arts, storytelling, music, and creative exchange as infrastructure for social cohesion. Examination of what has worked in Finland and Azerbaijan, what is transferable, and what a joint cultural programme can look like.
Youth Participation and Democratic Resilience
Practical models for youth civic engagement across different political environments. Special focus on young women, young migrants, and youth from minority communities as decision-makers, not symbolic participants.
Gender Equality — Models, Realities, Gaps
The Nordic gender equality framework under scrutiny — what is genuinely transferable to the Caucasus context, what the Caucasus experience offers the Nordic discussion, and where honest comparison reveals gaps on both sides.
Civil Society and Policy — Advocacy That Works
Practical coalition-building, use of EU and international human rights frameworks as leverage, and sustaining advocacy capacity in environments that are hostile to civil society. Tools, not just inspiration.
What Nordic–Caucasus partnership looks like in practice
Six concrete areas in which Femina ry and partner organisations are developing joint work — from legal empowerment to digital safety.
Five days — from dialogue to deliverables
Every day has a clear purpose. Every session has a concrete output. The programme moves from framing toward partnership agreements and signed commitments.
Arrival and Registration
Participants arrive at Scandic Helsinki Aviacongress. Registration desk open. Welcome materials distributed.
Welcome Reception — hosted by Femina ry
Informal introductions and networking. Each delegation presents their organisation in 5 minutes. Orientation briefing on forum structure and expected outputs.
Introductory Dinner
Informal dinner for all participants. Beginning of the human connections that make cooperation possible.
Morning Coffee and Networking
Official Opening Ceremony
Opening speeches: Laura Maria Rajala, Femina ry (Finland) · Asif Asgarli, Chairman, ADSAYO (Azerbaijan) · Representative of Baltic partner organisation.
Morning Plenary — “Why This Dialogue Matters: Culture, Youth and Gender Equality Across Regions”
Keynote presentations from all three regions followed by open discussion. Honest mapping of the terrain — what is working, what is failing, where the pressure points are.
Lunch
Round Table — “Gender Equality in Practice: Nordic Models and Caucasus Realities”
Representatives from Finland, the Baltic states, and Azerbaijan present national policy frameworks and civil society responses. Focus on honest comparison — what the Nordic model delivers, where it falls short, and what the Caucasus experience reveals.
Coffee Break
Day Summary and Reflection
Rapporteur presents key points. Open floor. Identification of tensions and agreements to carry forward.
Working Dinner
Flagship programme presentations by all delegations. Maximum 5 minutes per organisation.
Morning Coffee
Keynote Session — “Youth as Agents of Change: Civil Society Perspectives from North and South”
Keynote speakers: ADSAYO (Azerbaijan) · Green Habito ry (Finland) · Baltic partner organisation. Each speaker presents their model for youth engagement and what they have learned about what actually works.
Coffee Break
Parallel Working Groups
Group 1 — Cultural Diplomacy: Youth-led intercultural exchange. Scoping a joint exchange programme.
Group 2 — Gender-Sensitive Education: Developing a shared methodology framework for gender-sensitive civic education.
Group 3 — Digital Safety: Joint resource list and cooperation priorities for safe online spaces.
Each group produces a written Action Note.
Lunch
Joint Panel — “From Cultural Exchange to Structural Change: What Civil Society Can Actually Do”
The gap between cultural dialogue as a feel-good activity and cultural exchange as a tool for structural change. What conditions produce measurable results? What are the honest limits of what civil society can achieve without policy support?
Coffee Break
Working Group Presentations
Rapporteurs present Action Notes to the full forum. Open discussion and endorsement.
🎶 Cultural Evening — Finland and Azerbaijan
Finnish and Azerbaijani artistic presentations, music, and storytelling. Hosted by Femina ry. A demonstration in practice of what Nordic–Caucasus cultural exchange looks like.
Departure — bus transfer to first study visit
Study Visit 1 — Monika-Naiset liitto
National umbrella organisation for multicultural women in Finland. Presentation of Legal Empowerment model, crisis support infrastructure, multilingual services, and policy advocacy. Structured dialogue: how can this model inform work in Azerbaijan and the Baltic states?
Working Lunch — hosted by partner organisation
Study Visit 2 — Finnish Refugee Council
Civic orientation programme and community integration methodology. Discussion: what elements are transferable? What does integration look like from a Caucasus perspective?
Study Visit 3 — Finnish Youth Organisation
Finland’s national youth policy framework — how civil society shapes it and what funding mechanisms support it. Structured exchange: participants from Azerbaijan and the Baltic states compare approaches and identify realistic areas of knowledge transfer.
Transfer back to hotel
Free Evening / Optional Networking Dinner
Bilateral and trilateral meetings. Often where the most productive partnership conversations happen — away from the formal agenda.
Morning Coffee
Session 1 — “Civil Society and Policy Influence: Strategies That Actually Work”
Led by experienced advocates from the Nordic NGO sector. How to map decision-makers and access points; how to use EU and international human rights frameworks as domestic leverage; coalition-building across sectors; sustaining advocacy in environments hostile to civil society.
Coffee Break
Session 2 — Funding Frameworks and Joint Project Design
Erasmus+ KA2, Nordic Culture Point Demos and Volt, and other mechanisms accessible for Nordic–Caucasus cooperation. What organisations from Azerbaijan can realistically access. Participants begin scoping joint project concepts with Femina ry coordination support.
Lunch
Open Networking and Partnership Development
Organisations present current projects, available capacity, and specific needs. Bilateral and trilateral meetings facilitated by Femina ry. Target: minimum three expressions of interest signed by close of session.
✍️ Signing of the Joint Statement of Nordic–Caucasus Civil Society Cooperation
Formal signing by all participating organisations. Shared commitments in culture, youth participation, and gender equality. Foundation for future joint European project applications.
Closing Ceremony
Closing words by Femina ry and partner organisations. Certificate of participation distributed to all delegates.
Closing Dinner — hosted by Femina ry
The end of the forum — and the beginning of the work that follows.
Departures according to individual travel arrangements
What you need to know before registering
✅ What Femina ry covers for delegates
Local transportation in Helsinki between all forum venues and study visit locations · Full cultural evening programme including entry to all hosted events · Formal visa support letter and all necessary official documentation for visa application · Full organisational and technical support throughout the event.
💳 What participants cover independently
International flights to and from Helsinki · Hotel accommodation in Vantaa/Helsinki · All meals during the forum programme including lunches, dinners, and coffee breaks · Visa application fees and travel insurance · Personal expenses during free time. Femina ry will issue a formal invitation letter and visa support documentation to assist with all visa applications. A formal guarantee of accommodation letter is available upon request.
📋 Participation requirements
Participants must represent a registered civil society organisation, NGO, youth organisation, educational institution, or government body. Full participation in the five-day programme is expected. Participants are asked to contribute to at least one working group and to present their organisation’s work during the working dinner on 30 June. All participants receive a Certificate of Participation.
🏨 Recommended accommodation
Scandic Helsinki Aviacongress
Robert Huberin Tie 4, 01510 Vantaa, Finland
On-site accommodation at the forum venue. 10 minutes from Helsinki Airport. Participants are strongly encouraged to book early. Femina ry can provide a formal hotel booking confirmation letter for visa purposes upon request.
📅 Key dates
1 June 2026
Registration and confirmation deadline
1–10 June 2026
Visa support letters issued by Femina ry
29 June 2026
Forum begins — arrival and registration from 14:00
3 July 2026
Forum closes — departures from 22:00
What this forum produces
Joint Statement
Signed by all participating organisations. Foundation for future joint European project applications.
3 Working Group Action Notes
Conclusions, proposed joint initiatives, responsible organisations, and next steps.
3+ Partnership Agreements
Signed expressions of interest for Erasmus+ or Nordic Culture Point joint project applications.
Post-Forum Summary Report
Shared with all participants and funders within six weeks of the event.
Photo and Video Documentation
Available to all participating organisations for communication and reporting.
Certificate of Participation
Issued by Femina ry to all confirmed delegates upon completion of the forum.
Ready to join the dialogue?
Registration deadline: 1 June 2026
Open to civil society organisations, youth practitioners, gender equality advocates, educators, and policymakers from the Nordic, Baltic, and Caucasus regions.
Confirm Participation by EmailLaura Maria Rajala · femiansuomi@gmail.com · www.feminary.fi
Femina ry · Business ID: 2869673-2 · Vasamakatu 3 A 3, Kerava, Finland · info@feminary.fi · www.feminary.fi