Ivy project partner Nauris, volunteering at Movement spontaneous, organised the following event for project Accesible Hiking Trails under Interreg programme Estonia-Latvia.
What is Cohesion Policy — and how can YOU be part of it?
A citizen conversation on EU funding and grassroots action.
🗓 June 20 | 📍 RTU Innovation Bridge, Floating Stage, Sarunu festivāls LAMPA (Cēsis, Latvia)
50 attending participants.
During one of Latvia’s most vibrant civic gatherings — Sarunu festivāls LAMPA — a unique public discussion unfolded on a floating stage in Cēsu pils parks. Framed around the question “What is Cohesion Policy — and how can YOU be part of it?”, the event invited festival participants to engage in an open dialogue on how EU cohesion funds are used across the Baltic region, and why understanding this policy matters for everyday citizens, NGOs, youth leaders, and community innovators.
Moderated by Luize Darta Sietina, COO at TechChill and co-founder of The Crowd, the panel featured voices from Latvia and Estonia who have been actively involved in regional development through EU-funded initiatives. Speakers included Gustavs M. Upmanis, founder of the youth empowerment platform Visas Iespējas; Andra Marta Babre, co-founder of Movement Spontaneous and EU project manager at RTU; and Elin Priks, project manager at the Estonian Rural Tourism Association.
Throughout the one-hour session, speakers shared personal experiences navigating EU funding systems — from first applications to project delivery. The conversation touched on common challenges such as understanding eligibility criteria, ensuring community involvement, and making bureaucratic processes more accessible. The panel also highlighted how cohesion policy can directly support bottom-up initiatives — including rural tourism development and grassroots civic engagement.
Audience members were encouraged to ask questions, reflect on local needs, and consider the ways EU support could be applied to their own ideas. The atmosphere was informal and participatory, in line with the LAMPA ethos of open, democratic exchange.
This citizen engagement activity was part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the impact of cohesion policy and to ensure more transparent, inclusive access to EU support — especially among young changemakers and local community actors in the Baltics.
Photos and text by IVY volunteer Nauris.
