During the year 2019 Conversation Festival LAMPA on 28 and 29 June in Cēsis, the Ministry of Finance and the Norwegian Embassy in Latvia hosted participants with an extensive programme in the “Tent of Opportunities”. For the duration of two days, visitors to the tent were invited to take part in discussions and conversations with Latvian and Norwegian public and private sector experts, opinion leaders and cooperation partners
Participation in the LAMPA festival was a launch event for the new European Economic Area (EEA) and Norwegian grants period. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will invest around EUR 100 million in Latvia by 2024. All discussions in the tent was related to areas that will receive support in the coming years. The theme of year 2019 conversation festival was COURAGE. The theme of the festival is in line with the basic idea behind the support provided by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. All areas in which Latvia will receive support require courageous change – the courage to think and act differently, the courage to change preconceptions that sometimes seem to be set in stone. During the discussions, Norwegian experts provided insight into how the changes planned in Latvia are already taking effect in Norway.
In the Tent of Opportunities, participants was invited to discuss the future of Europe after the elections – what political forces will steer Europe, what will be the main challenges for the European Union in the future? Tried to answer the question – who needs journalism, if everything can be found on the Internet? At the same time, the discussion also explained what Moneyval really means and how it will affect each of us. We discussed how to achieve faster growth in the regions of Latvia. We talked about how Latvia can become a climate-neutral country – what could be the contribution of different sectors to this goal and how can each of us do our part. In the expert discussion, we assesed the prevalence of pharmaceuticals and other compounds in the environment, the efficiency of waste water treatment systems, and possible solutions to reduce the risk of pollution. We discussed how green technologies are being developed in Latvia, how actively we demand such products in the market and why is it necessary to create green technology companies.
We found out how innovative technologies can increase the quality and efficiency of our lives – we talked about design thinking in product and service creation. Participants had an opportunity to see and try out the already created prototypes of design products.
We also discussed topicalities in the process of educating Latvian prison staff. The bolder participants of LAMPA Conversation Festival had the opportunity to check their physical and psychological suitability for work in prison through an interactive game.
The two-day discussions concluded with the reception of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Latvia, Kristian Ødegaard, to which all participants and media representatives was invited.
The Tent of Opportunities featured representatives of Norwegian and Estonian experts, Ministry of Finance, Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway, Innovation Norway, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Ministry of Interior, Prison Administration, State Education Development Agency, Latvian Investment and Development Agency, State Police, Anti-Money Laundering Service, Latvian Academy of Art, Baltic Media Centre of Excellence.
Subscribe to news
Receive notifications of the latest contests, news and news events in programs that are important to you!
Report Irregularities
Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway have a zero-tolerance policy on corruption and mismanagement in the EEA and Norway Grants. We strongly encourage you to share your concerns and report suspected irregularities.
