May 17th marks the beginning of Café Norden in Tartu and Narva

Thursday, 09 May 2019

This spring, the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia is launching an exciting new series of events going by the name Café Norden. Attendees will have the chance to discuss topical issues in an open and relaxed setting with guests from the Nordic countries. The get-togethers will be held at a range of cafés and other venues in Tartu, Tallinn and Narva.

The opening event in the Café Norden series will take place in Tartu at 9:00 on 17 May and mark Norwegian Constitution Day. The venue will be the foyer of the Tartu University building at Lossi 3. Attendees will be greeted by Madis Kanarbik, the director of the Tartu office of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and Ole Øveraas, Charge d'Affaires a.i. at the Norwegian embassy; the customs associated with the Norwegian public holiday will be showcased; and traditional drinks and snacks from the country will be offered. Students of Norwegian from the University of Tartu will also be offering Norwegian-style waffles on Town Hall Square. Everyone interested in Nordic culture and languages is welcome to attend this opening event, which is being organised by the Tartu branch of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia in association with the Department of Scandinavian Studies of the University of Tartu, lecturers from the College of World Languages and Cultures and Nordic culture enthusiasts.

The first Café Norden event in Narva will be held at 19:00 on 17 May at Kohvik No2 in the Vaba Lava theatre centre at Linda 2. The theme will be the juxtaposition of traditional education and innovation within the Finnish and Estonian education systems. What are the good and bad points of the traditional education system? What have the results been of the changes that have taken place at the national level in Finland’s education system? Were they the best possible results? And should Estonia be adopting the approaches of its northern neighbours? The guests at the event will be two teachers from Finland, Jelena Savolainen and Vera Rütkenen. Teachers and directors from pre-schools and schools as well as parents and grandparents to whom the issue is an important one are welcome to attend. The discussion will take place in Russian. Attendance is free of charge. Partnering the event is the Finnish Institute in Estonia.

The first Café Norden get-together in Tallinn is planned to be held at the Lindakivi Cultural Centre in Lasnamäe in autumn.

The event’s visual, entitled ‘En kop kaffe’, comprises three intertwined symbols: a coffee cup from whose handle grows a heart motif, which in turn forms the cross depicted on the flags of the Nordic countries. Thus intertwined, they symbolise the love for Nordic society, culture and history enshrined in the series of events. Needless to say coffee will be offered at every get-together!
The logo was designed by Kristel Pallasma.

 

Keep an eye on Café Norden also on Facebook.


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