From 7 May 2021 to 6 May 2025, the National Library of Latvia (NLL), together with consortium partners from other European Union (EU) countries, implemented the project “EU4Dialogue: Improving exchanges across the divide through education and culture”, aimed at fostering a favorable environment for dialogue and cooperation in the South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova.
Together with seven consortium partners from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, and Poland, a series of activities were carried out across four work packages. Activities were carried out in the fields of schools, higher education and culture, including study visits for pupils and students to EU countries, online language courses for teachers, summer schools, guest lectures, artist residencies and courses in cultural management, pedagogy, understanding of cultural heritage, as well as theatre and film creation. Latvia implemented project activities specifically in the fields of libraries and museums.
Within this project, the National Library of Latvia developed and carried out collaboration with EU neighboring countries – Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – by offering summer schools, internships, and mentoring opportunities to library and museum professionals, including participants from conflict regions such as Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia wherever possible.
The main goal of the activities implemented by the National Library of Latvia was to enhance the capacity of local libraries in four target countries. The core of all activities was the concept of libraries as cultural spaces that bring together professionals and communities alike, providing services to all social groups and fostering empathy – a crucial element in conflict resolution.
To achieve the project’s objectives, the NLL team organised the following activities:
From the Latvian side, 21 libraries and their branches, as well as 20 museums, were involved in the organisation and implementation of the project activities. Professionals from these institutions, along with experts and representatives from the Ministry of Culture and local municipalities, shared their experiences. The National Library of Latvia extends its gratitude to all field specialists who contributed to the project!
For participants, the project offered not only valuable professional knowledge and skills but also the opportunity to explore the experience of an EU country, build international contacts, and gain inspiration for new challenges in their work. The positive atmosphere and support from the project team and Latvian partners created a favorable environment for learning and cooperation. Participants especially appreciated the opportunity to observe how modern libraries operate in practice and how they engage with their communities. This experience will help them develop their own institutions and promote positive changes in their regions.
Meanwhile, the project team gained unique experience in implementing development cooperation projects, which may be useful for other interested parties who wish to get involved and implement projects, promoting democratic development in the EU’s neighboring countries, including conflict regions. This experience is summarized in the final report “Project Overview, Team Experience, and Recommendations”. The aim of the report is to provide an overview of the project implementation and achieved results, as well as to consolidate the experiences gained during the project to facilitate successful execution of future projects.
The project demonstrated that culture and education have the power to build bridges and foster understanding, even under complex circumstances. The experience and cooperation gained through this project will serve as a valuable foundation for new development initiatives, strengthening the role of libraries and museums as community unifiers. This is only the beginning — the knowledge, contacts, and ideas created will continue to live on in future initiatives and inspire positive change.