A Nation Must Think Before it Acts
Baltic Ways
A nation must think before it acts.
Baltic Ways
Baltic Ways is a podcast bringing listeners insights and interviews from the world of Baltic Studies, hosted by Dr. Indra Ekmanis, Editor of FPRI’s Baltic Bulletin. In interviews with experts, the podcast explores the past, present and future of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — and the many ways these three countries on the Baltic Sea impact the politics, history, and culture of the region and beyond.
Baltic Ways is brought to you by the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.
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About the Hosts:
Dr. Indra Ekmanis is the editor of FPRI’s Baltic Bulletin, and a Baltic Sea Fellow in the Eurasia Program. She was previously an editor for public radio’s The World through the ACLS/Mellon Public Fellows Program, where she focused on worldwide migration and European issues. Dr. Ekmanis recently completed a fellowship as a Kennan Institute Title VIII Research Scholar at The Wilson Center. She has a PhD in International Studies from the University of Washington. Her academic research looks at social integration, minority rights, nationalism, civil society and democratic transition, with an area specialization in the Baltic Sea Region and post-Soviet space. She is currently working on an interdisciplinary edited volume on disinformation in the Baltic region.
Contact: eurasia@fpri.org
Ben Gardner-Gill is the Assistant Director for Outreach and Engagement for the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies. In this role, Ben oversees AABS’s donor relations and fundraising efforts, social media channels, grant and award advertisements, and quarterly newsletter. He has been serving as the guest host of Baltic Ways since January 2023. Ben earned his BA in History from Stanford University with a concentration in Modern Europe and a focus on historical memory. He studied abroad through Stanford’s center in Berlin, and conducted field research in Central Europe.
Explore Episodes
What E-Estonia Can Teach the US
Technologist Joel Burke is the author of the recently published Rebooting a Nation: The Incredible Rise of Estonia, E-Government and the Startup Revolution. He shares his insight into the country’s rise as a leader in e-government, technological exports in...
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The Feminists Defending Ukraine
Ukrainians have resisted Russia’s aggression for years. Since the full-scale invasion of their country in 2022, Ukrainian women in particular have taken on important roles on the frontlines, in civil society, and at home. Gražina Bielousova’s research examines...
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Trump 2.0 and the Baltic States
The Baltic Ways podcast welcomes back professors Margarita Šešelgytė (Vilnius University), Daunis Auers (University of Latvia), and Andres Kasekamp (University of Toronto) for a roundtable discussion on the first two months of Donald Trump’s second term and the US...
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Historical Justice in the Baltic States
Since restoring their independence, the Baltic states have focused on pursuing historical justice related to Soviet crimes, which included widespread repressions and mass deportations. Under the influence of international actors, the Baltic states have also engaged in political processes...
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Destigmatizing the Roma: The Most Forgotten Community in Lithuania
Baltic Ways presents a bonus episode from our partners at the EUROPAST Podcast. The EUROPAST Podcast explores Europe’s most pressing challenges of public history, investigating the complex and contested spaces of public memory, memory activism and best practices for...
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Baltic Leadership in the European Commission
Ben Gardner-Gill sits down with Lithuanian political scientist Andžej Pukšto to talk about the results of the 2024 European elections, with a focus on two Baltic members of the European Commission: Kaja Kallas of Estonia and Andrius Kubilius of...
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What a Harris or Trump Presidency Could Mean for the Baltic States
The US election is approaching quickly with implications for America’s allies in the world. Professors Margarita Šešelgyte (Vilnius University), Daunis Auers (University of Latvia), and Andres Kasekamp (University of Toronto) join a roundtable discussion on the impact that a...
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LGBTQ+ Rights in the Baltic Region
Aro Velmet is an associate professor of history at the University of Southern California, where he is a historian of modern Europe, colonialism, science, technology, and medicine with an overarching interest in gender studies. For Baltic Ways, he shares...
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Dead, but Not Forgotten: Commemoration in Medieval Livonia
What did commemoration of the dead look like in Medieval Livonia and how did memoria shape group identities in the region? Dr. Gustavs Strenga shares insights into his research and parallels with modern-day memory wars. Transcript available here. Baltic...
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The Baltic States Mark Two Decades of NATO Membership
This year, NATO marks its 75th anniversary, while the Baltic countries celebrate 20 years as members of the alliance. Dr. Lukas Milevski speaks about the history of that inclusion, and shares his thoughts about the future. Milevski is a...
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