Every year, around 10,000 people gather for two days in the Estonian town of Paide for the Arvamusfestival. At the festival they take part in more than 200 public discussions, debates and dialogues. The Estonian word 'arvamus' means 'opinion'. But this festival is about much more than opinions. It is a true festival of democracy, predominantly organised in the Baltic and Nordic regions of Europe.

In this episode, the host Bart Cosijn gives you an impression of this festival and talks to visitors, speakers and organisers. He interviews Kristina Mänd, senior Expert on e-Democracy at the Estonian e-Governance Academy. Ross Allen, the British Ambassador to Estonia. And Kaspar Tammist, the festival's leader from 2019 to 2024.

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The Estonian Dialogue Academy is a place of encounter, inspiration and learning. We teach dialogue and critical thinking skills, we train dialogue facilitators and organisers, and we promote a more inclusive and interactive culture of communication – in local communities, schools, NGOs, governments, businesses, politics and public discussion.

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