Traditional Santara-Šviesa gathering begins in Alanta

The traditional Santara-Šviesa gathering begins in Alanta, Molėtai district, on Friday, as reported by BNS.

The event will be opened with a greeting from Valdas Adamkus, one of the founders of Santara-Šviesa and former president of Lithuania.

Organizers say discussions will focus on societal dialogue, new civic movements, educational challenges, mental health biopolitics, U.S. foreign policy trends, and national defense and NATO updates. The program also includes presentations of books such as Algis Mickūnas’ The World with Lingis, as well as music and film evenings.

The gathering will last three days, concluding on Sunday afternoon.

Santara-Šviesa was established in 1957 in the United States, merging the academic youth group Šviesa (founded in 1947 in Tübingen) and the Lithuanian student organization Santara (founded in 1954 in the U.S. by Vytautas Kavolis, Valdas Adamkus, and others). Since 1993, the organization has held annual gatherings in Lithuania. Today, it unites Lithuanian and global cultural figures, intellectuals, and academic youth committed to Lithuania’s future.