The Estonian Central Council: Renewal, Global Leadership and Action

Over the past four years, The Estonian Central Council in Canada has been working towards renewal to reinvigorate its advocacy activity on behalf of all Canadians of Estonian heritage in Canada, and those living in Estonia.

Estonia and our community both in Canada and around the world, are facing new and significant challenges. A revanchist and aggressive Russian government has attacked and occupied Georgia and Ukraine. The collective defence that Estonia relies upon for its national security in NATO has come under increasing pressure from member states with populist governments who question the alliance’s purpose, including the current US administration. Within our own community, divisions about local community centers and support for Estonian extremist-populists, have created further, difficult challenges.

International Estonian organizations that EKN is a member of, including The World Estonian Council, have remained largely stagnant since Estonia’s successful ascension into NATO and the EU, and have become increasingly crippled by internal politics and lack serious ambitions, leaving the organization rudderless. Despite this, EKN has worked with our counterparts in Sweden, Australia and the United Kingdom to advocate for sweeping new changes in the way that our communities interact with each other and the Estonian government, through the creation of an Estonian government standing committee on Global Estonian affairs, which has been created thanks mainly to EKN’s non ­ partisan advocacy work.

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Marcus Kolga, the president of the Estonian Central Council in Canada for the past four years, has stated that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming general EKN elections but will remain active in the organization’s pursuits as President Emeritus.