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EESTI ELU reedel, 3. detsembril 2021 — Friday, December 3, 2021
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Virtual forum for Global Estonians discussed Estonian communities abroad and their cooperation with Estonia English-language supplement to the Estonian weekly “EESTI ELU” Tartu College Publications Founding Chairman: Elmar Tampõld Editor: Laas Leivat 3 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 T: 416-733-4550 • F: 416-733-0944 • E-mail: editor@eestielu.ca Digital: www.eestielu.ca
Russian repressions continue Arguments are being heard in a Russian court that will determine the fate of Internal Memorial in the country. The human rights organization, one of the oldest, was formed to research and inform the public of political crimes and repressions during the Soviet period. Soviet legislation, known as the “agents” law, stipulates the prohibition of any group deemed to be “unfriendly”. Any one who is declared a “foreign agent” cannot hold office even if successfully elected. In essence any organi zation, accused of the slightest connection to the West can be a target. The Russian approach to these “unfriendly” groups is to demand the disclosure of sources of funds and to label themselves as foreign agents with all their publi cations and online postings. Memorial has stated that the number of political prison ers has rapidly increased in recent years, emulating Soviet era suppression of any opposition or dissidence. It identi fied at least 420 political prisoners in the past few years, including Alexei Navalny. This compares with 46 impris oned in 2015. Targeted have also been proponents of civil society, me dia identified as unfriendly, in fact all critical entities in Russia. Severing their international ties has been a tool of this new upsurge of repression. The main enforcement tool to block foreign contacts has been the “foreign agent” law, adopted in 2012, strengthened in 2020, and meant to silence Putin’s critics. In cutting ties with organizations abroad, it’s predicted that co-operation with international groups involved with the environment and climate change will also be seriously affected. This law has forced the closure of hundreds of civil society organizations. In effect it’s being wielded against all groups deemed to be “disloyal”. Because it severely limits freedom of assembly, it’s become increasing diffi cult to get approval for public events. Non-compliance may not only bring fines, but also criminal charges. Some have estimated that fully 70% of all public rallies since January have been met with brute force or intervention by security units. Silencing all critical sources and ending all international co-operation is unmistakably Putin’s goal, putting the Kremlin in full control of the country. The Kremlin-controlled media and official narrative have long publicly targeted the political opposition as wel coming “foreign meddling”. Open protests have been deemed un-Russian, unnatural destabilizing events. These accusations have intensified in recent years by blaming the West as fomenting discord in the country. The pandemic has added a new twist to the foreign “in terference” rationale. It’s been suggested by the Kremlin that the Covid-related restrictions and worn-out public have made Russians more vulnerable to foreign control and also disposed to blame their government for their suf fering. Foreign meddling has always been a ruse to explain away home-gown dissent. The elimination of Memorial and other “unfriendly” organizations, the harassment and arrest of political opponents and the overall clampdown on civil freedoms is a hallmark of the Putin era, which will help his heavy-handed rule to last much longer than the 2024 elections. LAAS LEIVAT
On Saturday 27 November, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the second virtual forum for Global Estonians. The forum looked at the life of Estonian communities abroad, presented the prelimi nary results of the great dias pora survey and explored the global Estonian diaspora in general. “I am very glad that we are continuing the tradition of regu lar virtual forums for Estonians across the world, where we can come together to have a direct discussion on how our diaspora is doing, and hear their ideas and proposals. Our compatriots in the world are perfectly posi tioned to use their network for telling the story of Estonia as a democratic and progressive country. On the other hand, be ing connected to Estonia and Estonian identity could be something that lends some additional value and meaning to
Foto: Marko Mumm
their endeavours,” Marin Mõt tus, Ambassador at Large for the Diaspora, said. At the second virtual forum, President Alar Karis made a welcoming statement and there were video links with commu nities in the United States, Sweden and the Czech Republic between discussions. The forum was moderated by Tarmo Jüristo. Musical inter
ludes were provided by Kym bali Williams, a London-born musician of Estonian origin. The virtual forum for Global Estonians is available for watch ing here: https://worksup. com/app/?id=ESTONIANSFO RUM2021 Photos: https://www.flickr.com/ photos/estonian-foreign-minis try/albums/72157720241150115
Dip your toes into studying abroad with Erasmus+ Vincent Teetsov Students from Canada, on the whole, don’t tend to study abroad as much as their counterparts elsewhere in the world. Looking back to the period of time from 2014 to 2015, it was recorded by the Canadian Bureau for Inter national Education that as few as 2.3 percent of univer sity students in Canada went abroad as part of their studies. This is understandable, given the way international fees can make the cost of that time abroad prohibitively expensive. However, there are avenues one can take with the support of scholarships and grants, to make studying abroad, includ ing in Estonia, more affordable. In particular, possibilities are opened up when you are at the postgraduate level. You may choose to complete an entire degree in Estonia, for which it is free if the language of teaching is Estonian or if you’re working towards a PhD. But if you speak only a little bit of the language, or you want to divide your study time between multiple countries, the European exchange programme known as Erasmus is a strong solution. The Erasmus Programme is named after Dutch philosopher and theologian Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus and, according to the European Commission, ERASMUS also happens to be an acronym for “EuRopean Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students.” The Erasmus Programme
was founded in 1987, and since then, it has been fostering con nections between young ge nerations of Europeans through inter-university exchanges. Since 2014, the programme, with an updated name of Erasmus+, has expanded its offerings “for education, training, youth, and sport.” So how can you take part? One possible approach is to enroll in a university in a coun try that’s part of the EU (with acquiring temporary residence made easier if you have an Estonian passport) and then apply for one of your years to be at another institution that has an existing relationship with your university. This is an o ption for undergraduate students interested in trying out the Erasmus Programme, too. Beyond this, though, depend ing on where you are complet ing your master’s degree studies in Canada, you can study for one or two semesters in Europe through the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree programme. Canadian universities with Erasmus+ connections include Université de Montréal and the University of Ottawa. The EMJMD programme allows students to study in at least two different universities over a period of two years. According to the European Commission, the associated EMJMD scholarships are de signed to cover “tuition, travel, and a living allowance.” As an example, one public health student from Western University went to the Uni versity of Sheffield in England, École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP) in France, and Jagiellonian Uni versity in Poland. Writing about
the programme in 2019, she noted that “Our program is very supportive, providing us with housing tips, visas and language courses. We have become inte grated in each university and country we move to – joining clubs, participating in academic and social events, and volun teering in the community.” The EMJMD is also accessible to professors. Institutions in Estonia that participate in Erasmus+ include Eesti Maaülikool (the Estonian University of Life Sciences), Tallinn University, and the University of Tartu (a partici pant since 1999). If you are interested in pur suing something like this, it’s recommended to contact your university’s international office and determine where they have connections abroad and how you can commence the applica tion process. Individual univer sity staff and those involved with Erasmus+ are very helpful when one has questions or concerns before and during an exchange. It can be a formative life experience, one that gives you even more independence and an educational challenge with the reassurance of a support net work. Outside of the day-to-day learning and research you un dertake, it should be said how much fun one will have attend ing parties and going on short trips in the vicinity of your host university. This is just as much part of university life as hitting the books. If you want to see what it’s like to live abroad, to make new friends and jump into language learning by immersion, an ex change could be right for you!
