Integration faces opposition from Russian parties

  • 2000-03-09
  • By Brooke Donald
TALLINN – A state program that intends to provide a road map for governmental institutions in the task of integrating ethnic minorities into Estonian society faces opposition from Russian-speaking parties who see the plan as one of assimilation not integration.

"Integration can only be a bilateral process which is based on mutual recognition, respect and understanding of each other by both ethnic and language communities – Estonians and Russians," the governing council of the Estonian United People's Party (EURP) said in a statement.

EURP asserts that the program, which is expected to be adopted by government on March 7, forces the minority communities to learn the Estonian language, culture and history without placing the same burden on the Estonian community concerning the languages, cultures and histories of the ethnic peoples living here.

The committee of experts that drafted the State Integration Program 2000-2007 disagree with the argument that the program places all responsibility on the ethnic communities to integrate into Estonian society disregarding the need to educate Estonian nationals on the merits of diversity.

"This is a more developed program [than in the past] and properly addresses the two-sided process of integration, both to Estonians and the non-Estonian population. Both have certain obligations," said Hagi Sein, a committee member representing the president's roundtable on minorities.

The program defines the obligations and activities of state institutions, local self-governments and governmental organizations to help break down the barriers between Estonians and non-Estonians during the next seven years.

The bulk of the government action plan is to increase knowledge of the Estonian language among residents. The theory is that once communicative restrictions are lifted between Estonian-speakers and non-Estonian-speakers, societal and political participation will follow. Estonia's language law also obliges job-seekers to have a basic command of the national language.

One complaint by the Russian-speaking political parties is that Russian schools will be abolished under the program, and along with them a sense of cultural identity.

"The state program sets out clearly that Russian-language schools won't disappear, but a reform of Russian language schools will be carried out, in the course of which, teaching of several subjects in Estonian will be introduced," responded Katrin Saks, Minister of Ethnic and Population Affairs.

Also written into the government action plan is a sub-program that concerns the preservation of minority culture and language.

"We foresee different activities to support the language, culture and, in general, the identity of all these other nationalities," Saks said.

Nearly 35 percent of Estonia's population is non-Estonian. The two largest minority groups are Russians and Ukrainians. According to the Law of Cultural Autonomy passed in 1993, all ethnic-groups whose numbers exceed 3,000 are guaranteed the right to pursue their own cultural policy and preserve their national identities by establishing organizations, schools or religious groups.

Saks and other committee members admit that the 1993 law has not been effective in its attempt to provide security to non-Estonians that their languages and cultures will not be lost, and that may be one reason minority groups are skeptical about the new program.

"The roundtable has been working quite hard also on amending the cultural autonomy law, because this law unfortunately didn't work. Maybe we need a new law dealing with national minorities," Sein said.

The Russian-speaking party is calling on government to reject the integration program and seek an alternative. It is also appealing to international organizations and the European Union to influence the government's decision with regard to the program.

Not all ethnic groups are against the program that took six months and many drafts to complete. The Ukrainian Countrymen's Organization in Estonia supports the integration program, the Baltic News Service reported.

"We support the document and will do our best to contribute to implementation of the government program," said Orest Bodnar, chairman of the organization, the biggest and oldest Ukrainian group in Estonia. "It is difficult for Ukrainians to adapt in the present society without knowing the Estonian language and culture."

In addition to increasing language education in schools and adult language training, the program encourages media organizations to participate in integration activities. Saks said the media should play a large role in educating Estonians about other cultures so that they can become more tolerant of the diverse populations here.

"There are over 100 minority groups here. This isn't just Russian and Estonian," she said. "An integrated society is a stronger society."