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EESTI ELU reedel, 1. novembril 2019 — Friday, November 1, 2019
Poll: Support for EU membership at 74 percent BNS, ERR, October 2019
With all of the täis/puhutud (inflated) ämblikud (spiders) out there right now, it’s hard to tell what’s päris or ehe (real) and what is a prop or decoration (kuliss). This palvetaja aka palvetaja/ritsikas (praying man tis) is very real and very much resembles a tulnukas (alien), some/one or -thing that has tulnud (come) from afar. It is a liha/sööja (carnivore) and either is craving moisture from this piece of apple or is too polite to refuse trying it. We did, after all, invite him/her to our outdoor break fast table near Lakefield Ontario on 20. oktoober. It was no doubt near ing the end of its elu/ring (life cycle).
Not an inflatable Hallowe’en prop If you’ve been out and about in residential neighbourhoods recently, you’ve noticed the kaunistused (decorations) in anticipation of Hallowe’en. The first half of the word kaunistused, kaunis, means beautiful, which might not quite reflect the current mood. The opposite or anto nüüm of kaunis is kole and koletised are monsters – that works! (Beauty and the Beast = Kaunitar ja koletis.) But there’s no verb “kolestamine” or “uglify”. Õudustama? Make horrific? Perhaps de form, degrade? Lagunema, lagunduma is to break down or fall apart, including the process of decay. Laga (swill, also a mess) and/or löga can be left behind after something has fallen apart or rotted. Yuck! Rõve! Grotesque! Õudne / õudus is terrible, gruesome, horrible – horror! A horror movie = õudus/film or õudukas for short. Hallowe’en’s keyword is õudne. Kids from Eesti, who have not yet ex perienced the holiday as such firsthand (trick or treating), have reacted to stores selling Hallowe’en nänn (parapherna lia) including decorations and costumes with: “Ma ei arvanud, et see nii hull on!”, (I didn’t think it (the holiday) would be this crazy!), i.e. hirmu/äratav – frightening and in such abun dance. I didn’t either, because when I was a little kid in Toron to, referring to Hallo we’en in daily conversations at home as mardi/päev, the closest equivalent, a (ONE!) kõrvitsa/ latern (jack-o-lantern) was the norm. Or you made your own tont / kummitus (ghost) out of a voodi/lina (bed sheet) at best. Or visited a special kummitus/ maja (a haunted house). (“Seal majas kummiTAB” – That house is haunted.) You could not buy a screaming, plastic, blow-up, flames of hell Hallowe’en world to erect on your doorstep like today. “So much more was left to the imagination,” I keep telling them. And I’m not going as far back as the era of “Roheliste Viilkatuste Anne” (Anne of Green Gables).
Enter the hypnotizing, mes merizing mantis. From the Old World! European mantis, latin Mantis religiosa, with some “horrific” habits, such as sexual cannibalism... Hmmm. But it all makes sense, to her and her fu ture pesa/kond (brood). Kind of a good reminder to keep calm, keep it real and see the big pic ture – check out the history and intersecting paths of the various souling traditions. Hallowe’en spookiness is great and the theatrics are fun, but as in the case of the Mexican Día de Muertos, Day of the Dead on Nov. 2, death and spirits need not be a thing to fear or make gruesome; they can be colour fully commemorated in a de monstration of love and respect for deceased family members. In Estonia, I dare say people would shudder at the thought of erecting fake tombstones in their yard, since it would make light of those who have passed away. Estonian humour is dark, but in a whole different, ironic way. They go to the cemetery on Nov. 2, hingede/päev, All Souls’ Day and place a candle on the graves of their beloved departed. Or light a candle in the window at home, symboli cally inviting the spirits of fore parents home, or go to a con cert, church service, or visit a hiis (sacred grove) during the quiet moments of fall that souls are on the move (okt.-jõulud). “Running” or souling as a Mart or Kadri mummer comes in Nov. and the “costumes” are DIY-to the max. (Pre-Christmas mumm(er)ing is still alive and well in Newfoundland.) Sure, Hallowe’en, (which I cannot write without the apos trophe because that’s how we were taught at school, as a contraction of the original All Hallow’s Evening), need not be taken too seriously, and two girls from Eesti are eager (and a bit anxious) to participate this year, just as I loved it in my time, but I can’t help but look at the mountains of merchandise: plastic bones, blinking skulls and sugary downpours (slime?) through my udused (foggy), take-it-down-a-notch Estonian
Around three quarters of Estonian citizens polled said they would currently vote “remain” were a referendum on European Union member ship to be held right now, according to a survey. The survey, carried out by pollsters Turu-uuringute on be half of MEP Marina Kaljurand (SDE), saw 74 percent of those polled voting in favor of con tinued EU membership, com pared with 16 percent who would oppose. Ten percent said they had no stance on the matter. The breakdown showed an even higher degree of support among younger respondents, Tallinn residents and those with higher education, according to BNS, while the figure was lower among non-graduates, non-eth nic Estonians and lower income brackets, the survey found. The breakdown for parties brought greater support from Social Democratic Party, Re form Party and Isamaa voters. Among voters of the Euro sceptic Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE), sup port for remaining in the EU was lower, but still over half, at 54 percent, according to BNS. “As the EU has overcome several crises in the last few years, Estonian citizens’ support for our state’s membership of the union is surprisingly strong,” Kaljurand said of the results. “It is gratifying to note that the persistent attacks on the EU by Kremlin propaganda chan nels and EKRE have failed to diminish this support,” she con tinued. “The survey indicates that Estonian citizens consider the EU to be necessary for our country; their expectations must not be failed. The task of Estonia’s representatives in the EU is to work to ensure that the union gets stronger and able to better protect the interests of its citizens,” Kaljurand said. The Turu-uuringute poll can vassed 1,039 people over the time period Oct. 3-13. Just over 800 respondents were of voting age, BNS said.
spectacles... I look at all the pumpkins and wonder how much of their flesh will actually be ingested (Oh, õudust! Horror!) Jack-o-lanterns are beautiful, but to me, pumpkins scream one thing above all else: KÕRVITSA/PÜREE/SUPP! P.S. An oft-used, mõistlik (sound, sane) Estonian expres sion to remember: “Parem õudne lõpp, kui lõputu õudus.” A horrific end is better than endless horror. Read about the first praying mantis to reach Eesti this past summer: https://blog.ut.ee/newsouthern-species-to-reach-esto nia-the-european-mantis/
RIINA KINDLAM
CYBERSEC CEE 2019 starts with Poland and Estonia to sign “DNA Declaration” 5th European Cybersecurity Forum CYBERSEC 2019 has started in Katowice, Poland. The anniversary edition of the biggest in CEE event devoted entirely to cybersecurity will follow the motto of “Securing the World’s Digital DNA”. Each year, the conference organised by the Kosciuszko Institute brings together around 1,500 guests from various sectors of economy and public institutions. This year, 150+ speakers from all over the world will share their knowledge and experience in securing safe cyberspace and counteracting hybrid threats. “Securing the World’s Digi tal DNA” is the organisers’ call to shape the foundations of the cyber world to guarantee its security and ensure the future development of technology and economy. Digital DNA refers to the creation and implementation of new solutions and digital infrastructure, as well as products and services applied to cybersecurity with full respect of the users privacy throughout the entire lifecycle. It is also a long-term commitment to pro mote responsibility based on the “security and privacy by design” principle. CYBERSEC CEE official opening “Right before our eyes Digital Single Market, which will seriously change the Euro pean economy, is being created. Due to the possible significant impact of 5G on the develop ment of the Polish economy upon its implementation, cyber security should be a priority. Not only the security of infra structure and end-user devices is important, but also the users’ awareness of how to use 5G in a safe manner” wrote the Polish President, Andrzej Duda in his letter to the CYBERSEC attendees read at the start of the conference. European CYBERSEC Award After the opening was the European CYBERSEC Award ceremony, which honours extra ordinary people and institutions supporting the development of cybersecurity as an element of national, social and economic security. This year, the award was given to the Republic of Estonia and its President, Kersti Kaljulaid. Estonia was awarded for its efforts to build trust in cyberspace and secure the world’s digital DNA, as well as its support for the “3 Seas Digital Highway” – an initiative aimed at constructing digital infrastructure along the trans port and energy infrastructure. The award was accepted by Estonian Ambassador to Poland, Martin Roger, while Kersti Kaljulaid gave thanks for the award with a specially prepared video. “States alone cannot guaran tee the safety of online systems.
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We need to reach out to the multilateral world in order to generate common understand ing how our analogue interna tional law applies in the cyber domain,” said President Kersti Kaljulaid in her thank-you speech presented during CYBER SEC’s opening cere mony. Estonia and USA’s joint declaration on 5G expected already tomorrow Bearing in mind the fact that securing digital infrastructure in the region is a strategic and geopolitical decision, Ambas sador Roger announced also during CYBERSEC’s opening ceremony that Estonia and USA will sign joint declaration on 5G. This landmark step will be taken on the 30th of October during the Estonian PM’s visit to Washington. “We are deeply convinced that such an approach towards common 5G security standards should be spread in the 3 Seas region. We are also pleased to hear that the US and Estonia have recently confirmed their close cooperation in the field of cybersecurity,” said Izabela Albrycht, Chairperson of the Board, the Kosciuszko Institute. CYBERSEC 2019 partners and participants had also a chance to sign “The Securing the World’s Digital DNA Declaration”. The signatories have undertaken to work to gether to ensure secure cyber space in Europe. The document stresses that cyberspace should serve people, first and foremost, while all products and services must be ethical, sustainable and underpinned with values, while innovations should be advanced against emerging threats. Minister Zagórski and Ambas sador Roger agreed that it is the governments’ and business’ ob ligation to collaborate and pro tect democracy. Cybersecurity in public and business sectors The “Securing the World’s Digital DNA” motto is reflected in CYBERSEC’s four thematic streams: State, Defence, Future and Business. CYBERSEC’s first day was dominated by panel discussions devoted to the pub lic and private sector. CYBERSEC’s discussion panels were opened with Future Stream keynote presentation delivered by Robert Muggah, Principal of SecDev Group and Co-founder of Igarapé Institute. Business Stream was kicked off with a speech by Nigel Ng, President of International Sales (APJ and EMEA) at RSA. RSA is the organiser of world’s biggest cybersecurity confe rence. Ng’s participation in CYBERSEC testifies to the fact that the involvement of Ameri can companies in the CEE re gion has been growing. In his speech, Nigel Ng raised, amongst others, the issue of managing business processes in the context of protecting enter prises against digital threats, invoking examples from his rich experience.
