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EESTI ELU reedel, 22. novembril 2019 — Friday, November 22, 2019
Nr. 47
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 rein vigorate 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 revan chist 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 popu list governments who question the alliance’s purpose, including the current US administration. Within our own community, divisions about local commu nity centers and support for Estonian extremist-populists, have created further, difficult challenges. International Estonian orga nizations that EKN is a member of, including The World Esto nian 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 ambi tions, leaving the organization rudderless. Despite this, EKN has worked with our counter parts in Sweden, Australia and the United Kingdom to advo cate for sweeping new changes in the way that our commu nities 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 nonpartisan advocacy work. EKN: A Storied History EKN has a long and remark able history of non-partisan advocacy and support for the Estonian community in Canada. Established as an offshoot of the Estonain Federation of Canada in 1952, EKN then called the National Estonian Defence Council (RVN), was created to lead the struggle for Estonian independence in Canada. They established high level contacts in government, including the offices of several Prime Minister – all of whom refused to recognize the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. RVN/EKN was also histori
EKN VOTER REGISTRATION All Canadians of Estonian heritage (who are at least 18 years of age as of January 2020) are encouraged to participate and vote in the 2019 Estonian Central Council elections. EKN represents and advocates on behalf of the approximately 40,000 Canadians of Estonian heritage in Canada. Data collected here will not be shared with ANY third party and will only be used by the Estonian Central Council in Canada to communicate about elections and from time to time, about important issues affecting Canadians of Estonian heritage. There are 3 ways to vote: We are strongly encouraging online voting. In order to vote on line, you need to register your email. The same email cannot be used by more than one individual. http://election.estoniancouncil.ca You can vote in person at designated voting stations (locations, dates and times to be posted). If you are not able to vote online or in person, please contact Matti Prima (416) 705-4215 and a voting ballot will be mailed to you.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with his recently appointed new cabinet after officially taking the oath of office at Rideau Hall. Photo: ©2019 Ülle Baum
cally influential in the United States. In 1953, it was tasked with gathering and providing evidence to the US House Select Baltic Committee, better known as the Kersten Com mittee, for investigating Soviet crimes in the Baltic States. Throughout the Cold War, EKN was instrumental in lead ing both international and national advocacy and aware ness campaigns – most notably under the leadership of Laas Leivat – among partner organi zations and groups in the Central and Eastern European communities. Among the most unique efforts, was a project under taken in 1956-57 in which radio programs produced by Cana dian Estonians were delivered to Taiwan for broadcast to pro vide information from the free world for Estonians living in Siberia. Estonian-Canadians should be proud that many former and current Members of Parliament, and Central and Eastern Com munity leaders continue to remark positively about Laas Leivat’s work, leadership and extraordinary legacy, working on behalf of our community in Canada and around the world. It was with the understand ing of the historical achieve ments of this storied organiza tion that we began our work four years ago, to honour that legacy, while at the same time, reeneerzing it with a new set of goals to meet the challenges of our times, and to renew the foundations upon which the or ganization is built. Organizational Reforms One of our biggest challenges was understanding EKN’s legal governance structure and modernizing it, a process that EKN is continuing to move towards under the leadership of Helgi Leesment, Mart Leppik and with the help of Sven Linkruus. EKN also re-established regular, formal, monthly meet ings of its National Executive and twice annual meetings of the National Council -organized with the help of Marta Kivik- as well as the digital publication of meeting agendas and minutes, prepared by Executive Vice President Kairi Heming way – which are available to all com munity members upon request. Taavi Tamtik and Mart Leppik have led the digitization effort and the rebuilding of EKN’s web presence. EKN’s national council has representation from each region of Canada, with Brigid Zurock and Helgi Leesment represent ing Western Canada, Marta Kivik covering the Maritimes and Paul Läänemets represent ing Ottawa and Central Canada. Electoral reform has been a major challenge for EKN – where the costs associated with the previous 2015 election cost
nearly $30,000. To mitigate unreasonable costs, EKN has been investigating alternative solutions including adopting an E-Voting strategy and in-person balloting in key Estonian centers across Canada, which we hope will cut 90% of these previous costs. Most importantly, EKN has subscribed to a philosophy of proactive organizational renewal by encouraging younger com munity members to participate in EKN debate and activity. Included in this is an active succession strategy, whereby members of the Council are encouraged to take leadership of advocacy campaigns and inside the council itself. In January 2019, the EKN Executive was re-structured and introduce new roles such as VP, Communications and Outreach, VP, Youth and VP Community and Events, with the active par ticipation of Toomas Tammark and Juku Gold. At its final National Council meeting on November 2nd 2019, EKN established a nonvoting President Emeritus role on the National Executive, which will allow past presidents to mentor and encourage new leaders in efforts to support organizational renewal efforts. By giving everyone the oppor tunity to lead, we provide EKN with new ideas and views that will constantly reinvigorate EKN’s activity, along with the support of historical knowledge and knowhow of former EKN leaders. Domestic Canadian Advocacy Jõekääru Tax Exemption EKN adopted an incredibly ambitious four year advocacy agenda after the new Council was EKN’s two year effort to advocate for property tax exemption for the Jõekääru Estonian Children’s Camp concluded in 2017, when the Province of Ontario, York Region and Town of Georgina agreed to new boundaries for the camp, which made over 70 acres that include all camp buildings, tax exempt, saving the camp early $2 million over the next 20 years based on current trajectory of property taxes. EKN will continue to advocate for tax exempt status for the remaining vacant lands. Magnitsky Legislation Canada unanimously adopted legislation in October 2017, that allows the Canadian govern ment to place sanctions on cor rupt Russian and other interna tional human rights abusers. EKN actively supported the legislation over the past decade and was instrumental in its historic passage into law in Canada. Education and Historical Awareness EKN has been a lead partner in the effort to promote histori
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.
cal awareness of the history of the Baltic States and the contri butions of the Estonian commu nity in helping build the Canada we live in today. Nick Kazakoff is leading a team to update Ontario’s education curriculum and to update text books. EKN has regularly organized commemorations of important historical events in partnership with VEMU and with the help of Piret Noorhani, including the June deportations at Toronto’s City Hall; March Deportations with award winning author Sofi Oksanen. EKN led the organiz ing of the EV100 event at Nathan Phillips Square with EKN national executive mem ber Anne-Liis Keelmann. EKN has organized interna tionally significant events to reinforce our history, including a recent event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Molotov Ribben trop Pact, where former Chess Grandmaster and Russian Op position leader, Garry Kasparov, was the keynote speaker, and where Minister Freeland, for mer Ontario Premier, Bob Rae, former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alex ander and Estonian Parliamen tary Foregin Affairs Committee Chairman, Enn Eesmaa spoke. Government and Community Outreach EKN engaged in an intensive ongoing outreach campaign with federal, provincial and municipal political leaders with our Baltic Federation and Central and Eastern European Council colleagues. EKN as been a key partner in organizing meetings for pro-democracy and human rights activists from the Central and Eastern Euro pean region as well as Russia. EKN organized meetings with former Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Defence, MP John Mckay, and met with Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan, regarding Cana da’s contribution to NATO’s operation reassurance in the Baltic States, which the Cana dian government has thankfully committed to and is leading in Latvia. The Government of Canada has recognized EKN as a leader among the CEE communities and has been thanked publicly by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for its efforts. EKN currently holds the Presidency of the highly in (Continued on page 15)
