VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTL #0488/01 2071258
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261258Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0029

UNCLAS TALLINN 000488 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SOCI RS EN
SUBJECT:  GOE ENDEAVORS TO MODIFY INTEGRATION PROGRAMS IN 
WAKE OF APRIL RIOTS 
 
REF 06 TALLINN 938 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  In a post Bronze Soldier riot Estonia, 
integration of ethnic Russians is a hot topic.  Once 
regarded as having one of the most successful post-Soviet 
integration programs, the GOE is now being forced to take a 
hard look at the deep fissures that still exist within 
Estonia's population.  Integration will reportedly be a top 
priority in the next budget, and program focal points will 
likely look beyond language-based initiatives.  The GOE is 
conducting surveys and talking with focus groups to figure 
out how to best update and rework its integration programs. 
Meanwhile, plans to introduce Estonian-language classes in 
Russian-speaking high schools this fall are moving forward 
as scheduled.  Combating Russian state propaganda remains a 
big challenge; however, most believe a dedicated GOE 
Russian-language television station is unrealistic.  End 
Summary. 
 
BROAD POLICY SHIFTS EXPECTED 
 
¶2.  (U) In 2000, the GOE approved the "State Integration 
Program for 2000-2007," which called for reducing the 
number of Estonia's stateless residents, a "substantial" 
breakthrough in teaching Estonian to Russian-speakers and 
full participation of non-Estonians in all levels of 
society.  Although Estonia's integration programs have 
achieved notable successes, April's Bronze Soldier riots 
brought to light the deep fissures that remain between 
ethnic Estonians and Russian-speakers.  As dialogues 
concerning follow up on the "State Integration Program for 
2008-2013" continue in the wake of the riots, integration 
discussions generally are taking on a higher profile and 
are reaching beyond the Ministry of Education and Research 
(MOE) and the office of the Minister for Population 
Affairs.  For example, in early July, the City of Tallinn - 
governed by the Center Party, which has actively cultivated 
Estonia's Russian-speakers - held the second part of a two- 
part "Domestic Peace" program entitled "The Need for an 
Integration Program in Tallinn."  Discussions focused on 
the need to draw up a Tallinn-specific program to ensure 
security and stability, promote mutual understanding and 
encourage peace in the city.  Integration has been a common 
theme in the Ambassador's meetings with GOE officials, and 
a number of sources indicate that integration will be a top 
priority in next year's budget. 
 
¶3.  (U) At a recent roundtable of national minority 
representatives, Population Minister Urve Palo explicitly 
stated that the government is planning big changes to its 
integration policy and programs.  Tanel Matlik, Director of 
the Non-Estonians' Integration Foundation (NEIF), further 
stated that it is clear the existing Estonian language- 
based integration plan has not produced the desired 
results.  He emphasized that the new program must "bring 
integration to the masses."  In her effort to formulate a 
new program, the Population Minister has commissioned 
population research, surveys and expert focus groups 
including participants from Tartu University, The Baltic 
Studies Institute, the Praxis and Geomedia research 
companies, the PR company Hill & Knowlton and a group of 
Tallinn University social scientists led by Professor Raivo 
Vetik.  These experts are analyzing multiple aspects of 
Estonian society and will submit an action plan and 
integration strategy to the GOE by the end of the year. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) While work on the new strategies is ongoing, Post 
has observed several common themes emerging in the media 
and through conversations with officials.  These themes 
include:  building a national identity, integration as a 
"two-way street," and seeking to understand people's 
motivations. 
 
BUILDING A NATIONAL IDENTITY 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Future GOE integration programs will likely focus 
less on language - teaching Estonian to Russian-speakers - 
and more on building a common state identity.  The Advisor 
to Population Minister Palo, Eduard Odinets, told us that 
it has become clear that identity building and social 
integration must play a bigger role.  He said his office is 
working to develop specific programs to identify common 
points between cultures as a basis for dialogue.  He was 
careful not to find fault with previous programs, instead 
stating that times have changed and old programs need to be 
revised.  As an example, Odinets highlighted the term "non- 
Estonian" as having negative connotations, noting it is 
vital for people to realize that being an Estonian is not 
an issue of ethnicity, but rather an issue of nationality. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) NEIF Director Matlik told us that his 
organization has requested a 30 per cent budget increase 
from the GOE to continue and enhance programs aimed at 
 
building a common state identity among ethnic Russians who 
make up the bulk of Estonia's minority population.  (Note. 
We expect the government is likely to agree to this 
increase.  End Note.)  Specifically, he pointed to programs 
that provide Russian children with opportunities to 
interact with ethnic Estonians and visit Estonian state 
institutions to learn more about Estonia's history and 
political system.  In addition, exchange programs in which 
ethnic Russian children live with an Estonian family for a 
period of time are increasingly popular both for their 
language and cultural benefits.  These exchanges provide 
children the opportunity to dispel old stereotypes for 
themselves.  As one official pointedly told us, not all 
Russians drink vodka and not all Estonians wear traditional 
clothing and eat smoked fish. 
 
INTEGRATION AS A TWO-WAY STREET 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Another common theme is the idea that successful 
integration must be a "two-way street."  Until now, most 
ethnic Estonians saw integration as a process whereby 
Russians became more like them.  At the same time, most 
ethnic-Estonians still have great difficulty with the 
concept that non-ethnic Estonians can be good citizens of 
Estonia.  Commenting on this now popular phrase, Population 
Advisor Odinets emphasized the importance of dialogue and 
mutual understanding.  He gave the example of teacher 
training programs, which are currently conducted separately 
for Russian and Estonian-speaking schools.  Odinets has 
advised Population Minister Palo that common training 
programs - even if they required the use of translators - 
would give teachers from different backgrounds a better 
understanding of both their differences and their 
similarities and help them find common ground.  He noted 
that Estonians need to understand that they cannot detach 
Russians from themselves - that Russian-Estonians are a 
part of Estonian society. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Odinets identified the police as a positive 
example of ethnic Russians and Estonians working together 
harmoniously.  Conversely, he described the cultural events 
that frequently take place to highlight Estonia's various 
ethnic groups, noting that these events are rarely attended 
by anyone outside of the particular ethnic group being 
featured.  Odinets suggested tying state funding of these 
kinds of activities to the involvement of outside groups. 
In a separate meeting, MP and former Minister of Education 
Peeter Kreitzberg, a Social Democrat, emphasized that 
ethnic Russians cannot be expected to renounce their 
Russian heritage.  At the same time, he continued, the idea 
of two state languages (Estonian and Russian) is 
unacceptable.  He believes that while cultural 
understanding on both sides is important, having one common 
language is vital for educational and professional 
opportunities. 
 
WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO:  UNDERSTANDING MOTIVATIONS 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Shortly after the riots, President Toomas Hendrik 
Ilves stated that unfortunately many Estonians think of 
Russians as looters and rioters.  Population Minister Palo 
has also noted the danger in this type of thinking. 
Population Advisor Odinets further noted that sometimes 
things have to get worse before they can get better, and he 
is hopeful that the riots at least brought certain issues 
to light that can no longer be ignored.  One of the focus 
groups initiated by the Office of Population Affairs is 
studying the questions surrounding the motivations of 
ethnic groups and possible programs to help people learn to 
better understand one another. 
 
RUSSIAN SCHOOL LANGUAGE REFORM PROGRAM ON TRACK 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Although the GOE is looking to expand beyond its 
emphasis on language-based integration, the MOE is moving 
forward with plans to phase in Estonian language classes at 
Russian high schools - grades 10-12 - this fall.  Katri 
Raik, Deputy General Secretary for the MOE, told us that 
all of Estonia's 63 Russian-language high schools are ready 
to go forward with the first phase:  teaching Estonian 
literature in Estonian.  The phase-in program will add 
additional Estonian-language courses to the curriculum each 
year:  Civics (2008), Music and Art History (2009), 
Geography (2010), and Estonian History (2011).  In addition 
to fulfilling the minimum requirements, MOE Deputy Raik 
noted that starting this fall about half of Russian- 
language schools will teach physical education classes in 
Estonian, and a third will teach music in Estonian. 
 
¶11.  (U) A major concern with the Russian-language school 
reform continues to be the availability of teachers who can 
teach fluently in both Russian and Estonian.  This is of 
particular concern in the heavily-populated Russian areas 
 
in north-eastern Estonia.  To address the bilingual teacher 
deficit, Education Minister Lukas plans to launch an 
extensive program to increase the number of Estonian- 
speaking teachers at Russian-language secondary schools. 
For example, the GOE will award ethnic Estonian teachers 
approximately $17,000 after one year of teaching in a 
Russian-language school.  Meanwhile, teachers without the 
requisite knowledge of Estonian fear losing their jobs. 
MOE Deputy Raik largely dismissed this problem, pointing 
out that many unilingual Russian teachers are near 
retirement age, and younger teachers are taking Estonian 
language classes in addition to their regular workloads to 
prepare them to teach in Estonian.  Whether these teachers 
will ultimately be adequately equipped to teach class in 
Estonian is unclear. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) While Estonia's Russian-speaking population 
seems to have more or less accepted the idea of language 
reforms in their schools, there is still some pushback. 
MOE Deputy Raik noted this, emphasizing the need for more 
information for students, their parents and teachers, and 
better "packaging" of the program and its benefits.  She 
indicated to us that she plans to personally travel to 
Russian-language schools to promote and better explain the 
program. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) MP Kreitzberg, a former Education Minister 
himself, told us that he thinks the language integration 
program is all wrong.  Instead of focusing on high schools, 
he said the GOE should concentrate on the pre-school, 
primary, and basic school levels.  The ideal solution, 
Kreitzberg noted, would be for ethnic Russian students to 
know Estonian well enough to study in all-Estonian high 
schools.  This would eliminate the need for Russian- 
language schools altogether and facilitate social 
integration.  However, Population Minister Palo has been 
careful to point out that a full transition to Estonian- 
language education in Russian high schools has never been 
considered by her office. 
 
THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING HISTORY 
 
¶14.  (SBU) One key issue made clear by the April riots is 
that Estonia's ethnic Estonian and Russian populations 
still have very different interpretations of history.  GOE 
officials have emphasized to us that countering 
misconceptions among Russian-speaking residents is one of 
the biggest challenges it faces with respect to 
integration.  NEIF Director Matlik compared teaching 
history in some Russian-language schools today to teaching 
the history of the Communist Party in Soviet times - when 
people studied what they were told to study but did not 
believe it.  He noted that while most teachers in Estonia's 
Russian-language schools are loyal to Estonia and use 
state-authorized texts, some are having trouble leaving the 
past behind.  Many may be intentionally or unintentionally 
leaning toward the old Soviet view of history.  Director 
Matlik pointed out that this problem is compounded in some 
ethnic-Russian homes as parents give their children less- 
than-accurate takes on history.  (Note.  Teachers can 
choose among a variety of texts, but all must be approved 
by the government.  However, teachers have a great deal of 
flexibility in choosing "supplemental" information for 
their courses.  One significant concern is that teachers in 
Russian-language schools use materials from Russian 
Federation newspapers and other less-than-objective 
sources.  End Note.) 
 
RUSSIAN YOUTH DEVELOPING IDENTITY:  AMONG MOST INTEGRATED 
ACCORDING TO SOME 
 
¶15.  (SBU) MP Kreitzerberg explained that Estonia's young 
ethnic Russians have a new identity, separate from Russians 
living in Russia and the older "Soviet" generation living 
in Estonia.  He believes that ethnic Russians are 
increasingly western-oriented, and went so far as to say 
that most of the problems associated with the riots will 
disappear on their own within 50 years.  Despite the youth- 
oriented nature of the riots, both Population Minister 
Advisor Odinets and MP Kreitzberg believe that, as a whole, 
Estonia's youth are among the most integrated segment of 
the population.  Population Minister Advisor Odinets 
believes that young people are the most likely to see the 
benefits of integration, i.e., learning to speak Estonian 
and doing well on exams will result in better employment 
opportunities.  Further, young people realize that 
obtaining Estonian citizenship means being able to live and 
work elsewhere in the EU.  (Note.  Stateless persons who 
are resident in Estonia can travel in the EU without a visa 
starting this year; however, they are not entitled to the 
same work and residency privileges as Estonian citizens. 
End Note.)  In fact, MP Kreitzerberg stressed that unless 
Estonia is especially accommodating to its young Russian 
 
population, they will eventually lose them to western 
Europe. 
 
RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE MEDIA: FIGHTING THE PROPAGANDA WAR 
 
¶16.  (U) Russia's ability to influence Estonia's Russian- 
speaking population during the riots highlighted the fact 
that most Russian-speakers in Estonia get their news 
directly from Moscow.  (Reftel)  During the riots, Russia 
was able to manipulate and inflame ethnic Russians through 
television and other media outlets, easily countering 
Estonian-based news reports. 
 
¶17.  (U) Although locally-produced Russian-language 
television is available in Estonia, programming is limited 
and there is no single dedicated channel.  Meanwhile, a 
wide variety of Russia-based programming is readily 
available via cable television.  Russia's propaganda push 
leading up to and following the April riots renewed 
discussions about the importance of reaching out to 
Estonia's Russian-speaking population.  Countering the 
propaganda issuing from Russia will be an especially 
important challenge in the years to come. 
 
¶18.  (U) The possibility of creating a GOE-funded Russian- 
language channel has been considered, but largely deemed 
implausible due to high costs and competition.  Estonia's 
Russian speakers - who watch an average of more than four 
hours of television a day - report that Russian Federation 
TV stations have an advantage over local programming 
because they offer better entertainment.  These programs 
draw viewers who are then more likely to stay tuned for the 
Russia-based news in lieu of changing channels.  Others are 
thinking about more creative solutions.  Kadri Liik, 
Director of Tallinn's International Center for Defense 
Studies, told us that instead of starting an independent 
channel, the GOE could alternatively buy air time on 
already popular Russian stations.  When we asked her why 
the Russian stations would agree to this arrangement, Liik 
replied that their ability to air programming in Estonia 
could be hinged on such an agreement. 
 
¶19.  (SBU) Comment.  In an effort to support the 
integration process, Post plans to continue to participate 
in events that promote integration both locally and through 
our regional outreach program.  We will continue to monitor 
the dialogue on the topic and the evolution of integration 
programs in Estonia, including the development of the 
"State Integration Program for 2008-2013."  While the 
Bronze Soldier riots have generated a lot of discussion, 
only time will tell if these discussions will produce 
tangible results.  End Comment. 
 
GOLDSTEIN