Integration Strategy 2008-2013 Silver Pramann

Integration Strategy 2008-2013 It is the continuation to the state programme ‘Integration in Estonian Society 2000-2007 It is an action plan for governmental and other institutions for the years 2008−2013 in the field of integration. Summarises the goals and activities of the state integration policy

Integration policy Estonia is a culturally diverse society, more than 120 different ethnicities are represented here. One third of our population is made up of people of ethnicity other than Estonian. The premises of policy is that more active promotion of participation of minorities in social and political life is needed The premises of the policy is that exclusion of large groups of population from the social and political life of the country and separation breeds insecurity and mutual intolerance What is meant by that is also that participation of Russian-speakers in the public sector is also low.

Integration Policy Integration is a multilayered process. It is important to take into account that different ethnic groups in Estonia require differentiated approach when it comes to integration since they have different social status, level of integration. It is useful to differentiate integration activities by age, citizenship, education, place of residence, social and occupational position This means that we have achieved the next phase in the integration process – there already are people who are citizens of Estonia and speak Estonian language, they require different support than those who are not citizens, also younger people have different problems than older people

Emphasis of the Policy State identity - The integration policy is aimed at strengthening of Estonian state identity among population, to develop shared values, shared identity of space, pride in being the country’s citizen, respect and acceptance towards cultural differences among Estonian residents Joint activities - Successful integration depends on the level of contact between Estonian and other ethnic groups represented in Estonia. Active cooperation with civil society and NGOs Activities aimed at creating common information and media fields Local governments - This far the activities of the integration programme have been too state-centred. Integration has been treated as state activity and the role of local governments has been rather modest. The aim is now to bring out regional differences in integration and to deepen cooperation with local governments

Formation of the Strategy Integration is an important issue that involves the society as a whole. This is why it is essential to achieve as much agreement as possible among important stakeholders in the process a) consultations with political parties b) social partners c) public discussions The process of how integration policy work is Estonia is rather unique, because it has very multilayered levels of consultations Working group on ministerial levels Expert commission consisting of social partners – politicians, minorities, universities, media, employers, trade unions etc Steering committee – ministerial high officials In addition we organised 2 rounds of public discussions, i.e. the draft of the strategy was sent twice to more than 1000 organisations that are connected to integration in some way or another in their everyday work with specialised questionnaires aiming to get their feedback from their perspective, the draft was, still is up on governmental website where all new legislation is publicised and where people can give their comments and also we have had public 2 forums in Tallinn and 1 Ida-Virumaa

The Goals of the Strategy The aim of the strategy is to achieve conditions, when all permanent residents of Estonia, irrespective of their ethnic origin feel secure in Estonia, are competent in the state language, share the values underlying the Constitution are able to lead of fulfilled life by participating in the societal, economic and cultural life of the country Everyone is guaranteed the right to preserve and develop his/ her language and culture

Principles Adhering to Fundamental European Values- democracy, rule of law, peace, individual right to self-determination, respect for human rights and cultural diversity Estonian Language as the Common Language of Communication in the Public Sector Strengthening of the State Identity Involving All Residents in Developing the Society Equal Opportunities - respecting principles of the rule of law, personal freedoms and human rights; providing welfare, education, social security, opportunities for enterprise, creative selfexpression and one’s health promotion to all permanent residents of Estonia. Avoiding Ethnicity-based Separation. Integration as a Process Originates on the Individual Level and Involves the Whole Society

Different spheres of integration The division between three spheres : Educational and Cultural integration Social and Economic integration Legal and Political integration More emphasis is put on linking them together Educational and cultural – all residents of Estonia have equal opportunities to obtain education within the common educational system, at the same time the conditions for preserving one’s own language and culture is also provided Social and economic – all residents of Estonia have equal economic opportunities need irrespective of their ethnicity, mother tongue and place of residence. Legal and political – all residents of Estonia have opportunity to participate equally in the societal and political life, irrespective of ethnic origin, according to the rights provided to them by law. Linking means that this far a lot of emphasis has been on language training and this will remain as one of the cornerstones of integration, however language proficiency is only one aspect, successful integration is also premised on active participation in social, economic and political life of the country, on both sides. Previously, it was assumed that other aspects of integration will follow once the language has been acquired, but this process is not that linear.

The Field of Educational and Cultural Integration The objective is to ensure that all residents of Estonia have equal opportunities to receive education through common education system and provide the conditions for preserving one’s language and culture. Language trainings (upper secondary school, preschool and basic education). More attention will be adult education, Citizenship education and integrated Estonian language training. Support conditions that allow other ethnic groups preserve their culture and language in Estonia. Activities outside the formal education system, which helps establish and maintain good relationships between people of different linguistic backgrounds - to achieve the understanding in the society that cultural differences in the society are actually a resource and not a problem.

Expanding the shared Estonian and Russian-language information field as part of cultural integration. updating teaching materials, additional training for teachers – both will include topics emphasising cultural diversity of Estonian society, counseling various target groups and providing them with information. .The approaches to teaching history and citizenship studies at schools that promote cultural diversity and facilitate the development of the state identity . Appreciation of the culturally diverse environment and advancing positive attitude towards other cultures. Facilitation and diversification of contacts and joint activities between schools with Estonian and Russian languages

The Field of Social and Economic Integration The aim is to ensure that all Estonian residents have equal opportunities for economic self-realization and social subsistence regardless of their ethnic background, mother tongue or place of residence. This means that success in the labour market does not depend on one’s ethnicity and that everyone has the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge (including regarding career choices) from the education system that meet the requirements of the labor market, and that retraining and additional training offer additional opportunities to enhance one’s competitiveness on the labor market. EIS does not duplicate the activities planned in the linked strategies but rather brings together and analyses the data related to social and economic field and thereby helps coordinate the activities of various offices

The Field of Legal and Political Integration The aim is to ensure all residents of Estonia have equal pportunities for self-realization in the social and political life regardless of their ethnicity or mother tongue as guaranteed by the law. The objective of legal and political integration is to help Estonian residents whose mother tongue is not Estonian (including new immigrants) to adapt to the Estonian society and become active members of the society. Developing civil activity as a democratic form of self-expression equally among people with different mother tongues is important for the development of common basic values as well as for emergence of a common state identity, promoting at the same time mutual tolerance among ethnic and cultural groups. In addition, promotion of naturalization requires further effort – both through larger support from the state as well as through increasing the motivation of non-citizens themselves.

The Vision for 2013 (1) The objective of EIS is to achieve by 2013 the situation where, compared to 2007: The level of command of Estonian among the people whose mother tongue is not Estonian has improved on all levels; Contacts and communication between people with different mother tongues have increased and differences in participation in civil society organizations and the public sphere between Estonian and Russian speaking population have decreased; ·

The Vision for 2013 (2) The percentage of people with undetermined citizenship among the residents of Estonia has been consistently decreasing; The majority of Estonian residents trust people of other nationalities living in Estonia and they trust the Estonian state; The majority of the people whose mother tongue is not Estonian regularly receive information from Estonian media sources and trust them; Differences in employment and income levels between employees of different ethnic groups have decreased

Management of the Policy The Ministery of Culture co-ordinates national integration policy and programming. Each line ministry contributes to the national integration programme.

Sources of Funding Activities in the implementation plan are funded from the budgets of the ministries and from external sources, including the European Social Fund and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-country nationals. Cost estimations for activities in the implementation plan are coordinated with the strategy of the ministries responsible for each measure and the estimation is adjusted simultaneously in coordination with the planning processes at the ministries. Each year the strategy’s Steering committee adjusts and updates both the costs of the implementation plan measures and activities, and the structure of the implementation plan based on proposals by ministries and outside sources of funding, those benefiting from the strategy and by other parties.

Links with Other Strategies Strategy for General Education System 2007–2013 Strategy for Developing Estonian Language 2004–2010 Youth Work Strategy for 2006–2013 Strategy for Estonian Higher Education 2006–2015 Strategy for Lifelong Learning 2005–2008 Strategy for using National Structural Funds 2007–2013: Implementation Plan for Development of Human Resources Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Culture for 2009–2012 Estonian Enterprise Policy for 2007–2013 Strategy for the Field of Housing in Estonia for 2007–2013 Strategy of the Ministry of Social Affairs 2009–2012 Strategy for Estonian Regional Development 2006–2015 The Principles for Developing the Concept of Estonian Civil Society and the Strategy for Supporting Civil Initiative