“The more creative people around the world come together and be heard on behalf of those who are now fighting for their democratic and human rights to exist and express their views, the better for all of us,” the Estonian Music Week discussion at the end of August emphasized. President Kersti Kaljulaida.
Kersti Kaljulaid was interviewed by Benjamin Batke, a multimedia journalist from Berlin, about coexistence and promoting change, the need for openness and balanced future growth locally and globally, and the role of the creative professions in promoting it.
The friendly, almost awkward conversation in the crowded auditorium of the Estonian Academy of Arts was taken away by the Estonian President without a long wait – in response to the role of women today.
Kersti Kaljulaida: Women in national leadership carry a huge responsibility, all the more so because they would normally have to be better than men in holding the same positions. Otherwise, if they fail, we can expect a reply – you know, but she has to be a woman, and she has already achieved a lot. From my point of view, if I really want to make a positive impression on the younger generation of our people, I have to work very hard on it. Every year, the UN celebrates Women’s Week, during which female leaders come together and share their experiences. The motive that permeates these conversations reflects how often we have all faced the misunderstanding that we strive to be leaders in choosing the path we take. I think the world needs to look at itself in the mirror. At the same time, I am not a feminist and consider myself a relatively conservative woman, although many in Estonia do not think so.
Benjamin Batke: In that broader sense, I seem to be emphasizing that people with as many different backgrounds and experiences as possible should be sitting at the same table. Namely, the spectrum of quorums of leaders must be wide, and it applies to both the public sector and private business.
Yes, and we also need to understand that these things are moving in a spiral. Women of my mother’s generation in Western Europe were allowed to take their place in the labor market, which at the time meant giving up femininity, becoming a kind of man. Family life should not interfere with work, they often had to suppress their feelings in order not to show weakness. Women of this generation are no longer satisfied with this. Women and men are truly different but equal beings, and it is very important to understand that. Men only gain when their duties suddenly show the opportunity to go out for a walk with their offspring by pushing a cart. That is true equality, and I do not blame anyone for that.
Equality and freedom find themselves in a new quality when we share them.
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I can only agree with that. I would like to move on to the next topic, mental health, which I do not think has received enough attention so far. With the entry into force of the pandemic, travel was restricted, many people lost their jobs, leading to financial difficulties, and another aspect of the crisis emerged, which could be called the public health crisis. We are already seeing an increase in domestic violence, but this is likely to have the greatest impact in the long term in the context of people’s mental health. We are talking about teleworking from home, restrictions on face-to-face communication. Given that you have been quite noticeable when talking about these issues, expressing the opinion that being in the same physical space with another person brings special value. What are your observations and how can we ensure that the focus is not only on the economic impact of this crisis on society, but also on the psychological aspect?
Until recently, I was directly involved in the negotiations on the Estonian judicial system, and it is a fact that, purely technically, we can provide court hearings remotely. And yet, for example, people attending a court hearing must be able to feel the intangible nature of the arguments put forward by what the representatives are presenting when presenting the cases and representing one or the other party to the proceedings. It is very invaluable to us as human beings – the ability to feel and feel.
On the other hand, it is relatively easy to maintain the friendships cherished so far, but to make new friends, I must say, I sympathize with the newly elected presidents when others, with already established contacts and established relationships, have to pick up the phone and call to ask, how well and what experience other countries have in dealing with issues in these times. We do this often, and such direct contact is very important. Nowadays, friendship is what holds us together, allowing us to make direct contact, and strict communication at different levels of the hierarchy is no longer relevant.
As far as public mental health is concerned, listening to the question, I began to think about how many young people in the creative professions have started to express their views more actively in the Estonian media this year, highlighting this issue and drawing attention to this multifaceted problem and as it gets.
I think it also has to do with the Covid-19 pandemic, and young people are breaking down another wall of silence that still exists in our society, thus showing solidarity with all those who are still suffering in silence.
I admire their courage and self-sacrifice, and I want everyone in our society to feel that they have a voice and a right to have a say.
You have just mentioned the ‘wall of silence’ when talking about Estonian society. A recent study on public well-being and mental health by an Italian university found that almost one in three respondents had symptoms of various types of mental health disorders, up to depression. Do you think that the situation has changed in recent years and that people are showing more courage to talk more openly about their problems when seeking help from specialists, and how far do we have until we are fully open to the current problem?
Estonia still has a long way to go, and I must admit that I am very concerned about that, because we lack specialists to help people, even if they choose to be more open in this regard. It makes me feel hard, because I myself have been talking to the public for four years so that it becomes more open and talk about current issues by drawing attention to them. Fortunately, people have public support and an understanding of what this kind of suffering means.
But there are also inspiring moments, such as when I was recently in St. John’s Church, where Maria Faust’s “Mary’s Mass” premiered – I listened and suddenly realized that everything you have advocated is heard in our cultural space. It is an extremely grateful feeling at a time when we do not yet have a solution to all the problems mentioned above. In addition, many people are still afraid of this openness and culture can help by talking about it in an easier, gentler way, gradually changing society.
As soon as culture takes matters into its own hands, everything begins to change and, over time, helps to find a solution, just as we do, regaining the country’s independence.
When culture speaks, the Estonian people follow.
That is what I am thinking of – we are here, although we still have a long way to go. But we recognize ourselves as present.
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If we are talking about independence, then in this context I would like to ask about the events in Belarus. At Lukashenko’s request, Putin ordered the creation of a special reserve law enforcement unit, which could be imported into a neighboring country if necessary. Do you think that Putin is afraid that the protests in Belarus in the name of ideas could spread to Russian territory and fuel similar efforts?
I really don’t know. I cannot determine the true gray of President Putin. What I can say is that the Belarusian people are behaving quite similarly to the way we Estonians acted in their efforts to regain independence in Estonia – absolutely peaceful demonstrations. At the end of the 1980s, we were so worried that provocations would lead to aggression and violence, but that never happened. A society that is able to demonstrate such discipline has the right to self-determination and to decide what future they want. We also know that the Belarusians are very close to the Russian people and are not seeking to get closer to Western Europe, as was the case with us.
I believe that we should not interfere, but we can stand side by side as a reminder of what we ourselves have gone through and show our solidarity with the Belarusian people.
The Baltic States, Poland and other European countries have expressed support for this position, and the President of the European Commission reacted very quickly, calling for sanctions against certain individuals in Belarus.
What do you think could happen if the people of Belarus are not, however, allowed to choose freely either a clear democratic path or to choose something that is a little less like democracy in the sense of Western European countries?
I will really refrain from speculating now, because that would be an intervention. What I would like to see is an opportunity for the Belarusians to realize their position in a peaceful way. In the event that the course of events becomes very sad, the Baltic States have already expressed their readiness to help and receive refugees. The Estonian government has also decided to set aside a certain amount of money for humanitarian aid if necessary. However, if we start speculating now, I think it could be a bad process.
A moment ago, we contacted two representatives of the creative industries from Minsk and Beirut, who shared their experiences of what they had experienced on the ground and how artists survived during this time, and about the mistakes made by government representatives. In what way do you think the creative sector can play its part in drawing attention to the current crisis situation?
Indeed, the faster the creative sector recovers, the greater the confidence of politicians that they are on the right track with the proposed solutions.
The creative realms in every way they are is our consciousness, and if you are not supported by the creative, then you are truly lonely, and of course the other way around. The more creative people around the world come together and allow themselves to be heard on behalf of those who are now fighting for their democratic and human rights to exist and express their views, the better for all of us. You need to have a specific and clear reason, a goal, and a to-do list to really feel that you can make a difference. Otherwise, the noble, peaceful efforts of the United Nations, which are failing, will be left behind. The last thing many in Western Europe want is another Ukrainian scenario. Creative people can help benign ideas to penetrate and resonate across borders, and this will certainly contribute to a positive outcome.
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