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Dedicating Postimees opinion leaders’ luncheon 2013 to Estonianhood in Open World, we mainly sought to see to what degree we Estonians ought to worry about our language, culture and identity – to the backdrop of exodus and onset of English speaking cultural space.
Both presentations, by Nordic Investment Bank vice president Gunnar Okk and the writer Maarja Kangro, avoided tragic tones. Today’s Estonianhood is tasked with adapting national identity to the globalising world, its opportunities and challenges.
Understandably, for a small nation, exodus is emotionally painful: being few in number and many yet set to leave, who will be left speaking Estonian and living the Estonian life? For this very reason we are experiencing a kind of a confrontation between stayers and leavers, with criticism on the one hand and justification on the other. With both, instant fears clouding the bigger picture.
Indeed, opening up has lead to outflows before. As the bondage of servitude came to its end, many Estonians were able to get educated and make a living abroad. Looking back, we do not see it as loss of opportunities, rather a gain – as in taking these chances we arrived at our own scientific achievements, classic arts and literature and, eventually, even to an independent nation-state.
And while we still find out hearts troubled by the leavers, it is worth remembering that, «over there», identity loss is not likely. Rather the opposite is true: an Estonian language school in Stockholm, The European Choir of Estonians, celebrations of Independence Day wherever there’s Estonians. And the Internet, making the location secondary, information space wise, is still within one click. Quoting Maarja Kangro: «The more Estonianhoods we have (i.e. ways of being Estonian), the better.»
Adaptability is an important trademark of our culture and, borrowing from Gunnar Okk’s presentation: «The world needs to be viewed realistically.»
Which view states that being closed would be a utopian price to be paid, even for Estonianhood’s preservation. Yet, confronting the global processes would demand less. Coping with the world with self-confidence and pride, Estonianhood would remain, as national identity would persist even in the most multicultural of societies.
Sure, our state is far from complete and can always be improved. However, changes must come from beholding opportunities, not fearing ghosts. And, considering not only Estonians but all who live here.
Estonianhood might be compared to a snowball, long in the rolling – those pushing it have picked the path and the ball, accordingly, is partially clean and muddy here and there. These, however, have been the choices. Which, put together, have made us to be who we now are. Determining our destiny. And: one can always leave the muddy path – preferring snow clean and white.