BNS - Inspired by the "Let's Do It Estonia 2008" campaign, NGOs in Romania are preparing for a campaign in which volunteers will collect illegally dumped or littered garbage across the country in May 2010.

The Romanian NGO's behind the initiative have named it "Let's Do It Romania."

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Published: December 14 2009

TORONTO, November 30 - Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre, Hon. Bob Rae introduced a resolution today to recognize August 23rd –Black Ribbon Day- as a national Canadian day of remembrance for the millions of victims of totalitarian Communism and Nazism in Europe. The resolution, seconded by Etobicoke Centre MP, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, passed with the unanimous consent of all parties.

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Published: December 07 2009

The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) met on November 17, 2009 with Congressmen Dennis Kucinich (R-Ohio) and Thomas Price (D-GA), co-chairs of the newly formed House Russia Caucus, to discuss the goals and mission of the Russia Caucus, and to provide suggestions for a possible agenda.  While caucuses on many of the Central and East European countries already exist, this is the first caucus with a focus solely on Russia.
The body is meant to improve communication between Congress and Russia's lower house of parliament. 

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Published: November 30 2009

FM Review - In the early morning hours of 1 December 1924, a couple of hundred armed Communist conspirators attempted a coup d’etat in Tallinn. The conspirators killed approximately 20 people including the Estonian Minister of Transport Karl Kark. The Estonian people reacted quickly and crushed the attempted coup.
1923 and 1924 were economically very difficult years for Estonia. Overestimating the unrest of the Estonian people, the Communist leadership in Moscow decided the time was right for a Communist coup d’etat in their neighbouring country. This decision was not based exclusively on economic factors -- a coup would have been attempted in any case. In November 1924, 149 people in Estonia were convicted of hostile activities against the state. At the same time, staged demonstrations against Estonia were organised in the Soviet Union.

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Published: December 07 2009

2009, after two trips from Melbourne, Australia to Europe and back has firmly convinced me that I am no longer the lively gazelle with unlimited energy to scamper up Geislingen’s hillsides. Nevertheless I relished the opportunity to disprove my fantasy.
In September I was privileged to participate in the International conference about Children as the Invisible Victims of War. I had always believed that the journey through a war zone looked different through the eyes of a child compared with what the adult saw. My time at that conference validated that notion for me.

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Published: November 30 2009

"Issi, sülle!" In a word: "Daddy, pick me up!" "Carry me!" "I want to sit in your lap!" I heard that a lot this morning, when the kids at my daughter's day care and kindergarten were overjoyed at having their daddies over for breakfast. Not just any breakfast, but a pudrupidu (porridge party). The previous day had been Father's Day in these parts, unlike the 52 countries including the U.S., who celebrate dads and grandpas on the second Sunday in June. However Estonia adopted the custom from our neighbouring Finns, who along with other Nordic countries celebrate fathers in the fall. Eesti isad abroad thereby have two days a year to celebrate their revered status.

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Published: November 30 2009

FM Review - A new serial of Estonian Television (ETV), The Class: Life After, won the main prize in the television serials programme at the 15th international festival Cinema Tous Ecrans on November 5.
The Estonian broadcasting company, ERR, told BNS that the producer of the serial, Gerda Kordemets, would receive the Reflet d'Or for the best series and the accompanying prize money of 5 000 francs Saturday in Geneva.
Kordemets's joy about the main prize was great. "It is actually an exceptionally great achievement that a TV serial producer in Estonia was chosen as a competition entry of an international festival for the first time," she said, adding that bearing in mind the very high-level competitors, she hadn't hoped for any prize at all.

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Published: November 30 2009

6 November - This week the Estonian Cinemabus and Puppet Film Studio were at the Kids Euro Festival in Washington teaching American kids and teachers about filmmaking. Their stay was organised by the Estonian Embassy in Washington.
Estonia was represented in the main programme (for ages 6-12 years) of the biggest kids’ festival ever to be held in Washington by the Puppet Film Studio. In the workshops that took place in schools in Washington and the surrounding area, clips from puppet films were shown and the kids were guided through the making of a puppet film. “The theme for all our workshops was the sea and the customs associated with it. We were pleasantly surprised by how interested and enthusiastic the children were,” said Mait Laas, the director of Estonian Puppet Film.

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Published: November 30 2009