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Prime Minister complimented OEF’s work on social integration

The Open Estonia Foundation, celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, met the Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip yesterday to discuss current developments in society and OEF’s future plans. Ansip recognized the foundation’s work in minority integration issues, and was especially interested in the ongoing mentoring program, which offers Russian-speaking teachers a possibility to learn Estonian with the help of personal mentors.

OEF was among the first in Estonia to draw attention to the integration of minorities. In the 1990s, OEF initiated a language immersion program for pupils of Russian-language schools, gave scholarships to young Russian-speakers to study in Estonian universities, and monitored Estonian integration policies. The ongoing mentoring program for Russian teachers has enabled 51 teachers to improve their Estonian language skills with the help of personal mentors. The learning process takes place through simple everyday communication between mentors and mentees, encouraging the latter to overcome their fear of speaking Estonian.  

The Prime Minister and OEF also discussed ways for better involvement of interest groups in decision-making processes. OEF’s Executive Director Mall Hellam stressed that the unique value of civil society organizations not always lies in their expert knowledge but in knowing the practical problems in society. The foundation’s representatives also underscored the importance of applying the Good Practice of Engagement and Participation for policy-makers in everyday decisions.  

The Open Estonia Foundation gave the Prime Minister its new book “Becoming Estonia”, which summarizes OEF’s 20 years of work in short stories and photos.