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President Ilves opened a day of debates in Pärnu devoted to the future of Estonia and Europe

11.10.2007

Opening a day of debates called “the President’s Clamorings” in Pärnu yesterday President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said that if talgud are intended for doing manual work together, then kärajad or clamorings are their intellectual counterpart.

“At the ‘clamorings’ that date back to ancient times in Estonia, discussions were held on complicated key problems of society, lawsuits, the questions of peace and war, and other matters,” said President Ilves. “Therefore, clamorings are both discussions and public meetings at the same time.”

The day of debates focusing on questions regarding the future of Estonia and Europe was organized by the President’s Academic Advisory Board, the Open Estonia Foundation, and Pärnu Conferences.

“The Academic Advisory Board is a body of representatives from various walks of life and fields of activity, scientists and cultural figures—a presidential advisory board,” said the Estonian Head of State. “But we don’t want to keep their advice to ourselves. We want to important questions to reach the broader public,” he added, urging those present to spread the message to those who could not be accommodated at the debates today.

The first part of the day will be devoted to the first public event of the President’s Academic Advisory Board, which was founded in the fall, entitled “The President’s Clamorings”, in which Professor Marju Lauristin, academician Peeter Tulviste, Professor of Law Lauri Mälksoo and Tiit Ojasoo, Director of the NO99 Theater will lead a discussion on the cohesion and tolerance of the Estonian society.

In the afternoon, the program will continue with the Open Estonia Foundation’s traditional 12th successive Open Society Forum, where topics regarding the future of Europe will be discussed by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Mark Leonard, Executive Director of the European Foreign Relations Council, and Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Board of the Liberal Strategies Center located in Sofia.

The day of debates will end with a public debate between President Ilves and Pulitzer Prize- winning author Anne Applebaum on the interpretation of history, on Europe and Russia. This will be followed by a reception for the guests of the day of debates and the Pärnu Management Conference taking place on Thursday and Friday at the same location.

The organizers have set a goal of assembling the leaders of public authority, enterprise, and civil society in a common discussion space today and in the future, since the objective of defending the development and welfare of Estonia is common to all.

 

Additional information:
Toomas Kiho, organizer of the President’s Academic Advisory Board, telephone: 510 0435
Mall Hellam, Director of the Open Estonia Foundation, telephone: 501 8727
Tõnis Arro, Program Director of the Pärnu Management Conference, telephone: 504 8929

 

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