The decline in the sense of belonging among Estonians as well as people of other nationalities living here should not be taken lightly or seen as inevitable. A sensible balance must be struck between societal unity and societal diversity, say Marianna Makarova and Olga Sõtnik, experts on social cohesion and migration, on the Radio Kuku programme Kirillitsas Eesti (Estonia in Cyrillic).
‘The question “where does the sense of belonging begin?” is similar to asking which came first, the chicken or the egg,’ compares Marianna Makarova, Programme Manager of the International Conference of Integration at the Integration Foundation. ‘Does it start from the moment I decide to be a part of society and do something myself? Or does the sense of belonging arise from being accepted, which makes me feel welcome and cared for?’
There is no single answer to the chicken-or-egg question, and neither does the issue of the sense of belonging. However, a worrying trend has emerged: people’s assessment of their sense of belonging has declined markedly over the past few years, as data confirms. ‘In 2022, 93 per cent of Estonians responded they felt that they belonged to the Estonian society, and 74 per cent of them were absolutely certain of this, while today, the respective figures are 83 per cent and 50 per cent – in other words, only half of Estonians are certain of their sense of belonging. Among people of other ethnicities, the change has been even more drastic: the proportion of those who report even some sense of belonging has fallen from 74% to 44%, while the proportion of those who feel no sense of belonging has risen to 31%,’ says Makarova.
Is this something to worry about?
‘I would take it seriously,’ she says firmly. ‘The sense of belonging is the basis of a protective attitude towards one’s locality or country – to preserve and, if necessary, defend it. A diminished sense of belonging, however, is a silent sign of alienation. People who feel that they belong to society are also far less receptive to conflict-laden and socially divisive messages. If something goes wrong in their life, they are less likely to assume that injustice or someone’s malice is behind it. Their sense of belonging is a source of security, which helps people take responsibility for their own lives and to act constructively and collectively.’
‘Are you going to love Estonia?’
According to Olga Sõtnik, head of the UNHCR office in Estonia, it is clear that people’s emotions have been affected by the nearby war and the fears and divisions it has caused. ‘A sense of belonging arises when people feel that they belong together – that they have something in common that is more important than their differences. When people of different nationalities and cultures share common values, feel safe, and have the opportunity to participate in decision-making, this creates all the prerequisites for a sense of unity and belonging in the society.’
Tens of thousands of people have fled to Estonia because of the war. But do we know anything of their mindset or sense of unity? Sõtnik explains that it is important to distinguish between different categories of migration and to understand that refugees are not questioned about their attitude on arrival because they are in a forced situation.
‘Refugees are a special category of migrants who are forced to leave their homes – they leave because there is a war in their home country, or they face the death penalty due to their “wrong” political views, or they are of a different religion. When a person arrives at the border and asks for asylum, no one will ask them if they are going to love Estonia. It is not a relevant question at that moment – the important thing is to help the person, to give them a sense of security.’
Adaptation and integration will take place over time after arrival and are largely individual. ‘Some people integrate very well and adopt the rules of their new home country, others not so well,’ Sõtnik notes, adding that there are many more of those who adapt successfully, although these stories are not as prominent.
‘Unfortunately, both Estonian and foreign media tend to cover cases of failure where people cannot cope, where the new situation has proved so unacceptable that the person has committed a crime or gone down a bad path. Negative cases are highlighted, while there are tens of thousands of people who are doing well, contributing to their new communities and societies – people who are working and whose children are in school. But these stories go unreported,’ she says, describing the reasons why the image of integration of refugees may be biased.
‘It’s like with aeroplanes – if one plane crashes, it is a big scandal that’s reported everywhere, but while tens of thousands of planes fly in the sky and land safely, nobody talks about it.’
In search of balance
Building a sense of unity is one of the topics that will be addressed at the Conference of Integration on 12 November. Internationally renowned experts, academics, and practitioners from Estonia and beyond will address key integration challenges and provide examples of successful practices. Now in its 12th year, this year’s edition of the Conference of Integration will take place under the theme ‘Unity and Diversity – Searching for Balance’.
‘The current security situation requires us to be united. There is a constant need to make quick decisions. To do that, we need to be on the same page immediately, without taking time to reflect, consider, and resolve our differences. Diversity, however, is a natural part of democracy, and it is important to resolve differences through open dialogue where everyone has the right to ask questions and get answers, and to raise their voices where necessary, so that no one’s rights or needs are systematically overlooked – this is an essential source of democratic resilience,’ Makarova discusses, reflecting on the key focus of the conference. ‘And on the other hand, how do we keep healthy diversity alive? By valuing differences – it’s important to keep in mind the principles and values that unite us as a society. We all have our own opinions and views, too, but on social media, we tend to get stuck in information bubbles. So where is the place for us to come together as a society to reach consensus through dialogue? At the conference, we’re going to seek a balance between those challenges through lectures and discussions.’
Listen to the Radio Kuku programme Kirillitsas Eesti of 23 October here.
