World Refugee Day

There are over 51 million refugees and internally displaced people around the world, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they need your help. The UNHCR and other NGOs provide lifesaving assistance and protection to 34 million refugees. But even with that aid, one fact remains important:

• 1 refugee family without sehlter is too many

The number of asylum seekers in Estonia has been quite low compared to other EU countries. That might be the reason why studies show that the general public is not aware of this issue and that the subject has not been a priority. However, Estonia has worked on issues related to refugees.
Activities of the Estonian Refugee Council can be divided into three broad categories:

• assistance with cultural, social and labor market integration of refugees;
• raising public awareness on refugee issues in Estonia;
• Advocacy work and representation of refugee interest.

Don’t be indifferent. There are many ways you can get involved and spread the word about refugees on World Refugee Day (June 20) and beyond. Choose the ones that are right for you!

Post by Dmitri Lipovski

The U.S. Flag: Oh, Say Do You Know?

(Photo: By JeromeG111)

On Monday, 16 June, the American Space at Tallinn Technical University opens an exhibition about the American Flag.

How much do you know about the America’s “Stars and Stripes”?  Take our quiz, leave your answers here (in the comments section) and the winner gets a prize. (It's a book, but the title is a suprise.)

1) The white in the Estonian flag represents snow or freedom. What does the white in the American flag represent? 

2) How many stars did the “Betsy Ross” flag have?

3) The U.S. flag served as an inspiration for Francis Scott Key. What did he write?  

4) Which state was the last one to join? What year did it happen?

5) How many stars are on the current flag and what do they represent?

Bonus: Do you know what the stripes on the flag represent? 

If these questions stumped you, stop by the exhibit to learn more about the history and meaning of the U.S. flag.

Post by Dmitri Lipovski

Freedom and Song in Pictures: Take 2

This year’s Embassy photo contest is in honor of U.S. Independence Day and Estonia’s Song Festival. We’re asking people what music, America and Estonia mean to them. It’s a question we posed to one of our summer interns Aylin Erdogan. 

Freedom + Music = The Boss

When I think about freedom, music, America and Estonia; the initial word that flashes is “people”. And the initial thought is imagining Bruce Springsteen playing his guitar with an American flag in the background, but on the stage of Song Festival and not the Jersey Shore.

The dictionary defines music as “the art of ordering sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.” We can change a couple of words in this definition and use it to describe what freedom means for people, regardless of their nationality. Unity and continuity in a group has always been the path towards freedom. People need to be united whether to sing in a chorus, speaking out against injustice or chanting at a march— to have their voices heard or to gain their freedom. Estonians initiated their freedom movement by assembling choirs, sang until their voices were strong enough to be heard and initiated a unique freedom movement.

As for why Bruce Springsteen, I see him as one of the singers whose songs represent American values. He understands America’s struggle and successes with freedom, feels it in his heart and relays these feelings through his music. The Rising (9/11), Born in the USA (Vietnam War), Streets of Philadelphia (AIDS epidemic) were reflections of American resilience. Americans come from different backgrounds, look differently, speak various languages but represent one united feeling towards freedom.

No matter who you are in America, you are passionate about your freedom. And Bruce Springsteen reflects these values for people across the globe.

To celebrate the 4th of July and Song Festival the U.S Embassy in Tallinn, has launched an online photo contest. Let us know what comes to mind when you hear the words freedom, song and Estonia. Photograph that image (we want to see how creative you are) and enter the contest.

Post by Aylin Erdogan

Freedom and Song in Pictures

This year’s Embassy photo contest is in honor of U.S. Independence Day and Estonia’s Song Festival. We’re asking people what music, America and Estonia mean to them. It’s a question we posed to one of our summer interns Dmitri Lipovski.

“The Song Festival”

What does freedom and song bring to mind? Song festival.

What I picture when I think of the song festival are smiles. For Estonians the “Song Festival” holds a deep symbolic meaning: the culmination of the national awakening of Estonians, which started back in 1860.

It can be seen in their happy and proud faces when they go to the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds in their traditional clothing, waving flags. 

 

(Photo: AP Photo/Timur Nisametdinov, NIPA)

This happiness and joy transmits to other people very fast, so it is only a matter of time before you start smiling as happily as Estonians do. Honestly, it is a rare thing when you see people attending a celebration with so much happiness. For some people it’s more than a simple celebration with songs and dances, which takes place by tradition every five years. But for many Estonians it is much more than that. It is actually a moment that’s hard to describe, it has to be felt and experienced, like a smile.

What do you picture when you think of freedom and song in Estonia? Snap a photo and enter our photo competition. The deadline is 23:59 on June 24, 2014.

Post by Dmitri Lipovski

Enter the Embassy's Photo Contest! Deadline is 23:59 on June 24!

Enter the Embassy Photo Contest

"Celebrating Freedom's Song!"
and Win a Nokia Lumia 625
Windows Phone

The Embassy of the United States of America and Microsoft are proud to announce a photo contest entitled "Celebrating Freedom's Song!"

To celebrate American Independence Day and Estonian Song Festival, we want you to take a picture of something in Estonia that you believe has to do with freedom and song. It could be anything you think represents both the U.S. and Estonia and has to do with music.

When you have taken your picture, go to our Facebook page and post your picture along with your name and age to our wall. Then get as many of your friends as possible to "like" your picture both on the wall and the contest photo album. (Send your photo to us via e-mail, too, at usembassytallinn@gmail.com.) The top five pictures from each category will then be considered to win a Nokia Lumia 625 Windows phone.

The contest is open to all residents of Estonia (except employees of the U.S. Embassy and their families...sorry!) and is divided into three age categories for contestants: 15 and under, 16-21, and 22 and older. Post your photo, complete with your age, to our Facebook wall BY 23:59 ON JUNE 24. (Your photo resolution should be good enough for an A2 print, so a minimum of 1,500 x 2,400 pixels). The winner of each category will receive a Nokia Lumia 625 Windows phone! The winner and the runner-up in each category will be invited to Ambassador Levine's home for our Independence Day party, where the winners will be announced and will receive their prizes!

So post your photo, complete with your age, to our Facebook wall. And maybe you will be the proud owner of a Nokia Lumia 625 Windows phone!

Estonian residents are invited to enter the U.S. Embassy's photo competition to win one of three Nokia Lumia 625 Windows phones.

Information is on the U.S. Embassy Tallinn's Facebook page under the contest tab. The theme of the photo must be "Celebrating Freedom's Song!" Finalists will be determined by the number of "likes" a photo receives on Facebook (both on the wall and the contest photo album) with the winners selected by the Embassy from the top five finalists. Just post your photo directly onto our U.S. Embassy Tallinn Facebook wall along with your age. Please share this with all who may be interested, and encourage your friends to "like" your photo! Contest deadline is 23:59 on June 24.

The Pull of Kumu Art Museum’s Newest Exhibit

Paris. London. New York. These are the cities that come to mind when people think about modern art. But Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn is doing its part to shine a light on early 20th century art from Scandinavia and the Baltic States through its latest exhibit “Electromagnetic: Modern Art in Northern Europe, 1918-1931.”

Recently, The New York Times wrote about the exhibit, which features artists in the region who sought to make their own mark during Modernism phase.

The article stated that “focusing on their inspiration, travels and originality, the exhibition is a rare display of creativity and mutual influence in Scandinavia and the Baltic states from a time when collaboration across borders was not taken for granted.”

The exhibit features more than a hundred works from Northern European artists such as Otto G. Carlsund, Mart Laarman and Gustav Klutsis, as well as the artists that influenced them.

The curator of the exhibit, Gladys C. Fabre, who is based out of Brussels, thinks that the” originality of Nordic artists came in their pursuit of an autonomous form of art, one that took from surrounding movements but that also rejected them.”

The article states “Whether abroad or at home, Nordic artists left a lasting mark on European Modernism.”

The Embassy is familiar with the great exhibits and programs that Kumu puts on. It’s been the site of the “Telling the American Story” film series, which showcases movies that reflect American society and values. Additionally, the Embassy has given support to Kumu’s documentary series this year.

So, if you go to see the exhibit, you should stay for one of the possible films that could be shown as well.

Post by APAO Caitlyn Kim

U.S. Embassy Tallinn in #UnitedForUkraine

All of us at U.S. Embassy Tallinn wanted to find a way to send a message to the people of Ukraine that we support them at this difficult time.

So like many others, we made a large sign featuring the Ukrainian flag and the twitter handle #UnitedForUkraine. Then a bunch of us from the embassy went to Tallinn's Vabaduse Valjak (Freedom Square) and posed with the sign in front of Estonia's Freedom Monument.

We also wanted to share this wonderful video with you.

Me oleme Ukrainaga.

We are United For Ukraine.

We hope you are too.