Open Estonia Foundation

In 2006, the Open Estonia Foundation continued to build open societies and democracy by supporting activities focusing on domestic violence and the police, aiding persecuted students and activists from neighboring states, and calling attention to antidemocratic trends in the region.

The following briefs describe some of the foundation’s activities and achievements in 2006.

Police Partnership Improves Responses to Domestic Violence

A civil society group and a regional police department, supported over three years by the foundation, has increased awareness about domestic violence among Estonian police officers and improved record keeping and police responses. According to data collected by police officers in the program, women are the victims in 9 out of 10 domestic violence cases. Half of the cases occur in families, and children suffer violence in one-third of these cases. The number of years domestic violence victims suffered abuse before contacting police dipped from 6–7 years to 3–5 years during the program’s existence. Police throughout Estonia are now collecting domestic violence data in a central database.

Civil Society Group Aids Students Forced to Leave Belarus

Denis, one of hundreds of students targeted by the government for their political views or their work as monitors during the fraudulent March 2006 elections, fled Belarus after officials harassed him and threatened to expel him for not joining a progovernment youth organization.With help from the foundation, the Belarus Support Group worked with the Estonian government to create ten university spaces for Belarusian students expelled from universities for political reasons.

Estonian Film Festival Spotlights Authoritarianism

The Black Nights Film Festival featured a special documentary program, Closed Societies, which examined authoritarian regimes in Belarus, Cuba, Russia, and Iran. The program, supported by the foundation, included You Will Vote for Me!, a film about the intimidation and fraud that undermined the 2006 elections in Belarus. At a seminar following the films, members of parliament, the Carnegie Moscow Center, and civil society organizations from Europe and Asia discussed Russia’s increasing authoritarianism.