According to integration monitoring data from 2023, people of different nationalities are most likely to interact with one another at school or at work, while in other areas of life, only a little more than half of Estonia’s population interact with people who speak a different language. The data also show that residents of other nationalities are less active in society, both in volunteering and in civic activities. Such people are also less likely than Estonians to participate in cultural and sporting events.
“There are pro-active community leaders all over Estonia, as well as a wide range of NGOs, but their activities are often inaccessible to people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds because of the language barrier or simply a lack of communication,” explained Eda Silberg, the undersecretary for cultural diversity at the Ministry of Culture. “As such, we need to put more emphasis on promoting community life and activities at the local level, and on fostering a sense of community cohesion through the involvement of regional NGOs.”
Silberg added that special attention needed to be paid to Ida-Viru County, where the proportion of permanent residents with a different linguistic and cultural background is highest. “But the population is becoming increasingly diverse in other parts of Estonia as well,” she said. “That’s why it’s increasingly important for community action to involve all groups in society more broadly.”
Boasting a strong nationwide network, the Estonian Centre of Folk Culture coordinates collaborative activities in six Estonian regions and advises NGOs on how to engage target groups in community activities. In Ida-Viru County, the Estonian Language House (managed by the Integration Foundation) will continue to play a key role in advising communities and engaging target groups. In 2025, the foundation is working to establish a network of communities, organising events to promote contact and share experiences and arranging meetings in different parts of the county to foster peaceful coexistence and community cooperation.
The National Foundation of Civil Society is developing and implementing a capacity-building programme for NGOs to improve their ability to engage people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as well as new immigrants and returnees. NGOs will launch their first activities in the second half of March.
These project activities will run until the end of October 2029 and be provided with approximately 3.6 million euros in funding by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), plus Estonian co-financing of 1.6 million euros.
