Welcome, representatives of small islands from all over Europe
It is wonderful that you have come to the small island of Kihnu to discuss the joys and worries of living on an island. Several of the topics are probably relevant for all small islands, regardless of the country, for example, ensuring transport to the islands, providing the necessities for life and preserving the island's cultural space.
There are a total of 2,222 islands in Estonia, some of which are quite small. Residents have been registered on 27 of them. In total, more than 44.5 thousand inhabitants live on the Estonian islands, which is 3.3% of our country’s population. Most of them live on Saaremaa, the largest island, which as a separate municipality is the largest rural municipality in Estonia in terms of population (the sixth largest municipality in Estonia) and the largest in terms of area. At the same time, we also have several very small islands with only one registered resident. Therefore, the living conditions on the Estonian islands differ to a great extent.
Today I can confidently say that the Estonian islands and island communities are strong and vibrant. The Estonian state values its islands, and the state seeks to support the communities on the small islands and their local governments in every way possible, for example both financially and with various investments, as well as by supporting the cultural heritage of the islands. There is only one law in Estonia that is based the specificity of a single region, and that is the Permanently Inhabited Small Islands Act. No other law exists that addresses the particularities of a particular region.
The small islands program has been launched by the state in order to provide support for improving the availability and quality of essential services on small islands. This includes transport links, welfare, health services, accessibility, availability of basic necessities, waste management, education, rescue capability, etc. Annually, additional funds from the equalization fund of the state budget are allocated to the local governments of small islands with permanent populations, as well as to local governments the territories of which include small islands.
In addition, support measures have been implemented by the state to support and protect the unique cultures cultivated on the islands, for example, the Kihnu cultural space is permanently supported. This also includes the cultural space of the islands more broadly (including the traditions of the Estonian Swedes).
Weekly radio programmes in the Kihnu, Sõrve, Muhu and Hiiu dialects are also broadcast by Estonian National Broadcasting (Vikerraadio).
Of course, the local life on all the islands cannot be organised at the national level. Life on the islands can best be organized by the local gorvernments in cooparation with the communities living on each island. The state can only play a supportive role. If the local governments and local communities actively cooperate, this cooperation will produce the best results for life on the islands. Therefore, during your stay on Kihnu Island during these days, I encourage you to exchange ideas and good practices on how to strengthen the cooperation between local communities and local governments, in order to improve island life.
I hope you will also find time to get acquainted with Kihnu Island, the pearl of the Gulf of Riga, and its unique indigenous culture, which is included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
I wish you all have a meaningful conference!
_________________________________________________________________________
Futher information: ESIN conference
