Ambassadors

The Ambassadors of the Year are high-profile figures who are committed to, and share, the aims of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID) 2008. The Ambassadors lend their support to making the Year a success. A complete list of ambassadors from all member states can be viewed here.

Estonian ambassadors of the Year are:

  Iivi Anna Masso
Political scientist Iivi Anna Masso is an Estonia-born researcher and freelance columnist currently residing in Helsinki, Finland. Iivi’s research interests include political theory and ideologies, especially totalitarianism, liberalism and multiculturalism and she has also taught political philosophy, theories on gender equality and human rights in University of Helsinki.

As a visiting scholar, Masso has conducted research also in Budapest and New York. She has published academic articles and essays mainly in Estonia and Finland, is a regular columnist for the Estonian Daily Eesti Päevaleht and the web-based magazine Uusi Suomi and works as an independent political analyst.

Iivi Anna Masso has said: “A vast amount of different cultures and nationalities live together harmoniously in New York, but they all abide by the same laws and are united by English as a common language. Multiculturalism in Europe has emphasized the differences among separate ethnic groups and has accepted it as a norm that minorities coming from diverse cultural backgrounds do not live by the laws of their new homeland. Most likely the American policy of “different, but equal” that requires foreigners to adapt and take responsibility but at the same time treats them as equals among equals, something that the academic circles have so frowned upon, is the best solution both from the side of the nation state and also the minorities." 

  David Vseviov
Cultural historian David Vseviov has in addition to his research actively sought to bring his field of study closer to the general public. May it be through radio broadcasts, lectures at universities, by participating in public debates or writing books and newspaper columns. The University of Tartu alumnus and current professor of Estonian Art Academy seems particularly captivated by Russian history. In addition he has published books on Byzantine emperors and national minorities in Estonia.

David Vseviov has said:” When I step in front of the auditorium in the morning, where I share the space with many pleasant intelligent people, it is unlikely that we have all watched the same movie the previous evening. Common cultural-emotional spaces are no longer created. Freedom of choice has great value, but at the same time we do not connect with each other as well as we used to. There are tens of opinion and interest groups, whose worlds stand apart from one another and whose leaders are not the same. Never before has it been possible to have this wide a range of opportunities at the same time at the same space as it is now.”

How to solve intercultural problems? David Vseviov thinks:”We should stop thinking in categories “us and them” and instead opt for “me and you”.