Last week's government crisis and subsequent developments won't even surprise us anymore, it is just causing anguish now. In the newsletter, we share the Centre's opinion on the government's actions and the decision to have a plebiscite on the concept of marriage in the spring. But we also have great news to share about a court victory for the rights of a disabled young man, collecting donations, the results of the hackathon Code Against Hate and more.

Have a great time with the newsletter!
We hope the dark times ahead will come brighter than expected.  

The government’s decision to proceed with the marriage referendum probably saddens every Estonian who values human rights. Us too. The precondition for a democratic and human rights respecting society is that the rights of all, including minorities, are respected. In democracy this is based in part on statesmanship. Human rights for minorities should not be the generosity of the majority, but a social agreement, a fundamental value of a country. We sincerely hoped that we would have such an agreement in Estonia.

The proposed referendum does not provide a platform for meaningful discussion, but allows for the spread of hatred and misinformation against the LGBT + community. However, we know from history what national hostility policies can lead to. We know how easy it is to create an image of an enemy from a minority. The planned referendum does not create a bridge and a meaningful discussion between different people and worldviews, but takes Estonia further away from the ideals of human rights. And it’s very sad. Really.

But the dream of Estonia that respects all people remains, and we work for it at the Estonian Human Rights Centre every day. We hope to do this together with many good and caring Estonian people.

Read also:
The opinion of the member of the Centre's Supervisory Board, Paloma Krõõt Tupay – Legal expert: Proposed plebiscite questions not suitable and unclear