Don't talk to strangers

Postimees has reported on the results of a recent Eurobarometer study which reveal that Estonians are the most parcohial in the European Union when it comes to mixing with people of other nationalities or religions.

Those surveyed were asked whether they had had any contact in the preceding seven days with anyone of a different nationality or religion, from another EU member state or from a country outside of the EU. Out of the 27 countries covered by the study, Estonia scored lowest, with just 43% saying they had.

On the plus side, and bolstering its reputation as 'E-stonia', the country topped the list of the EU 27 for contact made with foreigners via the Internet. Of course, this could also be seen as a bit of an indictment in the sense of Estonians requiring the "look but don't touch" safety of a computer screen for them to make contact in the first place.

Coming full circle, Estonia again came bottom of the pile in another aspect of the survey: designed to gauge how clued-up Europe's citizens are ahead of 2008, the EU's Year of Intercultural Dialogue, it showed that Estonians were one of only two groups in the union to the majority of whom the term 'intercultural dialogue' meant nothing at all.

Perhaps the extra attention that is paid to such issues as migration, minorities and multilingualism in the new year will see them fare a little better in time for Tallinn's adoption of the European Capital of Culture title in 2011.

http://www.postimees.ee/041207/lisad/euro/299510.php?eesti-inimesed-on-elis-teiste-rahvuste-suhtes-koige-pelglikumad