The closing summary of our diversity exhibition is written by the centre’s volunteer Astrid Elken. Her goal is to learn about diversity to understand the world better and to share this knowledge with others. Astrid is currently studying to become a nurse, as the principles and values of this field are tightly linked to human rights.

On May 26th a discussion about the generational diversity took place in Three Trees Gallery of Telliskivi Creative City. Hanna Lodin and Alma Bergqvist from the Embassy of Sweden were sharing their experiences and talked about the diverse Swedish society that is moving towards unity. The conversations touched on different topics. How the values of the older generations are passed on to the younger ones, and how to adapt with new information.

During the conversation, we were able to compare the intergenerational problems that arise in Estonian and Swedish society. Although Sweden is one step ahead of us in terms of unity, common stereotypes and entrenched attitudes still exist. The problem that people were referring to most, was  between age and career. The ability of both young and old people to fulfill their job role is often underestimated. This attitude exacerbates inequalities and slows down the development of society towards unity.

We live in a seemingly free country, where everyone should have equal rights and opportunities, yet most of the  people do not feel safe to stand up for their rights, or do not see inequality at all, because inequality has become ‘normality’. 

We can often act or think discriminatively towards others without realizing it. However, living in ignorance puts ourselves and others at risk – for example, subconsciously making choices that don’t show our true potential, and that can hurt others.

The conversation evening brought up the responsibility of our generation to raise awareness, and to learn from the mistakes of the previous ones. It is important to start training our thoughts and be open to the world around us.