<html>
<body>
At 10:44 AM 5/3/04 +0100, Amara wrote:<br><br>
Latvians and Estonians had also made significant steps,<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>pushing the freedom envelope. I saw
Latvian and Estonian flags flown<br>
for the first time. I read literature that talked of the USSR as a<br>
country 'abroad'. Everyone was talking openly, nervously,
excitedly.<br>
They didn't know then, that their independence would be real one
month<br>
later, nor in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that
they<br>
would be part of Europe thirteen years later. It makes one a bit
dizzy<br>
to think about it.</blockquote><br>
Thanks Amara. Having now been to Estonia , I marvel at how quickly this
country has progressed. I fell in love with Estonia and the people
I worked with at the Estonian Art Academy. <br><br>
Although nicely situated near Helsinki where design reigns supreme,
Estonia has to work overtime to get new media recognized. With Ando
<font size=2>Kesk<a href="mailto:uni@uninet.ee">ü</a>la</font> at the
helm, I'm sure it won't take long!<br><br>
<br>
<dl>
<dd><font size=2>"Estonia, the social and cultural dimension of new
media, its potential of being an open channel mediating significant
political and cultural information, has unfortunately not yet found
recognition on governmental level. The situation is revealed by the lack
of State's interest in educating the professionals of New Media in
Estonian universities, it is revealed in government's media- and
finance-policy.<br><br>
<dd>"Despite of all that, Art Academy has become a good environment
for discussions over the impact of computer networks and new media
technologies on our current (recent) understanding of culture and social
order in whole society. Through international forum for discussions and
exchange of experience by the artists of different countries
French-Baltic-Nordic Video and New Media Festival hopefully contributes
to creating new and more democratic media environment."<br><br>
<dd>Professor Ando Kesk<a href="mailto:uni@uninet.ee">ü</a>la<br>
<dd>Rector of Estonian Academy of Arts<br><br>
<br><br>
</font>
</dl>Natasha<br><br><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<dl>
<dd><font face="Viner Hand ITC" size=4 color="#000080">Natasha
Vita-More</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF">
<dd><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/" eudora="autourl">http://www.natasha.cc</a><hr>
</font>
<dd><font face="Times New Roman, Times">President, Extropy
Institute
<a href="http://www.extropy.org/" eudora="autourl">http://www.extropy.org</a>
<dd>Founder, Transhumanist Arts & Culture
<a href="http://www.transhumanist.biz/" eudora="autourl">http://www.transhumanist.biz</a></font>
<dd><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><a href="http://www.transhuman.org/" eudora="autourl">http://www.transhuman.org</a>
</font>
</dl></body>
</html>