Are we living in an era of extremes in which radicalism is in fashion?
Chancellor of Justice
Ülle Madise has graduated from the University of Tartu Faculty of Law Bachelor`s and Master`s studies cum laude and has a PhD in Public Administration from Tallinn University of Technology. Before taking up the office of the Chancellor of Justice, she has been a professor at several universities (Tartu University, Tallinn University of Technology) and worked as a Legal Advisor to the President of the Republic of Estonia. In 2019, Ülle Madise spearheaded the establishment of the national Human Rights Council aimed at advising the Chancellor of Justice in issues related to human rights. Ülle Madise is also a member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).
President
Toomas Hendrik Ilves was born into a family of boat refugees in Sweden. He has lived and worked in five countries. Educated at one of the best universities in the USA, Columbia University, he later worked as a journalist and politician. In 1993-1996, Ilves served as the Estonian Ambassador in Washington, and as the Minister for Foreign Affairs during 1996-1998 and 1999-2002. Between 2004 and 2006, he was a Member of the European Parliament. Ilves was the President of the Republic of Estonia in 2006-2016. From 2019, Ilves is a Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Technology and Global Affairs at Oxford University. He is also on the Board of the Free Russia Foundation and in 2020, Ilves joined the Centre for European Policy Analysis and became a member of the World Health Organisation`s Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development.
Civic activist and columnist
Jüristo graduated Finance and Credit at the University of Tartu Faculty of Economy in 1993 and has worked in banking. In November 2012, he was one of the originators of the civic initiative “Charter 12”. In 2020, he established the Foundation Liberal Citizen (SALK), which promotes a liberal ideology. From August 2016, Jüristo is the Chairman of the Board of the think tank Praxis.
The media – a reflector of extremes or a taker of positions?
Journalist, Secretary General of “Reporters without Borders”
Between 1998 and 2007, Deloire was an investigative journalist for the French magazine Le Point, and he has also worked for the television channels Arte and TF1, made documentaries and written books. In 2008-2012, he ran one of the leading journalism schools Centre de formation des journalistes de Paris. From 2012, Deloire has been the Secretary General of the organization “Reporters without Borders”. From 2019, Deloire is also the President of the Forum on Information and Democracy.
Journalist (GER)
She has studied Political Science, Slavic Studies, Media and Intercultural Communication in Hamburg, Paris, St. Petersburg and Sofia. In 1995, she became the Eastern European correspondent for the daily die tageszeitung, and from 2011, heads the editorial office for the foreign desk. In addition, she organises workshops for young journalists from former Soviet Union territories and is a frequent visitor in these regions herself – especially South Caucasus.
Multilateral Policy Director (UK)
James Kariuki was appointed Multilateral Policy Director at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in August 2018. He was Director of Diplomacy 20:20, the FCO’s change programme, from July 2016 to August 2018.
Previously James spent 4 years as Counsellor, British Embassy, Washington, where he led government work across the US on politics, communications, economics and global issues. Between April 2007 and July 2012 he held a number of Senior Civil Service roles in London: Head of Policy Planning and Europe Directorate (External), both FCO; and Deputy Director at the National Economic Council Secretariat (Cabinet Office) during the financial crisis. His previous overseas postings were to the UK Mission to the UN, the British Embassy in Caracas, and on secondment to the UN Weapons Inspection team in Baghdad.
Independent media analyst, expert of media and communication and a publicist
He has worked as a consultant, instructor and strategic advisor, as well as s a programme manager at a TV station. He has been a sports reporter, editor and a commentator for sports events. Rebane has published several books and articles. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Tartu.
Journalist (EST)
Indrek Treufeldt has worked as an editor for Estonian Radio, advisor for the World Bank Tallinn Office and editor-host of Estonian Television. In addition, he has served as the Press Advisor for the Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia and as a permanent correspondent of Estonian television in Brussels. Currently, Treufeldt is a TV journalism teacher at the Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School of Tallinn University and an editor and host for Estonian Public Broadcasting. Over the years, he has created more than a dozen documentaries for Estonian Television. In 2012, he defended a Doctor`s degree at University of Tartu on construction of journalistic facts in different societies.
Has the UN become a tool for states that violate human rights?
Minister of Foreign Affairs (EST)
In 1997, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu and then in 1998-2001, worked as the Director of the Office of the President of the Republic. In 2001-2002 , he was the Political Secretary of the party Res Publica, in 2002-2003, a lector at the Academy of Security Sciences. In 2003-2012 and 2014-2015, he was a Member of the Estonian Parliament Riigikogu. In 2012-2015, Reinsalu was also the Chairman of the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union. Reinsalu has served as the Minister of Defence 2012-2014, Minister of Justice 2015-2019 and Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2019.
Ambassador to the UN (GER)
He has worked in the German Foreign Service since 1982. In 1986-1989, he was the Second Secretary at the German Embassy in Morocco, then the Deputy Consul General in Leningrad/ St. Petersburg. In 1992, he took up the position of Counsellor of the Permanent German Mission to the European Union. In 1995-1998, he worked as the EU Affairs Desk Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the German Parliament and in 2002-2006, as the Head of the Political Section of the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations. In 2007-2009, as the Deputy Director General for the United Nation at the Federal Foreign Office and from 2009, headed the Department of the UN and Global Issues. During the years 2013-2016, Ungern-Sternberg was an Ambassador to Iran, 2016-2018 in Indonesia and East Timor. From 2018, he is the Ambassador of the Republic of Germany to the Office of the UN in Geneva.
Deputy Director General, (SWE)
Carl Skau is Deputy Director General and Head of Department for UN policy, Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Before taking on this position he was ambassador and special envoy to Venezuela. He served as ambassador and Deputy Representative to the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 and headed the Swedish campaign to Security Council in 2015-2016. Previous positions include Deputy Representative to the EU PSC in Brussels, Deputy Head of the EU Mission in Zimbabwe and Counsellor at the UN Mission in New York. Before joining the Swedish Foreign Service, he worked for the UN in Africa and Latin America.
Journalist (EST)
He has studied Sociology at Moscow University, Communication at New York University and International Relations at Columbia University. Neeme Raud started working in radio and television already as a teenager. In 1990, he moved to Canada, was the Deputy Editor at the Toronto newspaper Vaba Eestlane and aired the first weekly Estonian radio programme in Canada. In 1992-2004, he was a correspondent for Voice of America in Washington and New York. From 2004 until spring 2013, he worked as a correspondent for Estonian Public Broadcasting in the US, after which he moved back to Estonia. During the years 2011-2013, Raud hosted Estonian Public Broadcasting science series “At the top of the pyramid”. 2014-2015, he was a correspondent for Estonian Public Broadcasting in Moscow, and in 2016-2017, one of the anchors of the Public Broadcasting evening news. Since 2017, he works as a freelance journalist.