The Baltic Way that Moved the World
Today on September 21st, International Peace Day, you can light up a candle at noon or sit in a silent meditation. You can involve your co-workers, organization or community in public concerts and forums to discuss the necessity of peace and solidarity initiatives. But you can also recall large scale peaceful events – they make you aware that even being a small link in a world chain where you can greatly change the world’s order.
One of the best examples of demonstrating the power of human solidarity and the culture of peace occurred twenty two years ago, on August 23, 1989, when more than two million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands to form a massive human chain. The “Baltic Way” spanned 430 miles through the capitals of all three Baltic States and was organized by the popular fronts.
The event took place on the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop-Pact (in this deal Soviet Union and Nazi Germany secretly divided areas of interest in Eastern Europe and Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia fell under control of the Soviet Union). Therefore, according to Baltic News Service, the idea of the “Baltic Way” was to “draw the world’s attention to the common fate that the three countries had suffered”. The participants demanded that the Soviet Union and the Western world should recognize the pacts signed by Ribbentrop and Molotov in 1939 and as follows publicly denounce the fact of the Baltic occupation.
The Baltic Way encouraged democratic movements throughout the Soviet Union and with it, international society payed attention to the Baltic region in a great extent. Within a year and a half, all three Baltic countries formally declared their independence. By September 1991, the world’s governments recognized their independence.
Historians and other experts claim that the Baltic Way “created a precedent that was and hopefully will be, followed by a number of countries all over the world – the triumph of humanity over totalitarianism in a peaceful way”.
Sandra Kalniete, current member of the European Parliament and a deputy Chairwoman of the Latvian Popular Front in 90s, says: “The Baltic Way was a powerful demonstration of solidarity among European nations, a quality that is very much needed in these times of uncertainty and economic downturn. I hope that the lessons of 1989 will inspire Europeans to meet the challenges of this century”.
Post written by Anna Zemblicka/ Changemakers
Pictures taken from (1) findingdulcinea.com and (2) lituanus.org/2009/09_2Kelias.jpg
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