The employers’ business meeting had a clear message: A sense of security starts with us
The Estonian Employers “Confederation’s business meeting on 24 April focused on the question that both businesses and the state are currently facing: how to increase social confidence in an era where geopolitical tensions, information warfare and international economic instability are affecting people’s moods and companies” decisions?
Major General Andrus Merilo, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, communications expert Raul Rebane, Andre Lilleleht , CEO of the Estonian Security Companies Association and Helmuth Martin Reisner, Head of the Defence Capability Development Department of the Ministry of Defence spoke at the business meeting. The seminar was moderated by Hando Sutter, Chairman of the Board of the Confederation of Employers.
Major General Andrus Merilo gave an overview of military defence in Estonian security policy. He stressed that our goal is to make possible aggression unlikely, because Estonia is a country that can resist. The aim of military defence is to prevent military threats and, if necessary, to successfully defend the country and win the war. “We will resist in any case,” he said confidently, stressing the importance of practising and having a clear winning formula. “We will resist because we know what needs to be done and why it needs to be done!”
Raul Rebane focused on strategic communication and its role in shaping societal confidence. He called for looking beyond physical defences to psychological and cultural defences. “Our identity and sense of belonging based on shared values is what makes Estonians Estonians,” he said. Encouragement, success stories and praise are often lacking in Estonia. Therefore, he encouraged the creation of symbols and heroic stories based on values, which help to strengthen our sense of belonging and psychological defences. That is the feeling we must have in our lives!”
Major Andre Lilleleht, head of the Estonian Security Companies Association, a reserve officer and member of the Defence League, brought the role of employers into the discussion. He explained the role of companies in supporting the will to defend, from giving preference to recruiting young people who have completed their military service to supporting reservists. He also highlighted the importance of common values and a shared story to help answer the questions of what is my role in national defence, both as a private citizen and as an employer, and why and how can I contribute.
In the panel discussion, Helmuth Martin Reisner, Head of the Department for the Development of the Will to Defend at the Ministry of Defence, highlighted the three pillars of the will to defend: threat awareness, belief in capability and understanding one’s role. Our sense of security has grown over time and today we have a very good understanding of what we are defending and why. The belief that we can cope with a great threat and ideally make the threat unfeasible is an issue that needs to be addressed. In order to be more prepared for crisis situations, it is important to raise awareness and understanding of the role and the contribution that can be made.
The message from the business meeting was that confidence starts with us, and we can build it through cooperation and good examples, values and the courage to be proud of what we have achieved and created as a country and a society.
The business meeting took place in the framework of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation project “Employer’s contribution to strengthening national defence and supporting reservists”, supported by the Ministry of Defence.