ESTONIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL COUNCIL, INC. 2006 ACTION PLAN A. Work in the United States 1. Cooperation with Other Organizations Participate as a member of the Worldwide Estonian Council, Inc. Participate in the activities of the Joint Baltic American Committee (JBANC) and the Central and East European Coalition. 2. Support and Promote Estonian American Youth Activities Provide budgeted and special request grants to Estonian youth organizations in the United States. Distribute information about Estonian language summer courses and student travel opportunities provided by the University of Tartu and other universities and organizations. Continue the youth activities recognition program. Introduce the EANC’s activities to young people. 3. Support for Estonian schools As needed, continue supporting Estonian schools and students. 4. Support and promote Estonian Culture Observe the 88th anniversary of Estonian independence and other national holidays.  Send suitable proclamations to Estonian organizations in the United States. Within means, support Estonian cultural events in the United States. Support completion of the film, The Singing Revolution. Work to prepare a print-ready version of the Estonians in America, 1949-2000 history book for distribution, and continue work on assembling materials for completing a history of Estonians from earlier migrations to the United States. 5. Estonian Retirement Home Send out a questionnaire with the EANC fund-raising letter to gauge interest in an Estonian retirement home. B. Support for Building up the Republic of Estonia Coordinate EANC activities for assisting Estonia with the Estonian Embassy and the Consulate General of the Republic of  Estonia in the United States, share information, and advise these offices as well as other Estonian government agencies and the Estonian Parliament of the perspectives and positions of Estonian Americans. Increase EANC scholarship funds at the University of Tartu, the Tallinn Technical University, and Tallinn University and coordinate their use.  Establish a similar scholarship fund at the Tartu Aviation College. Provide monetary support for free copies of the Vaba Eesti Sõna (Free Estonian Word) newspaper to the Estonian government, Parliament, embassies, consulates, libraries, etc. Within means, support specific programs in Estonia. C. Information Sharing 1. Estonians in the United States and EANC regions Continue expanding the EANC network and cooperation with U.S. Estonian organizations, congregations and individuals by sending them current information and by representing the EANC at events, within means. Continue issuing EANC news in the Vaba Eesti Sõna newspaper in the Estonian and English languages. Distribute thank-you letters to Estonians, individuals, and communities that have helped to promote the EANC and overall Estonian activities in the United States. Continue updating the EANC web site. Continue assembling the history of the EANC (1952-2002). Maintain contacts and, as possible, work cooperatively with other ethnic groups that have similar interests. 2. Relationships in the United States Government Maintain ties with the White House, United States government, Congress, and other offices stressing: that the United States stand firm against Russia’s continuing false political attacks against Estonia and the other Baltic nations; that the United States support reparations by the Soviet Union and Germany for damages done to the Estonian republic and its citizens during the occupation years of 1940-1991; support for a Congressional resolution that would afford visa-free travel from Estonia to the United States; and support for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s plans to build a monument in Washington, D.C., commemorating victims of Communism. 3. Print media, radio, and television As necessary, react to stories about Estonia that appear in the American media. Distribute information to Estonian media about the activities of the EANC and Estonian Americans. Distribute articles about Estonia to the U.S. media 4. Contacts with the Estonian President, Parliament, Government and other official offices Send out Estonian voter registration procedures to Estonians in the United States and encourage American Estonians to participate in the political process. D. EANC Administration 1. Representative assembly and executive board Distribute to representative assembly members the executive board meeting minutes and an updated EANC membership list with addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. Conduct elections for the XIX representative assembly. Hold executive board meetings as prescribed by the by-laws. 2. Funding and leading EANC activities Continue hiring contract employees. Maintain the computer, fax, and database networks. Maintain an updated database of U.S. Estonians and gather e-mail addresses, maintaining them in accordance with appropriate privacy requirements. Conduct fund-raising activities in the Estonian American community and as needed, conduct special activities to garner financial support for conducting special projects. Send out minutes of the Worldwide Estonian Council, Inc. and its budgets and activity schedules to those EANC members who wish to receive them. 3. Oversight of the EANC Heritage Fund Develop criteria for using the Heritage Fund’s capital and interest to accomplish planned activities.