Hanna Vahi
It’s not every day you see a long chain of people holding hands, especially one spanning 675.5km, but on the 23rd of August 1989 that’s exactly what happened. Approximately two million people from the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined hands, forming a human chain from Tallinn through Riga all the way to Vilnius. When you consider the fact that the island of Ireland is only 486km in length, this feat becomes even more astonishing in comparison.
It was called The Baltic Way and was organised by the independence movements of the three Baltic states. It acted as a peaceful protest against the Soviet occupation, which had been established in 1940, and was an important step that led to independence in 1990. These countries showed strength in a way that was more than mere military power. It was an event in which three very different people came together through shared plight and a common goal.
The Baltic Way stands as an example of how powerful we become when we are unified, as young people, as a country, and as citizens of Europe. We all come from different backgrounds, but we often share common goals. In order to have our voices heard, we do not have to resort to forceful means. By combining our thoughts and our people, we have more power and influence than we do when we stand alone. This is something that makes the European Union and events like EYP so important. It is a chance to make a change in the world that benefits not only you but everyone else too. And sure, a weekend in Galway discussing cryptocurrencies and arctic relations may not change the world as a whole, but it’s a small piece of a bigger picture, just like the Baltic Way was.