“Our NGO also supports the strengthening of Estonia’s defense capabilities, but this cannot be done without considering the people,” said MERLE HENDRIKSON, head of Soodla Kaitseks NGO.
In March, Merle Hendrikson, who lives in the village of Raudoja in the municipality of Anija, and Kairi Loit, the village head of Kursi from the municipality of Kuusalu, founded the non-profit organization Soodla Kaitseks, the main purpose of which is to stand up for the rights of people living, working and vacationing in the area of influence of the Soodla training ground.
Merle Hendrikson explained that the goal of the Soodla Kaitseks NGO is to protect the interests of locals as well as those who come from Tallinn and North Estonia to rest in the area, as well as the tourism companies operating in the area.
In addition to him and Kairi Loid, the board of the NGO includes Härmakosu village head Viktor Kropačjov, Vahur Värk from Aegviidu and Ivar Männik from Vikipalu from Anija municipality and Riina Orgla from Kuusalu municipality from Hirvli village. The extended management team, which meets every two weeks, has around 15 members.
The NGO, in cooperation with local governments, wants to reach cooperation with the decision-makers, i.e. the government of the Republic and the Ministry of Defense.
“We are allocating more and more sums for defense spending. We have to cooperate with the locals, at whose expense all this is being done – we have to have a discussion and the area here has to accept something, a few swings are not enough,” said Merle Hendrikson.
Read about the plans of the NGO and the comments of the mayor of Anija and Kuusalu in the April 12th Messenger.
