Local to global comments in three languages. Much also from Pitäjänmäki Sockenbacka in Helsinki Helsingfors Finland, as well as from the organisations I participate in. The older content is from my previous blog page which I have now closed. Most of the contents on the earlier pages deals with sustainability, human rights and social responsibility in the global supply chains.
Fast, free and efficient. Today’s flu vaccination at a Helsinki municipality service center close to my home took less than two minutes. Walk in, show the government-issued health service card for identification, pull up the left shirt sleeve, a fast vaccination, and that’s it. Free for all those over 65 or under 7 years old, free for other vulnerable groups and people in some professions, and very low cost for others. Public sector in Finland at its best, again.
From left to right: Ulf Sundqvist, Anette Karlsson, Folke Sundman and Rebecka Åkers. I am behind the camera myself. In the background, the Congress of the Swedish social democrats in Finland.
A fast meeting over the lunch break in Porvoo – Borgå in Swedish – at the Congress of Finland’s Swedish-speaking Social Democrats on Sunday.
We met as the board of a small foundation which works to preserve and promote the rich cultural and political heritage of Swedish social democratic labour organisations in this bi-lingual country. We also want to support the human rights and democratic values which are now being increasingly threatened.
At the left is Ulf Sundqvist, our chair, who served as a cabinet minister during many years. Anette Karlsson who works with the social democratic group in Parliament sits next to him, then comes Folke Sundman who is chair of the main Swedish social democratic association in Helsinki and one of our leading sustainability experts, and at the right Rebecca Åkers, social science student and social democratic youth movement leader.
Both Anette and Rebecca were selected as candidates for next spring’s parliamentary elections. Regrettably not in my district, but I hope they will do well!
Not easy to say no, at times. Just back from a meeting with an association of veteran social democratic politicians, officials and activists as newly elected president of the largest local organisation ”Pääkaupungin Wanhat Toverit” – The Old Comrades of the Capital City.
The picture is not from today’s meeting here in Helsinki, however, but from our national conference last year in Tampere.
We get together once a month around a theme which today was the challenge of Europe’s extreme right. Many friends and colleagues from years far back were there. And yes, most looked ’like themselves’, even after my 26 years in Geneva.
This is a group of really experienced people with deeply imbedded values of human rights, democracy, equality and tolerance. Working together with these friends and colleagues is definitely a very special and pleasant but also inspiring challenge. Also happy for the confidence they showed me.
Viktig markering av socialdemokraternas ordförande. Det här har vi inte hört från toppledningen i något av de andra stora partierna.
Arbetarbladet citerade Antti Rinne så här:
”Som ordförande för Finlands största tvåspråkiga parti är det en hederssak för mig att främja det svenska språket, precis som andra partiordförande gjort före mig. Men inget parti kan ensam värna om svenskan och de språkliga rättigheterna, utan det behövs samarbete mellan partierna. Jag anser dessutom att det hör till allmänbildningen att lära sig båda nationalspråken. Och det är inte bara min privata åsikt, utan SDP:s partikongresser har fastställt att undervisningen i de båda nationalspråken är befogad och att partiet vill stärka kunnandet i nationalspråken, påpekade Rinne.”
I was at the local library today, meeting Stadiluotsi Silja Lindblad – ’Stadiluotsi’ meaning City Pilot. As president of the regional association in this part of town it was of course kind of an obligation, but as you can see from the selfies taken by Silja it turned out to a very enjoyable and relaxed chat, but with much substance as well.
These City Pilots are young women and men coming from outside the municipal services who are here to link people with the Helsinki City administration and services. This is a superb initiative which I could once again see and feel at our small but great Pitäjänmäki – Sockenbacka in Swedish – library today. Kind of our second living room it is.
By coincidence another good friend was there also, Pirjo Kivistö, chair of the influential Pitäjänmäen Työväenyhdistys, the local social democratic association in this very traditional part of town. And no this was not planned so could have been my green or conservative and any other friends as well. They all support our association, the political groups in this city.
Helsinki – or Helsingfors in Swedish – is a dynamic but also progressive city. An interesting new initiative is that anyone living here can make a suggestion about spending part of the city budget on anything that feels important. Over 4 million Euros are reserved for this annually. And even better, the winning proposals that will become reality are selected through a general vote where everyone who is at least 12 years old – yes 12 years – can take part.
Coffee break today in a very traditional café some 30 kms from central Helsinki – Helsingfors. Already as a child I sometimes went there with my parents. Usually this was during the winter when we were coming back from a day of cross country skiing in a nearby sports area. Those were times with much more snow than today…
The red house, Bemböle coffee cottage, is from 1734. Inside, the coffee was good and the large open fireplace created a light sensation of smoke throughout the room, but we did survive…
