The IIAS National Event at Esplanade Park

Before the official opening of the IIAS2009 conference, a national event was organised at the Esplanade Park on yesterday afternoon. The aim of this free event was to provide citizens, tourists and passers-by a glimpse of what the IIAS2009 conference is all about.

The event was organized in a form of a story, “Building Public Trust”, consisting of two-minute speeches. Representatives of different parts of the society participated in the story by reflecting their particular roles in nation building and in relation to Finnish public administration.

The speeches addressed the topic from various viewpoints. General Manager for Pharma Industry Finland, former Minister of Public Administration Ms Suvi-Anne Siimes represented the corporate side and encouraged the public administration to become even more transparent. Vice president for the Finnish Red Cross, Eero Rämö argued that in order to build public trust, young people should be seen as actors, not as passive audiences. Professor Turo Virtanen from the University of Helsinki compared the recently discussed reform of university legislation to a car, which can have multiple drivers - who should though draw their maps and driving routes together.

Several speeches touched on the topic of immigration and multiculturalism. Author and journalist Umayya Abu-Hanna had a clear wish for the Finnish administration: more action, less talk about tolerating diversity. Researcher for the Finnish Directorate of Immigration, Mr Antero Leitzinger pointed out the long history of immigration to Finland. Many of the brands we have today – such as Fazer, Stockmann or Paulig - are based on lifelong work conducted by immigrants. Ms Fatbardhe Hetemaj who was chosen as the Female Refugee of the Year 2009 in Finland claimed that it is not culture but misunderstanding and distrust that separate us from each other. She believes in multiculturalism and sees immigration as a way of creating new life. Ms Hetemaj also feels that the Finnish society is not intolerant but inviting to many.

Hostess for the event was journalist Maarit Tastula, and the innovative artist Zarkus Poussa was in charge of the music. Even though the weather showed the best and the worst of Finnish summer, the event gathered together a diverse audience.

If you missed this event, I might still have some good news for you: Who knows if we will see some video clips of the speeches in this blog later on...

Marja