NordenBladet — We welcome you to follow an online discussion on universal access to the internet and Finland’s priorities as chair of the Freedom Online Coalition. The event will be webcast on the International Human Rights Day, Thursday 10 December, at 14.00–15.30. Finland will chair the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) in 2021.
The event will be opened by Permanent State Secretary Matti Anttonen. The event will be attended by Non-Discrimination Ombudsman Kristina Stenman, Ambassador for Human Rights and Democracy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Rauno Merisaari, Director of Advocacy at Fingo Annika Launiala, and Business and Human Rights Expert Laura Okkonen, who represents the FOC expert network. The event will be moderated by Juuso Moisander from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The language of the event will be Finnish.
The event will be organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs together with the Finnish Internet Forum (FIF) and it can be followed at FIF website (the link cannot be accessed until on the date of the event)
NordenBladet — On 4 December, the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania held a video conference where regional and global challenges were discussed.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Enn Eesmaa said that it was welcome that the members of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the three Baltic states continued the tradition that started already in 1997, and he was happy that now it had been possible to hold the next meeting so soon after the parliamentary elections in Lithuania.
In Eesmaa’s opinion, we need to hold discussions with our partners often, because the unity of the region is important, and in order to achieve that, it is necessary to know the positions of the partners. “Through direct contacts, it is possible to get answers to your questions quickly, to present your opinions and to bring ideas that can be developed together on the table,” Eesmaa said.
Eesmaa was happy that all three Baltic states also stood out on the global level, contributing to shaping of opinions in the UN Security Council, where Lithuania has been the non-permanent member, Estonia is the non-permanent member at present and Latvia will put up its candidacy soon.
Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson underlined that the parliamentary cooperation of the Baltic region was very important, and it was necessary to continue and boost it at the level of the Foreign Affairs Committees. He thinks that first of all, the Foreign Affairs Committees have to establish fast and substantial contacts with the new administration of the United States to strengthen the transatlantic relations.
In their introductory speeches, the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees gave an overview of the political developments in their countries and organisation of work during the COVID pandemic. Of regional issues, the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant, which was opened near the Lithuanian border in Belarus, and the energy and security situation relating to it were spoken about. The situation in Belarus, Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh, and supporting and extending of the sanctions against Russia were also discussed. Franak Viačorka, representative of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of Belarusian opposition, given the floor to speak as the guest of Lithuania’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations Sven Jürgenson gave an overview of the topics currently under discussion in the UN Security Council.
The members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Raimond Kaljulaid, Indrek Saar and Raivo Tamm were also present at the meeting. It was decided that Lithuania would organise the next meeting.
NordenBladet — The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing changes to this year’s Independence Day celebrations, both in Finland and at Finnish diplomatic missions abroad. This year, many traditional Independence Day receptions around the world will be held virtually. These virtual receptions also serve as a kind of country branding pilot project.Zoan, a cooperation partner of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, has created a virtual environment for the events. The virtual event platform will be further developed and used for virtual country branding events in future as well.“We are now testing both the platform and the new way to celebrate. Finland wants to stand out as an adventurous and adaptive frontrunner in the field of digitalisation,” says Content and Communications Specialist Hanna Öunap from the Foreign Ministry’s Communications Department.More than 40 missions to take partAbout half of the Finnish diplomatic missions abroad will take part in the pilot. An Independence Day event has been created for each mission in Zoan’s virtual environment. The environment is a virtual model of the Lonna Island with the skyline of Helsinki in the background. In this 360-degree world, guests can move as they like and watch videos placed all around the landscape, such as a greeting from the Head of Mission, musical performances and lighthearted presentations of Finnish everyday life and nature. Guests can talk to each other via chat and leave messages in an electronic guest book.The first events were already held a few days before the actual Independence Day on 6 December, and the last ones will be held on Monday 7 December.Here are some examples of videos that will be shown at the virtual Independence Day receptions:‘This is Finland!’ performed by the male choir Huutajat is a performance about the core values of Finland. Huutajat means ‘The Shouters’, and that is exactly what they do. The choir does not sing a single note.Maija Kauhanen is an award-winning multitalented instrumentalist, singer, composer and lyricist. She has made a truly exceptional arrangement of the Finlandia hymn by Jean Sibelius. This is the first arrangement of the piece made exclusively for this type of kantele. The video for the Finlandia hymn was shot in the Sibelius Park in Helsinki, with the Sibelius monument displayed in the background.‘Nature’s Voice’ portrays our strong relationship to nature. It features pictures taken by nature photographer Ossi Saarinen, combined with Finnish nature sounds created by Samy Kramer and Finnish pre-primary pupils’ adorable thoughts on the scenes shown in the photographs. We wish you all a Happy Independence Day!
NordenBladet — International training and exercises have become increasingly important in the development of the skills and competences required in the tasks of the Finnish Defence Forces. Closer defence cooperation has also influenced the goals and scenarios of international training and exercises, as well as the scope of the exercises.The participation of the Finnish Defence Forces in international training and exercises in 2021 reflects, for its part, intensified defence cooperation and continues the long-term participation in international training and exercise cooperation. The evolving cooperation with Sweden, the United States and NATO will naturally influence the content of participation in international training and exercises. The Finnish Defence Forces focus on demanding international exercises and exercises in which the provision and reception of military assistance are practised.Next year, the most important exercises will be part of Nordic cooperation and bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Sweden and the United States. Training and exercises related to them will be organised during the spring and early summer in Sweden, Norway and Finland.The plan for 2021 includes 60 training and exercise events (71 in 2020) for 2021, with a cost of approximately EUR 4.0 million (EUR 7.9 million in 2020). More information on Finland’s participation in international training cooperation and examples of international exercises in 2021 on the Ministry of Defence website.
NordenBladet —Today, Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas and Irene Käosaar, Director of the Integration Foundation, announced the list of most outstanding promoters of integration for the year. Recognition and a financial prize were awarded to the non-profit Estonian Union of National Minorities, Estonian Refugee Council and Changemakers, as well as Arkadi Popov, the Director of the Emergency Medicine Centre of the North Estonia Medical Centre.
‘The Republic of Estonia is one of the safest places in this stormy ocean of the world and most of the people living here understand that well and love this country,’ said the Culture Minister Tõnis Lukas. ‘Many people from different nationalities live here, who eagerly build the Estonian society and show by example how to become an Estonian patriot while preserving their own national identity. For that they deserve special gratitude and recognition,’ he added.
The prizes in the field of integration are awarded to individuals and organizations that, during the last year, have helped to introduce the cultures represented in Estonia, to establish contacts and develop co-operation between people with different mother tongues and to find a common language among these communities. Prizes were awarded in four categories, and the greatest contributor in each category received a prize of €1,000.
In the category of Culture Introducer of the Year, the prize went to the non-profit Estonian Union of National Minorities for organising the tenth Etno Fair and the XXXII Estonian Nationalities Forum. At the Etno Fair, everyone could get acquainted with the handicrafts and cuisine of various nationalities and enjoy their music. About 20,000 people visited the fair. The Estonian Union of National Minorities has made a long-term contribution to the introduction of many different cultures and finding common ground between various communities.
The award in the Bridgebuilder of the Year category was won by the Estonian Refugee Council, which organised a series of events called Let’s Get Acquainted! in various parts of Estonia. The aim was to introduce the coping efforts and activities of the new immigrants in Estonia, to develop cooperation between various communities and increase tolerance of different cultures. In each county, thanks to the undertaking, it was possible to get better acquainted with Estonia’s multiculturalism better and find new acquaintances among different nationalities.
Arkadi Popov, the Director of the Emergency Medicine Centre of the North Estonia Medical Centre, and former head of the Emergency Medicine at the Health Board won the integration prize in the Messenger of the Year category. At a critical time, Popov was able to be a reliable spokesperson for people speaking different languages by uniting communities, as well as creating insight and common understanding of how everyone can contribute to halting the spread of the coronavirus.
For the first time this year, the award was presented in the Spark Organisation category. It was won by the non-profit Changemakers that organised a youth development program called Changemakers Academy. The undertaking brought together 120 young people who speak Estonian or Russian as their mother tongues, organised them into teams and had them work on resolving communications, marketing or sales issues. In addition, more than 3,300 young people gained new knowledge about social entrepreneurship thanks to the project’s recruitment campaign.
A total of 28 applications were received for the 2019–2020 Integration Project Competition. The Integration Foundation has been awarding prizes for development projects in the field of integration since 1999 and for media projects since 2009. The Ministry of Culture finances the competition fund for integration prizes.
NordenBladet —At an e-sitting, the government approved an order on restrictions on indoor hobby education, hobby activities, and amateur sport in Ida-Viru County. The new requirements will enter into force on Saturday, 5 December. The restrictions are necessary as the spread of the coronavirus is the widest in Ida-Viru County compared to other counties.
The restrictions apply to indoor hobby activities and hobby education, sports and training, and sports and exercise events.
In all these areas, only individual studies and activities, including individual activities with a supervisor, are allowed as of Saturday. Masks must be worn unless this is not possible for health or other important reasons. Children under the age of 12 are also not required to wear a mask.
Studies and activities must follow the usual rules for preventing the spread of the virus, such as the availability of disinfectants, the cleaning of common areas, the ventilation of rooms, and other instructions issued by the Health Board. The 2 + 2 rule must also be followed, except in the case of families or where it is not reasonably possible to do so.
The individual restriction does not apply to members of the same family and the activities of people with special needs.
Additionally, the established restrictions do not apply to professional and semi-professional sports taking place in the competitive system of sports governing bodies, including in the case of youth sports to those athletes and teams participating in the Estonian championships organised by sports governing bodies.
The restrictions are not extended to physical education lessons in primary, basic education, and upper secondary schools and to activities related to the country’s military defence and internal security, such as sports activities for conscripts on the territory of the Defence Forces.
The Government Communication Unit will publish the order and the explanatory memorandum on the website kriis.ee.
As at 3 December, the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID-19 disease, is most extensive in Estonia in Ida-Viru County. The infection rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days is 834 in Ida-Viru County, which is more than twice as high as that of Harju County, which has the next highest prevalence of infection (400). As at yesterday, a total of 1,166 COVID-19 cases have been registered in the Eastern Region Department of the Health Board in the last 14 days. As at 3 December, there are 68 COVID-19 patients in treatment at Ida-Viru Central Hospital, compared to 43 patients at West Tallinn Central Hospital and 31 patients at Tartu University Hospital.
As at 30 November, bed occupancy was critically high in three hospitals – Ida-Viru Central Hospital, West Tallinn Central Hospital, and Narva Hospital. As at 1 December, the occupancy rate of general hospital rooms for COVID-19 patients in Ida-Viru Central Hospital is 91 per cent and scheduled surgical treatment has been limited to 70 per cent. The occupancy rate of general hospital rooms for COVID-19 patients at Narva Hospital is 62 per cent. Scheduled treatment is closed, except for outpatient reception. The number of patients over the age of 60 is also constantly growing. The average age of hospitalised people is 68.5 years, and the share of people aged 60 and older in hospitals is 73.3 per cent. In Ida-Viru County, there has also been an increase in the number of people infected from the nursing home foci.
The continuity of the region’s health care system is also threatened by the fact that in Narva Hospital, nearly 100 employees have been issued a certificate of incapacity for work, 39 of whom have been diagnosed with COVID-19. In addition, the average length of hospital stay has increased due to patients with more serious conditions.
NordenBladet —Today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas cancelled his visit to Ida-Viru County because he was informed that on Wednesday, he had had a work-related meeting with a person who learned today that they have tested positive for COVID-19.
After this, the Prime Minister communicated with the Health Board, which confirmed that he has been in close contact with an infected person. The Prime Minister will follow all the guidelines provided by the Health Board.
“I am immediately cancelling my visit to Ida-Viru County and am heading to get tested, to make sure that my meetings today were not infectious for other people. After that, I will remain in self-isolation and will adhere to all further guidelines from the Health Board. Naturally, I wore a mask today throughout the visit, and kept a distance,” said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas.
NordenBladet — The year 2020 has been like no other year in recent memory. Anytime humanity faces difficult challenges, children have even more questions and concerns than usual about what is happening in the world. The coronavirus has affected the lives of just about everyone on the planet, regardless of age.Santa Claus ensures that his reindeer are well prepared before their journey from northern Finland to all corners of the globe. Photo: Juho Kuva/Visit FinlandSanta Claus (who, as everybody knows, lives in the far north of Finland, in Finnish Lapland) would like to reassure children everywhere that he and his elves and reindeer will indeed be making their usual rounds to deliver presents at Christmastime.With a bag of presents over one shoulder, Santa Claus is preparing for the busiest day of the year. Photo: Juho Kuva/Visit FinlandTo this end, through contacts at Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Mr Claus has reached out via diplomatic channels to every country around the globe. They have, without exception, reassured him that Covid-19-related travel restrictions do not apply to flying reindeer, if those reindeer are pulling a sleigh full of presents. Additionally, the driver of such a sleigh automatically receives a temporary exemption from such restrictions in order to carry out delivery of such gifts.While Santa and Mrs Claus, their reindeer, and the elves who run Santa’s post office in northern Finland are not susceptible to ailments (and they don’t get irritable or need to go to bed early, either), they carefully observe all recommended coronavirus safety guidelines just in case – and in order to set a good example for children and adults.Mr Claus told the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, “This year, above all, I want people to experience Christmas as a relaxing time, and as a happy moment that also revitalises us. Nothing can stop us from enjoying the finest time of the year. However, this time we should celebrate Christmas in a safe and proper way by carefully following instructions we are given.”In a published video call with Ruth Parkin, Ireland’s ambassador to Finland, Mr Claus also brought up climate change, while praising children and the letters they send him: “They have wonderful ideas, and we need them now, because we have to help the environment and do something about climate change, as you know. We need some snow also in the future.”Finland is known for its “snow-how,” its expertise in keeping society rolling along even when blanketed in snow that would bring some countries to a standstill. Airports and services remain open despite the storm. Santa Claus, of course, makes his deliveries no matter what the weather. He won’t be grounded if there’s a little snow – or a lot, or none at all. And one good thing about flying way up near the Northern Lights is that local weather variations don’t cause you any trouble.More about Santa Claus
NordenBladet — The EU Foreign Affairs Council will meet in Brussels on Monday 7 December. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. The main themes of the meeting will be transatlantic relations and the EU’s strategic autonomy.“The EU welcomes the new US Administration and its commitment to common values and a rules-based international system. Commitment to this system is also a prerequisite for stronger autonomy of the EU,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Haavisto says.At the meeting, the foreign ministers will discuss the EU’s common messages to the new US Administration and the possibilities to strengthen the transatlantic relationship. “It is important to Finland that the United States’ commitment to European security continues. The EU and the US must strengthen the rules-based international system together and cooperate more closely on global issues,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Haavisto.The foreign ministers will also discuss the development of the strategic autonomy of EU foreign policy. This is the first time the foreign ministers will have a proper discussion on the issue. In Finland’s view, the EU’s strategic autonomy must mean more responsibility and determined promotion of the EU’s values and interests in external relations – not isolation or withdrawal from partnerships.The meeting will also shortly discuss other topical issues, including the situation in Georgia, Venezuela, Hong Kong and Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean.
NordenBladet — The 100th anniversary of Finland’s independence supported citizens’ participation and increased the activeness of businesses in society. This is revealed in a new study carried out by the Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore, Owal Group and Demos Helsinki. On the other hand, the celebration’s success in its achieving its main objective, increasing people’s sense of belonging, was more short-term.The Finland 100 Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office succeeded in creating an operating model for the anniversary year and in providing citizens with different opportunities to participate in the national celebration and to experience inclusion. The study explored the opportunities for participation created by the activities of various cooperation networks throughout the centenary year and examined how citizens and communities participated in the centenary year and what impact the centenary year has had on participation.According to the study, Finland’s centenary year created various “platforms”, i.e. means, events and venues, for participation. The theme of the centenary year was implemented through projects, events and campaigns carried out by various civil society operators and through business cooperation aiming for a new kind of social impact. In addition to offering various centenary-themed products, businesses carried out projects that highlighted volunteering and involved both customers and employees. Individual citizens participated in the centenary year as audience members, as consumers of anniversary products and programming, and by organising programming for the centenary celebration themselves.According to the study, the centenary year succeeded in supporting citizens’ activeness and participation throughout Finland. Women were particularly active as participants in and producers of events. Although only minimal concrete changes could be identified in the ways of celebrating Finland’s independence, people recognised the importance of participating in the centenary year. The centenary year also had at least a momentary positive impact on participation in society, as it helped to create experiences of participation during the year and activated citizens to participate in the celebration in a variety of ways. In addition, the centenary year appears to have had a longer-term impact on certain forms of voluntary work, as it increased the social activation of businesses in particular.According to the report, Finland’s centenary year created a new sense of inclusion and cohesion, at least for the duration of the year. Most of the people who took part in the projects and events of the centenary celebration year were already active in their communities. The main objective of Finland’s centenary year – an increased sense of belonging – was achieved during the year, but its impact tended to be more short-term in nature.This publication is the second in a series of reports looking into the impacts of Finland’s centenary celebration year. The first report, which dealt with cooperation and organisation, was published in September 2020. A third report focusing on image and identity impacts will be published in summer 2021, along with the conclusions of the study.
