Opening seminar for the project Changing Cities: Builders of Intercultural Cities in Espoo October 12th

The Finnish cities are rapidly changing. There are many of us striving for happier intercultural cities in Finland and we believe in cooperation. NGOs, academics and municipalities work hard for the cities facing constant changes but is there enough interaction between these fields? The changing context means we need collective innovations and fresh perspectives. Let’s come together and build stronger bridges among us!

Come and share your best practises!

• What are the hottest issues and concerns in increasingly intercultural cities? What are the best practices for creating equal opportunities for everyone living in the city?  What should be done otherwise? What has been ignored?
• There is more experience in Sweden from living with immigrants. are the Swedes more competent with these issues? What can we learn from them?
• What about those academics in ivory towers, do they have any idea on what is going on? Do they speak the same language as the NGO wizards? How does the information flow, or does it flow at all?
The programme will comprise presentations and discussion by experts from Finland and Sweden from a wide range of sectors.

Speakers

• Opening words by Gunvor Kronman, CEO, Hanasaari - the Swedish-Finnish cultural centre,
• Anu Leinonen, Executive, Anna Lindh Network/The Foundation of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME)
• Pasi Laukka, Community Engagement and Immigration Manager, City of Oulu
• Veronika Honkasalo, Member of the City Council of Helsinki and researcher, The Finnish Youth Research Society
• Pasi Saukkonen, Director, Foundation for Cultural Policy Research (CUPORE)
• Susanna Udvardi, Founder af Act For Integration, member Anna Lind Network /Sweden

The seminar is moderated by Patrick Gruczkun, the Head of the Anna Lindh Network in Sweden

Language

The seminar will be held in English.

Programme

The detailed programme will be uploaded in the Hanasaari programme calendar during September: http://www.hanaholmen.fi/en/calendar/society-and-business/item/60-changing-cities-avajaisseminaari

This seminar is a launch event for a series of workshops in Finnish cities. The workshops will address global issues in the local context of Finnish cities and bring together actors from different fields under different topics ranging from segregation and immigrant women to the relations between NGOs and municipality officials.

The project involves The Anna Lindh Finnish National Network and the national members of this network: African Care, Ajatushautomo e2 ThinkTank, Hanasaari - ruotsalais-suomalainen kulttuurikeskus, Helsingin yliopiston uskontotieteen ainejärjestö Mythos ry, Joensuun seudun monikulttuurisuusyhdistys ry(JoMoni), Kehitysyhteistyöjärjestöjen EU-yhdistys Kehys ry, Kulttuuri ja uskontofoorumi FOKUS ry, Suomen Lähi-idän instituutti FIME, Lähi-idän opiskelijat ry, Marokon Ystävät Suomessa MYS ry , Middle Eastern Film and Art Festival MEFA, Monikulttuurijärjestöjen yhteistyöverkosto Moniheli ry, Plan Suomi Säätiö, Vantaan Nicehearts ry.

The event is free of charge, but please enrol by no later than October 5th 2015: https://www.lyyti.fi/group/Changing_cities_opening_seminar_4058

Organizers: Anna Lindh Finnish National Network and Hanasaari - the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre
Enquiries:
Margareta Tahvanainen, project coordinator, Forum for Culture and Religion FOKUS, margareta.tahvanainen(at)gmail.com, 0443617065
Suvi Laakso, coordinator, Anna Lindh Foundation Finland, 040 7756 877, suvi.laakso(at)fime.fi,
Jonna Similä programme coordinator, 0406495454, Hanasaari - the Swedish-Finnish cultural centre, jonna.simila(at)hanaholmen.fi.