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10 artists, Orgs awarded Finland Prizes this year

10 artists, Orgs awarded Finland Prizes this year

The Ministry of Education and Culture on Tuesday awarded the Finland Prize to 10 artists and organisations this year for their contributions to respective fields, said the Ministry in a press release. The recipients are gallerist Ilona Anhava, Espoo Theatre, jazz musician, composer, educator, and producer Jussi Fredriksson, translator Katriina Huttunen, Ilmajoki Music Festival, author Tommi Kinnunen, Saimaan Teatteri, sculptor Noora Schroderus, dance artist and choreographer Pirjo Yli-Maunula and singer-songwriter Ville Valo. Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie presented the award to the winners. Established in 1993, the Finland Prize recognises a distinguished career in the arts, an exceptional artistic achievement or a promising breakthrough. Apart from Espoo Theatre, which was awarded the honorary diploma, each prize winner will receive EUR 12,660. “This years Finland Prize winners – the people who create and enable art and culture – all share something in common: long-term commitment, uncompromising dedication to their craft and a passion for strengthening communities. They bring art and culture closer to people. Some support fellow professionals, while others shine on the worlds biggest stages,” said Mari-Leena Talvitie.

Mother suspected of killing newborn in Lohja

Mother suspected of killing newborn in Lohja

A woman allegedly killed her newborn baby in Lohja, a municipality under Western Uusimaa region last week, police said in a press release on Tuesday. The incident took place in a private residence on October 17, said police without divulging details about the incident and the identity of the suspect at the preliminary stage of the investigation. Responding to an alarm from people, who were present in the residence, police and rescue service people rushed to the spot and found the baby dead. Police arrested the mother and produced her before the Western Uusimaa District Court on Tuesday seeking remand for further interrogation into custody. Terming the incident as serious and tragic, Chief Investigator Maria Hietajärvi said that after the preliminary investigation police suspected the incident as a pre-planned murder. "As the investigation is ongoing, police cannot disclose further details about the circumstances leading to the baby's death and other details,” Hietajärvi added in the press release.

Intercontinental partnership stressed for advancement of women, peace and security

Intercontinental partnership stressed for advancement of women, peace and security

Speakers at a discussion in Helsinki on Tuesday underscored the need for fostering partnerships across continents for advancement of women, peace and security. The discussion entitled “Women, Peace and Security: Comparative Insights from Morocco and Finland” was organised by theEmbassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Finland in collaboration with theMartti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation (CMI) at Balder Sali marking the25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS)and the30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration on Womens Rights. The discussants including policymakers and peacebuilding experts focused on various aspects of Women's empowerment and explored future directions for feminist foreign policy and inclusive diplomacy. In his inaugural remark, Ambassador of Morocco to Finland Mohamed Achgalou underlined the importance of addressing various perspectives affecting women and said that the Women, Peace and Security agenda remains a global priority. “This is an important opportunity to remind the world that challenges affecting women and girls must be addressed from multiple perspectives,” he said. Achgalou also reaffirmed the shared belief in multilateralism and peaceful conflict resolution. “Looking ahead, we see promising opportunities for joint initiatives within the UN and in communities affected by conflict, where preventive action can make a lasting difference,” he added Moderated byNora Stenius, Co-penholder of Finlands Fourth National Action Plan on WPS, Anu Apo, 1325 Coordinator of Finlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Naima Korchi, an expert on WPS and member ofFEMWISE Africa and Elisa Tarnaala, Senior Adviser of CMI Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation took part in the panel discussion. The speakers focused on howNational Action Planstranslate WPS commitments into measurable outcomes and emphasized the shared values and the importance of closer partnerships between the global North and South despite geographical and cultural differences. “We need to foster partnerships across continents and create new networks to advance this human-centered agenda,” said Apo. They said Finland is widely recognized for itsfeminist foreign policy, while Morocco has become aregional leader in promoting womens participation in peacebuildingthrough African and Arab mediation frameworks. “For Finland, partnering with Morocco and African networks opens opportunities to support women mediators at the field level and advance shared peacebuilding goals,” said Korchi. Moroccos first National Action Plan, launched in 2022, builds on decades of reforms in gender equality and active participation in regional and international mediation networks, includingFEMWISE Africaand theArab Women Mediators Network, they observed. “Such diversity is key for building global partnerships for peace, where both North and South can learn from each others models,” Korchi added. Focusing on role ofyouth and young womenin peacebuilding, the speakers highlighted that Finland, the first country to publish aNational Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Securityin 2021, is now finalizing its second plan. “At the national level, our challenge is actually the reverse — we need more young men to engage in gender equality and inclusion,” Apo observed. The discussants also said that youths are representing about one-third of the total population in Africa and their inclusion is vital to ensure gender equality. They pointed out that theAfrican Unions Youth Ambassadors for Peaceinitiative stands as an example of progress. “Today, the South has many success stories to share. Women are leading mediation, building peace, and proving that gender equality is not only a Northern narrative. The future of peace belongs to both women and youth,” said Korchi. Both Finland and Morocco outlined their current priorities as Morocco is evaluating its first National Action Plan while drafting the next, and Finland continues to integrate WPS principles intocivilian crisis managementandNATO structures. “Finlands ongoing work in civilian crisis management aims to ensure a stronger presence of women in peace efforts,” Apo said.