It has been a busy week...On Wednesday, we celebrated the International Democracy Day here in Helsinki with the seminar guests.

The 4th annual international seminar of KIOS focused on the complex connections between human rights, democracy and development. The two-day seminar was organised in collaboration with Political Parties of Finland for Democracy (DEMO Finland). It gathered more than 170 professionals, activists, political party, civil society and media representatives, students and other interested individuals together to discuss a wide range of topics related to the themes of the seminar.

African and Asian perspectives and experiences were offered by the guests of KIOS and DEMO Finland from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Belgium. To read more about the seminar, go to KIOS' or DEMO Finland's web pages.

The discusson in the seminar was very lively. For example womens' participation was one theme that was discussed, as women are often not that numerous in the politics. I think it is more about the attitude towards girls and women that makes it hard for them to be active in the field that has traditionally been only for men in many countries. In Finland the participation of women has long time been common, and now we have a woman both as a president and as a prime minister. I remember from the seminar the saying: leaders are not born, they're made...so let's keep this in mind when we have children and how we treat them, and what kind of attitude we have towards them. Then there is also the point of view when it comes to democracy, that you need to have different views so that it would work. But when you have diffrent points of view, you also need to have some kind of unity. In many countries the fact that those few women that are politicians are from diffrent political parties, makes it difficult for them to work for womens' rights in those countries. So I would conclude that you need not only diffrent point of views but also unity and consensus, so that you can work together for a better future.

Personally I can say that it has been great to really have the opportunity to meet people who work for human rights in Asia and Africa. With some of the guests we also went yesterday to see an African film called  A Screaming Man to the 23rd Helsinki Film Festival called Love and Anarchy. It was together with a Red Cross-club, so when paying your ticket to the cinema, you also donate to the Red Cross. This week I have felt the love to be everywhere: on TV there was a concert that helped to donate to the children hospitals of Finland, there has also been several fundraising campaigns here in Finland, for example the Operation Hunger Day organized by the Red Cross, that is very visible in the streets of Helsinki.

Even at the airport there was a spot by Plan, where you can give your coins to a good cause: helping the children of the world.

With so many possible ways of helping, I really feel that the attitudes of people are changing.Or is it just me? I hope not. I think we should be helping those in need, doesn't matter if it's your neighbour or somebody from other side of the world.

I hope the guests had new ideas here in Finland and I believe they did. For example one of the African guests said that something he found really surprising was that even our ministers take the bus and use the public transport. This is something that they could never imagine in Rwanda. Maybe there is a need of a new kind of equality between those who are in power and the people. After all, we are all equal as humans, he said.

After this busy week it's time for me to go back home to Tampere and continue my studies. I must say these 3 months of internship has been a very good experience and it has really given me so much to think about. I will certainly be posting more thoughts when I have time for it.

Aimé Césaire:

“Beware of assuming the sterile attitude of a spectator,

for life is not a spectacle,

a sea of miseries is not a proscenium,

a screaming man is not a dancing bear….”