Ways of civic participation - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
Inclusion means belonging and the opportunity to have an impact
The goal in Finland is for all people living in Finland to be able to feel included in society. Inclusion means the experience of belonging to something. When a person feels included, they feel valued and equal to others. They dare to trust both themselves and their possibilities as well as other people. The experience of inclusion brings meaning to life and increases wellbeing.
Inclusion has different dimensions. Inclusion in one’s own life means that a person can affect their own life and make decisions about their own life. These decisions can be both small and ordinary or bigger decisions about how one wants to live their life.
Inclusion also means involvement in different communities. These communities can be small, such as one’s own family or group of friends. Communities can also be the people in one’s own neighbourhood, colleagues, a hobby group or an association. A person feels included when they feel they are a part of a community which is important to them.
Inclusion also contains the experience of being able to produce and share common good and enjoy it with others. Common good can mean shared spaces and pleasant living surroundings, art, or broader society and its services. A person can participate in creating common good through work and paying taxes. They can also participate in volunteer work or take care of their housing company’s flower bed which brings joy to all the residents in the neighbourhood.
Inclusion also means that you can impact things you find important in your own living environment, community or even more broadly in society. Engagement means trying to change things. Through civic participation, you can make the world more according to your values and wishes.
The video below discusses why participation in society is beneficial for integration and wellbeing.
Video: THL Mental health for migration – Participation in society (englanti) (Arabic, Dari, English, Ukrainian, Russian, Congo Swahili)
Civic participation has long traditions in Finland
In Finland, anyone can impact societal matters and politics in many ways. Finland has long traditions of civic participation. This means citizen activities through which citizens promote societal matters.
There were many large social movements in the 20th century in Finland, including the women’s rights movement and labour movement. These had significant impacts on the development of democratic society. In social movements, regular Finnish citizens have learned how common matters can be managed and have been able to impact how the welfare state has been built. Many Finnish politicians have worked in civic organisations at the beginning of their career or been otherwise active in societal activity.
You can participate in many ways
According to the Finnish Constitution, the task of the government is to promote the opportunities of individuals to participate in civic activities and affect decisions impacting themselves. There are many ways to have an impact, both through official means and free-form activities.
More information about how and where to affect societal decision-making: Demokratia.fi Finnish, Swedish, English
Voting
The most common form of participation is voting. When you vote in an election, you are deciding who has decision-making power in common matters. By voting, you give power to politicians with opinions similar to your own. If you do not vote, you are silent about how common affairs should be managed.
Contacting politicians
Another way of influencing is to directly contact politicians, for example, municipal or regional council representatives, Members of Parliament, or ministers. You can tell them what the focus in politics should be and what changes are needed in society. You can contact politicians through email. You can find the email addresses of politicians online. You can also meet them at many types of events, especially before elections.
Standing as a candidate
You can also become a candidate in an election. Anyone with candidate eligibility can run in the parliamentary, municipal or county elections. With the exception of some specific cases, anyone who is eligible to vote in the election is also eligible to stand as a candidate. Usually candidates stand as a member of a party. Standing as a candidate is a way to raise discussion about matters important to yourself, even if you are not elected.
Participating in societal discussion
It is also possible to participate in societal discussion outside of politics. You can publish an opinion piece in a newspaper or on social media if you want to start a discussion about faults in society or matters that could be improved upon. If you want to bring attention to a certain matter, you can start a social media group for discussion and for organising public events relating to the theme, for example, demonstrations or discussion events. These are examples of communal civic participation.
Demonstrations
A demonstration means that a group of people gathers together to publicly declare their opinion on a matter. A demonstration can promote or oppose a new legal proposal. They can gather just a couple of people or they can be large demonstrations with thousands of people. Demonstrations can be a march or the demonstrators can gather in front of the Parliament House if they want to make sure that Members of Parliament hear their message. You do not need a permit for a demonstration, but the police must be informed of demonstrations at least 24 hours in advance.
Strikes
Striking is a way for workers to have an impact. Strikes are usually organised by trade unions representing the workers and members of the trade union participate. During a strike, participating employees do not go to work. Often the workers gather for a demonstration. The strike can last only one day or it can last up to several months. During a strike, members of trade unions participating in the strike receive a strike allowance (lakkokorvaus) which reimburses lost salary. Trade union picketers (lakkovahti) try to prevent people who are not members of the union from doing the work that is under strike.
Usually strikes demand better working conditions or better salaries for a certain group of workers. Sometimes strikes can call for broader societal change.
Petitions
Citizens can compile petitions, meaning written statements, for example, opposing a law. As many signatures of like-minded people as possible are collected in the petition, and the petition is given to a minister who is in charge of the matter. This lets the minister know that people want to change the law and that there is broad support for this change. Petitions can be signed by thousands or even over a hundred thousand people.
Participating in a hearing
As a part of preparations for a law, decision-makers and authorities often organise hearings (kuuleminen) to ask people and organisations for their opinions on a matter. Hearings can also be arranged in a municipality where there are plans to build in a certain area. Sometimes non-governmental organisations may be asked to the hearing. Sometimes there are open hearings where individual people can participate. Hearings can be in writing or they can be discussion events.
Citizens’ initiative
In Finland, there is an act on citizens’ initiatives (kansalaisaloite). According to the law, any Finnish citizen can write up a citizens’ initiative. This citizens’ initiative can contain a proposal for a law or a proposal for starting preparations for a law. The initiative can also be for changing or repealing an existing law. Finnish citizens who are eligible to vote and who support the initiative can add their name to the initiative. If there are over 50,000 signatures, the Parliament will address the initiative. A citizens’ initiative is a means of direct democracy.
Residents’ initiative
A corresponding direct means of impact in municipal politics is the residents’ initiative (kuntalaisaloite). According to the law, any municipal resident can make an initiative about a current matter or issue relating to the municipality’s activities. Usually residents’ initiatives strive to promote the interests of a larger group. Municipal decision-makers address all initiatives in their meetings.
Regional initiative
Any resident in a wellbeing services county can make a regional initiative (hyvinvointialueen aloite) to the wellbeing services county about its activities. This initiative can also be done by a municipality within the wellbeing services county.
European Citizens’ Initiative
It is also possible to make an EU-wide citizens’ initiative. A European citizens’ initiative (eurooppalainen kansalaisaloite) requests the European Commission to make a regulation proposal on a topic that is under EU jurisdiction. The initiative must have at least one million signatures from a minimum of seven EU countries. By compiling an initiative, citizens can directly participate in developing the legislation of the European Union.
You can make society better
Engagement is most effective when an individual or a group has a clear vision about what they want to achieve with their actions. An important part of engagement is convincing others of your own objectives. This is easier if you can clearly explain what you want to change.
The desire for change can come from seeing something wrong in one’s environment or society that you want to fix. Engagement can also start with a new idea that you want to bring to public discussion. The objective can be small, for example, getting a new jungle gym in your local playground.
The goal can also be grand. For example, in Finland, the equal marriage act arose from a citizens’ initiative. The initiative collected the required number of names and proceeded to Parliament. The Parliament approved of the new law and it came into act. The new marriage act makes it possible for same-sex couples to marry.
Change in society often begins when someone notices a need for change and starts promoting the change. Finnish law ensures freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. An equal society and low hierarchy brings participation and engagement into everyone’s reach. That is why you should think about issues you would like to have an impact on in Finnish society.