Finland

National Website: makepovertyhistory.fi

National Coalition

The Finnish Make Poverty History Campaign: Tee Köyhyydestä Historiaa

You can contact:

Inka Leisma, Communication Officer, UN Association of Finland , Töölöntorinkatu 2 B, FIN – 00260 Helsinki . Phone: +358 (0) 9 231 50 501 / mobile: +358 (0) 40 547 9367, email: inka.leisma@ykliitto.fi

Events 2005

WHITE BAND DAY II - Wake-Up to Poverty! on Saturday 10th. September

Global Youth Party

Mobilising political will and young party spirit the Global Youth Party took place on Friday the 9th at the VR-Makasiinit, to mark the closure of the Helsinki Conference and the Helsinki Youth Conference. The party attracted some 500 people, all wearing White Bands, receiving information from (political) organisations and NGO's, and enjoying various live performances. The Tour bus of the United Nations Association was also present, including the exhibition of wooden figures representing the peoples of the world and telling about achievements of the UN as well as about the MDG’s. The visitors signed sheets with the message Tee Köyhyydestä Historiaa (Make Poverty History), to be presented to the Finnish President and Foreign Minister on Saturday. The party started at 19h00 and lasted until late night.

Wake up call: every third second a child dies of extreme poverty. Make poverty history!

On Saturday President Tarja Halonen opened the Taksvärkki week (Operation a Day's Work Finland), which is also supporting the Make Poverty History campaign, at central Helsinki’s Esplanadi. The exhibition of wooden figures was present, and firstly the President came to the stand of the United Nations Association of Finland to buy a White Band for herself. On behalf of the national coalition, Member of Parliament Jutta Urpilainen handed out the alarm clock to the President, together with a white sheet stating Make Poverty History (in Finnish) supported by many signatures. The alarm clock reminds the President, who is the head of the Finnish delegation at the High Level Meeting at the UN this week, that every third second a child dies of extreme poverty and that a change is possible: Make Poverty History. Altogether a few hundred people were present when the President received her alarm clock, as well as national press including the biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and TV-channels MTV3 and Nelonen. After the opening the crowd was entertained with live performances for a few hours. Shortly after the event also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja, got an alarm clock and a white sheet with autographs from Jutta Urpilainen.

Photo gallery

BACKROUND

The campaign bus of the United Nations Association of Finland, The Millennium Tour Bus – “Line 2015”, has been touring Finland’s summer events. The bus, a 25-year-old Scania, with a sauna on board, features an exhibition with colourful human figures, representing the peoples of the United Nations. The figures include UN Secretary-General “Kofi Annan” and President “Tarja Halonen”. The UN Association of Finland and its partners have participated in more than 30 events up to now, spreading information about the United Nations, Finnish development co-operation and the connection between sport and development.

An important role during the summer tour is reserved for the Make Poverty History Campaign, with its symbol: the White Band. Many people have become part of the White Band community over the last months and also some famous “voices” came on board.

An overview of the campaign so far:

Tommy Lindgren, from Don Johnson Big Band, Emma Salokoski and Saimi Nousiainen have from the beginning been the faces of the Finnish Make Poverty History Campaign.

Two days before the live8 concert, on June 30th, the Finnish morning television, YLE Aamu TV, covered about 10 minutes on the upcoming concert and the White Band campaign. This resulted in some 2000 people joining the campaign.

At the wife carrying world championships, Eukonkanto, a pair was participating in support of the campaign. Also Miss Finland Hanna Ek and NBA legend Dennis Rodman joined the campaign during this event.

At the Tangomarkkinat, a tango festival, in Seinäjoki a couple took part in the dance competition with White Bands around their arms (and became second).

Hector and his band encouraged the crowd to take part and buy the White Band at the music festival in Valkeakoski.

The Captain of the Finnish team at the Athletics World Championship, Heli Koivula-Kruger, has been in support of the campaign for several months already. In Helsinki all athletes at the World Championships received a White Band and many were wearing it during the competitions! So when Tero Pitkämäki was throwing the javelin he was wearing a White Band as well, just like gold medallist Carolina Kluft.

At Koneisto, a dance music festival in Helsinki, all visitors got an entrance wristband with the text “Make Poverty History”.

Altogether many thousands of people have joined the campaign and bought the White Band to show that they want the world leaders to act, that it’s time to make it happen!

Upcoming events:

In the beginning of September, during the week before the Second White Band Day there will be a Make Poverty History stand on central Helsinki’s Esplanaadi to promote the campaign and sell the White Bands.

In the week from 4 – 9 September the Helsinki Conference and Helsinki Youth Conference are taking place. On Friday the 9th of September the week will be closed with the Mobilising political will and young party spirit: Global youth party at the VR-Makasiinit. The White Band will play a key role in this event. Everybody wearing a White Band will get 2€ discount on the entrance fee, paying 3 instead of 5€ to the party. The Helsinki Youth Conference and the Global Youth Party are organised by Allianssi in co-operation with the Citizens Global Platform and the Helsinki Conference.

On the 10th of September, the Second White Band Day, a 3 hour program will take place on Espanlava with music and several organisations participating in the event. This program is offered by Taksvärkki. The Taksvärkki -project (www.taksvarkki.fi) stimulates teenagers to go to work in a company for one day, earning money to improve living conditions and human rights of the children and the youth in developing countries. In 2005 the money will go to a HIV-AIDS project in Tanzania and in 2006 to a project involving sexually harassed girls in Guatemala. The project will this year draw attention to the Finnish Make Poverty History Campaign as well.

To find out more about the Finnish White Band Campaign, including how you can get involved, please visit the website www.makepovertyhistory.fi(in Finnish only).