The nineth session of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament, 16.-17.6.2017

The Finnish Expatriate Parliament (FEP) convened to its nineth Session, which was also its 20th Jubilee Session, on 16.-17. June 2017 in Helsinki, at the University of Helsinki's beautiful Festive Hall, in the old building by the Senate Square. The representatives of expatriate Finnish organisations during these days worked also at various parliamentary committees in the adjoining lecture rooms, preparing proposals for resolution for further processing by the plenary session itself.

Did you know that the motions submitted globally to the session which processes and adopts them into resolutions, are an efficient way to participate in the Finnish society? Expatriate Finns of all ages get their voices heard via a joint forum. Expatriate Finnish organisations submitted 74 motions for the session's processing. After the Secretariat joined similar ones and gave them background to advance their acceptance, 55motions for resolutions were submitted to the Session. Addtionally, the Session decided to send one motion to a committee concerned. Thus the 2017 Session adopted 56 resolutions.

Adopted resolutions 2017 are here: Päätöslauselmat 2017

The Session was attended By 193 expatriate Finnish organisations, which sent a total of 260 session participants: 186 representatives with voting righs and 74 official observers. This made the 2017 third largest in FEP history.

Session time-line: 2017 Timeline Jubilee Session

Minutes of the 2017 Session exist in Finnish, Swedish and English. Read the English version here, together with all of its attachments (including all speeches, participant list and short versions of adopted resolutions):
2017_Session_Minutes_and_Annexes (doc)
2017_Sesssion_Minutes_and_Annexes (pdf)

Invitations to the session were sent by 16 December 2016 by letter mail to all those Finnish orgnisations and societies abroad which follow the FEP work after ratifying FEP rules -today 529 organisations and societies in 39 countries. Organisations new to the FEP made it to the session, if they ratified FEP rules by 16.3.2017 - the deadline date for session registration of organisations.

Does the FEP Secretariat have your organisation's current land postal address? We need it so that we can send your society's session invitation package. Please e-mail your postal and e-mail address and name of your organisation's FEP contact person to: info(at)usp.fi or to parliament secretary sini.castren@suomi-seura.fi. If you wish, you can use this form:
Yhteystiedot_contact_info_plus_material_order  

Registration to the session

Organisation's registration
Finnish organisations abroad will have time to register their participation until 16 March 2017, that is, until three months before the session. Registration will be done with the so-called 'Yellow form' which will be attached to the invitation letter. Print version:
2017 Ilmoittautuminen yhteisö - reg samfund - reg organisation
2017 Yhteisön ilmoittautuminen_samfundets anmälning_org registration

Representative's registration
simultaneously, or by 4 May 2017 the latest, each individual representative of a participating organisation must also register him or herself personally, with the 'Gray form', found also inside the later invitation letter. All representatives and observers fill in their own separate Gray forms. A community with more than 500 members may send two representatives, and a community whose membership exceeds 1000, may send three representatives. The number of a community's official observers is not ruled in the by-law. The session invitation letter contained only one Gray form. The secretariat can send more, or you can print out more here. This way the Secretariat will get to know the name(s) of an organisation's representative(s) with voting right and names of its official observers, as well as their choice of committees and of other side program to the session. Print version:
2017 Ilmoittautuminen henkilö - anm person - reg person
2017 Edustajan ilmoittautuminen_personlig anmälan_representative's registration  

Initiative to the session

Finnish expatriate organisations have time to submit initiatives (motion for resolution) until 16. March 2017, that is until three months prior to the session. A motion can be submitted either with a ready form (see link below) or in freely written form, however always in writing.

An initiative contains details about the organisation submitting it, a title which explains the subject matter, a short motion text, and its motivation which clarifies circumstances leading to it, its objective and meaning. In line with the session registration or the 'Yellow form' of an organisation, also a motion must always be confirmed by signature.

Initiative form and more information is found by double-clicking THIS LINK (or via main opening page: Activity > Initiatives). The earlier a motion is submitted, the better the secretariat can help develop its background and check its legality and context, all in its favour, so that the motion gets the best possible session treatment. To directly print out the initiative without visiting advice page, choose either of these:
USP aloite_motion_initiative

Received initiatives

This is a compilation of initiatives submitted to the Secretariat. The total number of submitted initiatives is 74. It tells about the various motions which the Session will process. The name of the motion is its arrival name, followed by its arrival number given by Secretariat, and by name of submitting organisation.
2017_Istuntoon_saapuneet_aloitteet
Saapuneet aloitteet 2017 (doc)

Summary of initiatives

Initiatives were later divided under the Committees which will process them. After similar initiatives were joined by the Secretariat, 55 initiatives were left processing by the parliament session. The secretariat then researches their backgrounds and divides them under different Committees, so that motions will get their final number. This Summary of Initiatives will be sent together with the Activity Report and Agenda to all Session participants (representatives and observers), by 16.5.2017. In case there are less initiatives, can Committees be merged together. This is formally decided by the Session before Committees begin their work.
Summary of Initiatives in Finnish (titles in original languages in which they were submitted): ALOITEYHTEENVETO (doc)

Program of the Session

The Session program includes also the Session's Agenda, as well as the side program of the preceeding day Thursday 15. June 2017. Final, corrected session program:
2017_OHJELMA (doc)

Work Report

Report on the Work of the Secretariat and the Speakers' Council, 2015-2017 belongs to the material which the Session participants receive in advance of the Session.
Toiminta2015_17 (doc)

Accommodation information

<13Session related supplementary program on Thursday 15. June 2017

In connection with the two-day long parliament session on Friday and Saturday (16.-17.6.2017), interesting supplemenary program is on offer on Thursday 15.6.2017. Thursday culminates to the evening's concert at the Music Centre (Musiikkitalo) (payable), where Finland's 100 years is celebrated with help of expatriate Finnish know-how.

Regional meetings

On Wednesday evening 14.6. and on Thursday 15.6. several of the eight (8) FEP regions will hold their Regional meetings. The Regions decide themselves their meeting times and places. We will publish their details on this home page under FEP's regions as soon as they are known.

Celebratory Opening Service

will be held in connection with the FEP session on 15.6. at 10 am in Old Church, thus opening the joint program. This time the address is the Old Church (Vanha kirkkopuisto, Old Church Park, Lönnrotinkatu 6, 00120 Helsinki). The sermon will be given by the Bishop of expatriate Finns, the Bishop of Espoo Mr Tapio Luoma.

Senior Seminar Happy Finnish Senior Citizen Abroad

takes place on 15.6. at 12 - 3 pm, in the parish meeting hall of the (Finnish speaking) Parish of the Helsinki Cathedral (Bulevardi 16 B, by Old Church Park, 00120 Helsinki). Organisers: International Relations of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Seamen's Mission, Institute of Migraion and the Finland Society. The language of the seminar is Finnish.
2017 Oheisohjelma Senioriseminaari flyer
2017 Oheisohjelma Senioriseminaari

Suomi-koulu Seminar

meets on 15.6. at 1 - 4.30 pm at the Finnish Literature Society (SKS). Organisers: FEP Region Central Europe and the Frankfurt Suomi-koulu.
Suomi-kouluseminaari 2017 (doc)  

Finland 100 Worldwide CONCERT

on June 15, 2017, at 6 – 8.30 pm
Place: Musiikkitalo, Helsinki / Helsinki Music Centre: www.musiikkitalo.fi

The concert program is at the Helsinki Music Centre web site HERE and tickets can be bought there via Ticketmaster service (credit cards accepted). Do pass on the concert information! Please follow the Finland Society homepage www.suomi-seura.fi and Facebook page Suomi-Seura ry from January 2017 onwards. Welcome to the concert!

The unique concert presents expatriate Finnish musical talent and offers a versatile musical experience. The performers of the concert are:
- the band Uusikuu (Great Britain, Germany) and dance theatre Justice in Motion (Great Britain) – www.uusikuu.com / www.justiceinmotion.co.uk
- soprano Maria Männistö (USA) and director Benjamin Mosse (USA) – www.hamara-twilight.com, www.mariamannisto.com
- flutist Ulla Suokko (Peru) – www.ullasuokko.com
- jazz pianist Karri Luhtala (Italy) – www.karriluhtala.com
- the band Surunmaa (Sweden) – Facebook: Surunmaa
- legendary singer Eino Grön (US/Finland) 

Supplementary program during the session

Photo exhibition From Hanko to the New World

During the Session days you can enjoy adjacent to the Session room (University of Helsinki Festive Hall) at university Old Building premises photographer Karoliina Veijo's photo exhibition From Hanko to the New World. It mixes history and presence in a visually beautiful way. Veijo is present some of the time to answer questions. 

City of Helsinki Reception

in the evening of the first Session day Friday 16. June 2017 at 6 - 7.30 pm the City of Helsinki invites all session participants and official session guests to a Reception in honour of the Session. We also enjoy musicians world famous for their Sibelius interpretations, cellist Mr Jussi Makkonen and pianist Ms Nazig Azezian.
Address: Festive Hall of the Helsinki City Hall (Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13, 00170 Helsinki. Invalid lifts at left back corner from entrance doors).

Travel support for the young to the session

Young participants to the Finnish Expatriate Parliament session in Helsinki on 16.-17.6.2017 will be given an extra travel grant. Those who are 30 years of age or young and are travelling from the long-haul will receive a 500 euro travel support. Those from Nordic countries, the Baltic region or Russia will receive a 100 euro travel support, while those from elsewhere in Europe will receive a 300 euro travel support.

You can apply for the travel grant until 28.2.2017. The decisions are announced at the end of March. A condition for receiving the travel grant is that the young person will represent his/her participating Finnish expatriate organisation. The total amount of the travel grant money available is Limited, so priority will be given to the official representants, over the offical observers.

You find the application form here below and on the home page of the Finland Society at www.suomi-seura.fi. Later it will appear also here on our page under > Session 2017. The form can be filled in by the traveller or by his/her organisation on behalf of a named applicant. Please post the application to Hanne Selin who can also help further, hanne.selin@suomi-seura.fi, +358-9-6841 2137.
2017_applicationyouthtravel

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