National Dialogues: Communal sisu as a national resource

The National Dialogues held in the autumn of 2025 talked about the Finnish concept of ‘sisu’. The dialogues highlighted that sisu is needed in Finland today, as the country is facing challenges such as the weakening of the service structures of the welfare state and changes in the security environment.

A total of 82 Sisu Dialogues and 39 Borderland Dialogues were held across Finland. About 1,200 people from a variety of social groups, cultural backgrounds and professions participated in the dialogues. The participants’ ages ranged from four to eighty-nine.

The traditional Finnish image of sisu is strongly linked to self-reliance and perseverance. However, the dialogues indicate that the Finnish image of sisu has expanded from traditional perseverance towards resilience, flexibility and self-compassion. A particularly significant concept in the dialogues was communal sisu. In communal sisu, the resources of the community surpass the resources of the individual member; we are stronger together.

Six conclusions from the dialogues:

1. Sisu must not be used to justify the erosion of the welfare state. People with disabilities, older people and family carers in particular have to show unreasonable perseverance to get the support they are entitled to by law. The most critical message for decision-makers from the dialogues is that sisu should not be used to mask the shortcomings of the service system.
2. Modern resilience is created through interaction and peer support. Government should provide support to structures that promote community spirit and the work of civil society organisations, as they are key builders of crisis resilience.
3. Soft sisu is modern and supports more sustainable wellbeing. A wise person recognises their own limits, shows empathy and listens to different parties in an equal dialogue. Resilience is flexible endurance – the ability to change direction when old methods no longer work.
4. The vitality of the eastern border region is a national security concern. Keeping the border region populated and functional is a matter of strategic preparedness. A sense of security comes from the accessibility of everyday services and the economic prospects of the region.
5. Young people's sense of hope and meaning need to be strengthened. Sisu does not grow by demanding impossible achievements from young people, but by offering experiences of success and a safe environment for failure. Decision-making must prioritise mental health services for young people and create paths for young people to feel that they belong to society.
6. Sisu as a unifying identity factor. In order for society to remain cohesive, the concept of sisu must be updated to be more multicultural and inclusive. Alongside old images, stories must be brought in where sisu is a unifying force against racism and polarisation for all those living in Finland.

The aim of the Sisu Dialogues is to offer decision-makers and citizens perspectives on how this national resource can be strengthened in a sustainable way to meet future challenges. The dialogues indicate that sisu could be a shared, renewable resource for Finland – an enabler of hope and change.

The National Dialogues are a series of discussions that anyone can organise or participate in. The Borderland Dialogues were organised as part of the National Dialogues. The dialogues gather experiential knowledge about societal changes and supplement information gained through surveys and studies. Decision-makers and people developing public administration apply the knowledge gained through the dialogues to their work. 

Inquiries: 
Katju Holkeri, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Finance, tel. +358 295 530 087, katju.holkeri(at)gov.fi
Kai Alhanen, Director, Dialogue Academy, tel. +358 40 572 0213, kai.alhanen(at)aretai.org