Working group to explore the future of work to preserve the legacy of veterans

The Government is exploring ways to preserve the legacy of Finland’s veterans and the wars Finland took part in between 1939 and 1945 in the future. On National Veterans’ Day, 27 April, the Prime Minister’s Office appointed a working group to explore the topic and draw up a proposal for how to preserve, manage and foster this legacy as a part of Finnish society. The working group was appointed at the request of the parliamentary groups.

The nature of the work of war veterans’ organisations and other associations working with veterans is gradually shifting from interest representation to preservation of heritage, as the last living members of the war generation pass away.

Veterans’ organisations have been preparing for this change, and the goal is to transfer the responsibility for preserving veterans’ legacy from veterans’ organisations to the Tammenlehvä heritage association. The Government has honoured and taken responsibility for veterans by looking after their health and wellbeing. Interest representation and heritage work, for their part, have been the responsibility of veterans’ organisations and various other associations.
 
The legacy of the war generation forms an integral part of Finland’s cultural heritage and national identity. For this reason, as the content and focus of work with veterans shifts, it is important for different operators to come together to assess and establish the starting points and principles of work to preserve veterans’ legacy.

The new working group will also look into how this cooperation will be organised and what roles and responsibilities different actors will have. In addition, the working group will draw up a proposal for the organisation and funding of heritage work and will define the role of the state in this work.

The working group will be chaired by Timo Laitinen, Director General of the State Treasury. The term of the working group ends on 31 January 2023.

Inquiries: Timo Lankinen, Permanent State Under-Secretary, tel. +358 295 160 300, and Tiina-Kaisa Laakso-Liukkonen, Chief Specialist, tel.  +358 29 516 0220