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The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will participate in the World Village Festival

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Publication date 21.5.2019 10.00
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The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will participate in the World Village Festival next weekend, on 25–26 May. This year’s festival will take place at Rautatientori Square and Kaisaniemi Park close to the Central Railway Station, with climate change as the main theme.

Besides the climate change theme, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs stand showcases the 50-year-old Kehitys-Utveckling magazine. Photo: Hanna Päivärinta

As usual, you will find the stand of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs at Rautatientori Square. Besides the climate change theme, the stand showcases the 50-year-old Kehitys-Utveckling magazine.

The exhibition presents articles and pictures published in the magazine over the years. Issues from the past tell about topics that keep recurring and global events that used to be new. They also show us how the Global South has been perceived during different decades.

The visitors may vote for their favourite cover picture from the past few years. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will award product prizes among the participants by drawing lots.

Panel discussion on climate change and development cooperation

The topic of the panel discussion organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is climate change in Finland’s development cooperation. The panel discussion will be held on the Mekong stage at Rautatientori Square on Saturday at 14–14.45, moderated by investigative journalist Hanna Nikkanen.

The panellists will talk about how Finland responds to climate change and its impacts through development cooperation. We will also hear how climate change affects the everyday lives of people living in developing countries. In many ways, it is the poorest people who will bear the most severe consequences.

The panellists are Riikka Mikkola, Senior Adviser at the Unit for Humanitarian Assistance and Policy of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Jaakko Kangasniemi, Managing Director and CEO at Finnfund, Mikko Pyhtilä, Missionary for Felm (agency for international work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland), and Riina Pursiainen from the Youth Agenda 2030 (Nuorten Agenda 2030).

Journalists tell about their work

What does the media tell us about the Global South, and what is often left out? Any needs for updates on how we see things? On Saturday 25 May at 15.15–16 panellists come together at the Taiga stage (close to the Finnish National Theatre) to talk about journalists’ work and the picture of developing countries transmitted by the media.

The discussion is moderated by Acting Editor-in-Chief of Kehitys-Utveckling magazine Erja-Outi Heino. Director-journalist Kati Juurus, photographer Meeri Koutaniemi and journalist-writer Esa Salminen tell about their many years of experience as journalists and photographers in developing countries.

The discussion will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kehitys-Utveckling magazine published by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The Village Festival is a cultural event arranged by Fingo ry, a platform for Finnish development cooperation organisations. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is one of the main partners in the event. It finances the operation of Fingo out of development cooperation appropriations.

The stand of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be open at Rautatientori Square by the Central Railway Station on Saturday 25 May at 11–20 and on Sunday 26 May at 11–19.

Hanna Päivärinta

The author works as Communications Officer at the Department of Communications of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

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