Society
Demonstrating Finnish goodwill power
Follow the Goodwill Demonstration: Several hundred Finns gather to visit every embassy in Helsinki and say thanks.
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Meals get real at Helsinki preschools
If the City of Helsinki has its way, then 50 percent of the food in its preschools and daycares will be organic by 2015.
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Wandering witches welcome Finnish Easter
Finnish Easter traditions mix religion and rites of spring. Beware: Miniature witches may ring your doorbell.
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Sledding the city slopes in style
Snowy Helsinki is perfect for a favourite winter pastime: sledding. We help you head for the hills.
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Spanish nurses bridge the gap in Finland
We check in with some Spanish nurses working in Finland as they settle in and hurdle over the language barrier.
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On the other side of the Arctic
Sámi National Day Feb. 6: Rauna Kuokkanen, a Sámi who teaches at Univ. of Toronto, sees her people in a global context.
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Two happy designers and many Angry Birds
Two people fall in love with Finnish design and end up working in Finland’s cutting-edge mobile game industry.
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How to survive winter in Finland and enjoy it
Life is about enjoying yourself, not just surviving, and this goes for Finland in winter as well. Coffee, clothing, snow play key roles.
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The Sámi form Finland’s first nation
Where does the story of the Sámi, Finland’s indigenous people, begin? Take a look at their origins and way of life.
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Open Knowledge opens doors in Helsinki
Hackathons, citizens’ initiatives and more: An anything-is-possible atmosphere ruled at Helsinki’s Open Knowledge Fest.
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Finnish libraries offer new adventures
Finnish libraries act as multimedia-equipped public living rooms and offer imaginative new services.
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Sun and surf in the Finnish capital
You don’t have to leave Helsinki find a good beach. Grab your towel and your sunscreen, let’s go!
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Åland treasures maritime memories
The new, improved, swashbuckling Maritime Museum is open in Mariehamn, capital of Finland’s autonomous Åland Islands.
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Finnish Lapland welcomes new Sámi centre
Finland’s indigenous Sámi celebrate the unique new Sajos cultural and political centre (see Northern Lights video).
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Finnish Church aims to be down-to-earth
Irja Askola, bishop of Helsinki, opens the Church’s doors to dialogue with everyone in the surrounding community.
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Finntown’s slice of the Big Apple
Once upon a time, New York had two Finnish neighbourhoods – Finntowns. We talk to a couple who used to live in one.
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Postal lifeline for remote Finnish isles
In all weather, postman Johan Simberg delivers to far-flung islands – by boat, by hydrocopter, or even on ice skates.
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Nordic backing for green projects
Three Nordic funds in Helsinki battle climate change and Baltic Sea pollution by financing projects at home and abroad.
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Helsinki demonstration breaks silence
A peaceful march in the Finnish capital supported Norway and emphasised that hatred and violence are unacceptable.
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Helsinki is hot in Monocle survey
Helsinki citizens prepare for celebrations to mark Helsinki Day by cooling off in the city’s parks and heading for the beach.
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Where Indian craft meets Nordic design
Tikau combines Scandinavian design with the aesthetics and craftsmanship of rural areas of India, providing a unique alternative to mass-produced products.
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Few Fukushima fears for the Finns
Post-Fukushima, many Finns still have faith in nuclear power.
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Women’s Bank offers a way forward
Women’s Bank believes that empowering women’s entrepreneurship is the most efficient way to decrease world poverty.
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Newsweek: Finland is best in the world
With the whole world to choose from, what is the best place to live? Finland, says Newsweek.
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Finnish schools: Religion lessons support kids' identities
What's the solution to the recurring hot topic of how to approach religion in schools?
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Progressive prison keeps doors open
You can find an "open prison" – yes, there is such a thing – on the main island of the Suomenlinna fortress, one of Helsinki's most popular tourist sites.
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Finland leads the world in prosperity
Finland is the world’s most prosperous nation, says London-based thinktank Legatum, which analyses countries according to material wealth and quality of life.
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Seeking the real Finnish sauna
We visit the exclusive yet modest Finnish Sauna Society just outside Helsinki. If Finland can be said to have an official sauna, then this is it.
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Highly valued Helsinki
It’s official: Helsinki places fifth on Monocle magazine’s Most Liveable Cities Index – for the third year in a row.
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Setting the world aright at the "ladies' sauna"
For some prominent Finnish women, regular meetings of a sauna club are a source of strength.
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The miracle of summer makes winter a distant memory
We propose a toast to the joys of summer, which arrives like a miracle after the long, dark Nordic winter.
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Buy liquor, but not a house
People on the Swedish-speaking Åland islands west of Finland celebrate their customised, EU-approved autonomy every year on June 9.
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Bare facts of the sauna
Just say yes: If you want to get to know Finnish culture, don't be intimidated by the sauna. With our beginner's guide, there's nothing to it.
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A guide to Finnish customs and manners
Get to know the Finns with our abbreviated but thorough guide – a starter kit for keeping up with the Finnish culture.
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Sámi fly their flag in Helsinki
Helsinki has a Sámi population of 1,000 strong. How do they keep their culture, language and identity alive down south in the city?
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The humble Number One: Finland
We Finns are sometimes accused of being too modest about our achievements, but this article makes a dent in that reputation.
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Finnish resolve: efficient farming in extreme conditions
Modern country life: A computer milks the cows on the Immonen family farm, and the cows aren't complaining.
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Family-friendly Finland
We follow one set of parents to see what life is like with young children in Finland.
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The example of Åland: autonomy as a minority protector
The autonomy of the peaceful Åland archipelago west of Finland could also serve as a model for resolving conflicts elsewhere.
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The changing face of the Finnish capital
Helsinki's population has changed dramatically in recent decades; now nearly one out of ten people has a foreign background.
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Sámi language in the digital age
Even in the digital age, language and identity are closely linked. Computer spellcheckers help the Sámi languages hold their own.
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Current Affairs
- Filling Finland's energy gap 5/19/2010
- Finland to investigate alleged breaches of animal rights on fur farms 2/24/2010
- Charity euros for lost kilos 1/29/2010
- Taking a stand with style 6/10/2009
- Finland debates energy future 2/27/2009
Published by the Finland Promotion Board
Produced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Communications and Culture