The Åland Islands Peace Institute conducts projects and research into peace and conflict issues in a broadly defined sense from the vantage-point of Åland and the special status that Åland enjoys under international law. The institute focuses on security, autonomy and minorities.
Every year, 8 March is celebrated around the world as International Women's Day. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women. International Women's Day was first proposed at international conference in 1910 as an annual global day of celebration of women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day on 8 March. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. In adopting its resolution, the General Assembly recognized the role of women in peace efforts and development and urged an end to discrimination and an increase of support for women's full and equal participation. You can read resolution here.
Internships in Brussels and London
The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland is together with the Swedish Youth offering four grants for liberal internships at the international partnerorganisations of the Swedish Peoples' Party and Swedish Youth in London and Brussels. All the organisations build on a liberal value-system. One of the internships is at the office of the Finnish-Swedish European Parlamentarian Carl Haglund. More information (in Swedish) can be found here.
Round table seminar on equality in youth work
On the 8th of March 2010 the Åland Islands Peace Institute will arrange a round table seminar on gender equality and youth work, calledDo boys also need gender equality? Challenging gender roles in youth work. the seminar is arranged within the interreg-project Challenging Gender Roles for Prevention of Trafficking and deals with such questions as gender aspect in youth work, do boys also need gender equality and why and how should we challenge gender roles? Date and time: 8th of March, 14.30-16.30 Venue: Alandica, conference room No 203 The seminar is held in Swedish.
Evaluation of courses in peace education
The Åland Islands Peace Institute has evaluated its educational activities for teachers within the projects “Fredsfostran” (foster peace) and “Skolfred” (peace in schools) which took place between 2005 and 2008. The results have been published in a report by Sanna Roos, PhD candidate in pedagogies at the University of Turku. The report also addresses the future need for further educational activities.The evaluation revealed that it is rather challenging for teachers to implement the methods learnt during the courses within the schools regular activities. To increase their effectiveness future courses should have a great practical value and very concrete points of departure, such as “expression of feelings”, “practical management of conflicts” and “cooperation with parents” . In addition to basic training in conflict-management methods, there is a great demand for training courses allowing teachers to develop their skill in this area. The need for an active network for peace education is needed on Åland in order to guarantee an effective implementation of conflict management methods in Ålandic schools. The evaluation was based on data that had been collected among course participants through an electronic survey in fall 2009. The recommendations made with regard to future courses are based on a paper survey which had been sent to all teachers in Ålandic elementary schools in fall 2009.
The Åland Islands Peace Institute has long discussed the possibility of introducing a blog where we can, without making claim to exhaustive knowledge, offer information and insights from the fields in which the peace institute works. The peace institute's field of work is wide, yet at the same time narrow. Wide in the sense that the underlying concepts - security, self-governance and protection for minorities - are in themselves extensive. Wide also in the sense that we work both analytically and theoretically as well as practically. This is what defines the peace institute as a 'think-act organisation'. Narrow in the sense that according to the peace institute's mandate we should work solely to promote one thing: peace. It is therefore appropriate that this blog is opened with thoughts on the use of violence and efforts for peace. We are humble in this endeavor and hope to publish a short entry every month. The blog will be written by the peace institute's present or former staff, guest researchers, board members or invited guest writers. The opinions are the author's own.Read blog here.
On the 8th of March 2010 the Åland Islands Peace Institute will arrange a round table seminar on gender equality and youth work, called Do boys also need gender equality? Challenging gender roles in youth work. the seminar is arranged within the interreg-project Challenging Gender Roles for Prevention of Trafficking and deals with such questions as gender aspect in youth work, do boys also need gender equality and why and how should we challenge gender roles?