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Interview with Veli J. Ylänkö Carmen Boudreau-Kiviaho: How long have you lived in Canada? Veli J. Ylänkö: 33 years. CBK: How did you get involved with the expatriate parliament? VJY: I was invited to the founding session of the FEP in 1997 as an expert in the Finnish Seniors’ Homes in the world. I had surveyed all known seniors’ homes in the world and presented the report to the session. I acted also as my wife’s technical assistant and support person in her presentation about the Finnish Language Schools in the world based on her extensive survey. In the same session I was elected as a deputy speaker representing the region of Canada, position I have held until today. My wife and I have been actively participating in to the work of FEP in leading positions – as the only couple in the world in that position. CBK: What kind of criteria must you fulfill to be in this kind of position? VJY: There are two levels of positions we must discuss here: Regional Representative and Deputy Speaker. As a Regional Representative one must be chosen by a member organization and thus be representative of the sending organization’s interests. This should be seen in the initiatives one presents to the Parliament and in the public speeches one makes in the Plenary Sessions and in the various Committees as well as in the local Finnish community. As a Deputy Speaker one must be able to represent the whole region, all of its member organizations and also all other expatriate Finns living there. To be able to do this one must have a good knowledge of the general conditions and problems among the Region’s Expatriate Finns. One must also have a public profile that identifies FEP to the local community. This in turn requires good communication skills and technical abilities to use modern electronic data transfer. Proven track record from the past Sessions is also helpful and enhances one’s ability to act as a two way communicator between the FEP Secretariat, Speakers’ Council and Region’s Finnish expatriate community as a whole. It is also important that Deputy Speaker has time to do all his/her duties; certain amount of financial independence is very helpful. CBK: What kind of duties must you fulfill as a member of the FEP? VJY: The answer to this question is partially covered in my response to the previous questions. In addition, one must be able and willing to communicate the ideas, resolutions, plans and critique of the FEP central organization and the local Finnish expatriate community. In practice this mean writing and distributing regular newsletters to the regional member organizations, participating in the events in the local community, Organizing the annual Regional meetings, usually in conjunction with a national Finnish-Canadian cultural Festival and , of course, writing regular items for the regional Finnish newspapers. CBK: What would you consider the greatest achievements of the FEP? VJY: 1. Profile of the Expatriate Finns in Finland I consider by far the greatest achievement of FEP the creation of new image of the Expatriate Finn, not as a traitor or refugee, but as a valuable resource for Finland and provider of new ideas and concepts to be included into the Finnish political thinking and society in general. Without this the other, more practical achievements would not have been possible. 2. Dual citizenship On practical side, the Finland’s new Citizenship Law must be seen as the most important achievement FEP has reached. We brought concept, ideas and needs into the debate in the Finnish Government that fundamentally changed – for the better – the text of the law. As a sequel of this, we now must continue our struggle to make the costs of the dual citizenship more reasonable. The expense of this step now has been too high for many families to even think of becoming Finnish citizens again. This struggle began as soon as the new costs became known, and has continued since. 3. Taxation of the pensions paid from Finland Taxation at the source has been a sore spot for many retired Finns. Not only is the tax percentage too high, but it is same for all pensions causing an uneven burden to the pensioners. On the Fourth Plenary Session, Minister of Finance, Ulla-Maija Wideroos reported that changes in the making: Government is going to bring to the Parliament new law which fundamentally changes the taxation system for the pensions paid from Finland to the retirees living abroad. The general tone of the new law closely follows the principles presented by the FEP and thus proves the importance of the Finnish expatriate community to and in Finland. Our voice is heard and it has generated positive responses 4. Seniors’ Care. The sunset years of the Finnish expatriates have problems that were not widely known in Finland until FEP presented them. The care of seniors in Finnish language has been a rare entity, now it is becoming more common and has received practical help from Finland, mainly in the form of active and ongoing student exchange programs. The ideas in the seniors’ care developed in Canada have been noted in Finland and are incorporated at the conceptual level to the seniors’ care in Finland. 5. Finnish Language Schools. Canada has the honour of having the world’s first supplementary Finnish Language School in Toronto. From this has naturally followed the Canada’s leading role in the Parliament’s work in identifying problems, finding solutions and reporting of the successes in the teaching of Finnish Language and Culture. Again, these experiences have spread throughout the world using the channels provided by FEP 6. Continuation of the SW transmissions from Finland and expansion of the satellite services. FBC/YLE has planned for long time to discontinue its SW broadcasts to the areas where most old Finnish expatriates live. This would effectively cut off their last remaining daily link with Finland. Very few Finnish seniors abroad have an access to the internet. FEP has been effectively lobbying the BOD of YLE and succeeded at least in delaying the cuts and in encouraging to find other viable alternatives.. CBK: Who are some of the other prominent Finnish-Canadians that you work with? VJY: Niilo Saari from Sudbury, my personal deputy. Professor Börje Vähämäki (University of Toronto) Professor Varpu Lindström Representatives of all member organizations of the FEP, mainly in Toronto and Ontario. Editors of the Finnish weekly newspaper Vapaa Sana in Toronto. CBK: Do you meet often, and when you do, what do you discuss? VJY: We do not meet often enough, usually only in conjunction of other events and cultural festivities. Annual regional meetings offer a good opportunity to interface with many Finns not usually seen in the run of everyday life. Thus far, the dual citizenship and its implications to the local Finnish-Canadian community have been the natural topics of discussion. I expect that with the evolution of the role of FEP the topics of interest will increase, become more diverse, and more discussion will follow. As of now, FEP is still somewhat remote to the local Finns, who have not yet experienced or tested this new information channel. One of my main roles as the Deputy Speaker is to correct this and make the potential of FEP known to all Finns in Canada. CBK: I understand that one of your major goals was met in 2003, allowing expatriate Finns (and foreigners living in Finland) to have dual citizenship. How would you comment on that issue? VJY: As stated above this has been the most significant practical achievement of FEP. The persisting sore spot has been and still is the incomprehensible high fee levied for the declaration to accept the natural birthright of any Finn anywhere in the world: to become a Finnish citizen again. This was an arbitrary decision, based on wrong assumptions. Fortunately FEP has succeeded in bringing this in to the thinking of the Finnish Government and in creating the pressure to find a more realistic solution. One reduction has already been implemented, but more, much more is needed. The number of applications will remain low unless the costs are decreased or preferably eliminated completely. FEP is going to pressure the Finnish Government to reach this goal. Unless the changes are made the hidden potential of the Finnish Expatriate community in the world remains underutilized in Finland. Dual citizenship has practical implications for younger Finns. It opens the postgraduate level of education as well as employment possibilities not only in Finland but also in EU. This may justify some of the costs. For senior citizen the Finnish (EU) passport has a more sentimental meaning. For those the cost is way too high, when the real practical benefits are not that tangible. When sentiments and money compete, money always wins. CBK: What are some of the more important issues the FEP is discussing these days? VJY: 1. Taxation at the source 2. Seniors’ Care 3. Finnish Language Schools 4. Reduction or elimination of the Citizenship levy 5. Communication channels – Radio and TV broadcasts to all Expatriate Finns in the world CBK: How do you think Finns (in Finland) see Canada today? VJY: I have had very little direct contact with the Finns in Finland; I would like to guess that hockey equals Canada for most Finns. Unfortunately, in other areas, Canada is still linked with USA in the public opinion in Finland – a totally wrong linkage. CBK: How do Canadians see Finland today? VJY: Finland is still a remote, Nordic country with strong, silent citizens surviving in the harsh environment (sic!). I did not understand the reason of this until I realized that Helsinki is at the same latitude and Churchill, Manitoba, the Polar Bear Capital of the world. The rest of Finland is NORTH of that and therefore it must be barren and desolate. This may – or may not – be the public image, more informed citizens see Finland as a part of Scandinavia, Europe, western world, with exquisite design, architecture and science. Still, old images fade slowly. CBK: What would you say Canada and Finland have in common? VJY: As one member of a Rotary Club in Toronto said to me in 1967 during my very first visit to Canada: “Your problematic neighbour is east of you, ours is south of us” – Political and economical realities have many parallels indeed. Scenery in Ontario, especially in Muskoka, is very similar to the Finnish Lake District - only 100 times bigger. Both Finland and Canada have changed to the same direction, from the resource society to the manufacturing, research and production society. As the links in the research improve, we will find many similarities between Finland and Canada, similar problems and hopefully similar solutions – we do not have to reinvent the wheel. CBK: How could relations between Finland and Canada be developed further? VJY: We need more communication at the grass roots level, between people, not between Governments and institutions. We must create regular direct travel connections between Canada and Finland, between Toronto and Helsinki, provided by Finnair in cooperation with Air Canada and other international carriers. Even I must use British Airways to fly to Finland via Heathrow, London to attend twice a year the meeting of the FEP Speakers’ Council. A service that does not exist is not used! We must make Finland more visible in Canada and Canada more visible in Finland. CBK: Any other comments? VJY: I think I have said enough…
Interview with Niilo Saari Carmen Boudreau-Kiviaho: How long have you lived in Canada? Niilo Saari: My family immigrated to Canada in the fall of 1957 and I have lived here since then. CBK: How did you get involved with the expatriate parliament? NS: The Sudbury Finnish Rest Home Society has been a long time member of the Suomi CBK: What kind of criteria must you fulfill to be in this kind of position? NS: A delegate must be willing to work diligently towards the fulfillment of the goals of the E/Parliament while contributing to the work of such Working Group/s he/she attends. Between sessions of the E/Parliament the delegate is expected to provide information on the E/Parliament and its work in his/her home community. CBK: What kind of duties must you fulfill as a member of the FEP? NS: Since 1998 I have been selected as the "alternate" to Vice Chairman for Canada, Dr. Veli J. Ylänkö. In addition, I have had the honour of being named as the Convenor and Chair of the Senior's Working Group at the four sittings of the Parliament. CBK: What would you consider the greatest achievements of the FEP? NS: The ESP has been very successful in several areas. The most important is probably the decision by the Government of Finland to amend their Citizenship Laws to allow for dual citizenship. We have also made great strides in assistance to Finnish War Veterans where we, the organizations overseas, can offer various recreation and rehab programs to local Veterans who can no longer attend these types of sessions in Finland. Participants to these programs receive financial support from the Government of Finland. The E/Parliament has also made great strides in areas of Finnish Language services to seniors, Taxation, Pensions etc. CBK: Who are some of the other prominent Finnish-Canadians that you work with? NS: Dr. Veli and Anneli Ylänkö from Toronto, Maire Laurikainen and Maija Ceming from Sudbury. I am also involved with several other Non-Profit organizations and am in contact with Finnish Honourary Consuls in our area. CBK: Do you meet often, and when you do, what do you discuss? NS: Our meetings are mainly by happenstance when we meet at various Finnish Functions in the area. Several of us are in contact by e-mail. Most recently we have been discussing and planning for the 2nd North American Finn Grandfest to be held in Marquette, Michigan from August 10-14, 2005. We are also all interested in the future of our Finnish-Canadian community as well as the care of our elderly. CBK: I understand that one of your major goals was met in 2003, allowing expatriate Finns (and foreigners living in Finland) to have dual citizenship. How would you comment on that issue? NS: I think that the availability of dual citizenship for expatriate Finns is a wonderful opportunity for youth abroad as well as the people and Government of Finland. Numerous young people of Finnish heritage have wished to be able to study and/or work in Finland and Europe but have been prevented from doing so due to Visa and residency requirements. The Government of Finland, through this action, gains access to a large energetic group of Finns (although foreign born they consider themselves Finns) with skills and contacts that are extremely valuable in our growing global markets. CBK: What are some of the more important issues the FEP is discussing these days? NS: Given the age of our main group of immigrants, the E/Parliament must focus its attention on the youth and its role in the future. Unfortunately, although the work of the E/Parliament has been deemed very successful, there remains some opposition to membership in the ESP. The challenge for the ESP is to convince these groups on the benefits of ESP membership for all Expatriate Finns. CBK: How do you think Finns (in Finland) see Canada today? NS: I think Finns see Canada in a very favourable light. Many have relatives here or have studied/worked in Canada. Canada's role as a "Northern Country" is also familiar to many Finns. CBK: How do Canadians see Finland today? NS: Canadians have a very positive outlook on Finland. Many have studied/worked with/lived near Finns and know them as honest, hard working people. Finnish hockey players have also contributed to the positive outlook. CBK: What would you say Canada and Finland have in common? NS: The climate and geography are very much alike, especially in Northern Ontario. The Social climate is also very much alike. CBK: How could relations between Finland and Canada be developed further? NS: I think each country should investigate further the value of increased bilateral trade. There is also great benefit in Finnish companies accessing the USA through Canada and the same could be said for Canadian companies wishing to access Europe. Even though most people profess knowledge of the other's country, increased tourism between Finland and Canada would further cement our already very good ties. |
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| • Updated: June 30, 2006 |
Canadian Representatives of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament interviewed by the FCS
The Finnish Expatriate Parliament held its last plenary session in Helsinki from May 26-29, 2005. Expatriate Finns from all over the world descended on Helsinki for four days of sessions. Currently some 428 organizations from 33 countries have ratified the by-laws of the Parliament. Some of the board members of the Finnish-Canadian Society were able to meet some of the Canadian representatives. In June, Chair Carmen Boudreau-Kiviaho interviewed Toronto-native Veli J Ylänkö who is the Deputy Speaker for the Region of Canada in the Finnish Expatriate Parliament and his Deputy Niilo Saari who is from Sudbury. You’ll be enlightened by many issues that these two men touch on in their work with the FEP. Find out more about the Finnish Expatriate Parliament on the web at: