In an age of online meetings, Cooperation Fair was a great way to allow organisations to network and get to know other actors in the integration field and the critical work they all do. As we had done in the previous year, we decided to hold the event on a more interactive platform, allowing participants to freely network and discuss.
We were thrilled to host this event for approximately 60 participants from various sectors, all of whom shared the goal of bringing about a better and more significant change in the field of integration. The cooperation Fair event was a great opportunity for associations from all over Finland to share their ideas and knowledge. Whether it’s asking for feedback or discussing the different point of views on the chosen themes, the point of these themes was to help the participants expand their knowledge and allow them to see things from another perspective.
Here are some of the highlights that participants made on the different themes during the discussions.
Art & Integration
- Arts may be a powerful tool for expressing one's emotions on a deeper level. Through art, people who are integrating can have a thorough knowledge of their experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Art can also pique people's interest in cultures they are unfamiliar with.
Antiracism
- Anti-racism is an essential part of a great integration plan. Racism occurs in public and private locations. Strengthening the processes and practices around creating an antiracism environment for everyone living in Finland is essential.
Families
- Family and the appropriate environment are important for a connective structuring of a person’s upbringing, with the environment providing as the background material in spiritual, and moral characteristics in which the person will be raised.
Employment & Work
- Government programs and initiatives should focus on providing employment and work opportunities for immigrants to help the process of integration in Finland.
Youth & Education
- Young people require adequate study direction to forge their own path. Appropriate guidance is especially important for persons with an immigrant background. Creating an efficient communications plan with the students’ parents provides a better educational experience for the young immigrant student.
Language
- To create a better integration process, it is important to provide different services to help you settle, find work and housing within your own language. Every public service sector should create an opportunity for immigrants to use their services in a language they understand.
Peer support
- Before, during, and after resettling in their new home nation, many refugees will encounter certain social economic pressures. Peer support groups focusing on different topics allow immigrants to have decreased feelings of isolation, build community networks and increase feelings of empowerment within the community. All these factors help with the integration process.
With the help of these themes many participants gained exposure to the people in the discussion rooms and built connections with other networks too. As an association you were not just gaining exposure to the people in the room during the event, but you are also building connections with their network too. During the Cooperation Fair event associations got the opportunity to network with others who match their organisation.
We were also delighted to have Laura Kyntölä hold a presentation about the Integration Partnership Programme. This presentation was a great way to bring more awareness on the importance of integration and inclusion by bringing together different factors. The National Partnership Programme brings together over 190 organisations to create events, cooperation opportunities and trainings supporting the work in integration field.
