Åland's Tony wins Singing Bees Contest

Finally!!

As i was preparing for the 3rd edition of my blog, i got a call from the Åland Tidningen. Yes, it finally came!!. The editor-in-chief surprisingly informed me that, my colum with them, will start in the coming days.
The first edition of my colum, talks about myself, my native country and also my current engagements on the Island. In my subsequent articles i wish to focus on the Swedish course for immigrants at MEDIS, the potentials within the immigrant community, initiatives on the Island geared towards supporting developing countries, among other things.
In a similar development, i am working so hard to get my online magazine off the ground. I have been to the local government, the chamber of commerce and the justice chambers to work out the registration. At the Chamber of Commerce, i had a very fruitful meeting with Sanna Boman. She offered me all the guide lines i need in getting Hej Åland registered.
My plan, is to get its started as early as possible and one of my great areas of interest is the International Island Games, coming to Åland this summer.

Island Games comes to Åland

More than 1,700 participants from 25 Islands all over the world, are expected to take part in the forthcoming Inter-Island Games, to be hosted by Åland, an autonomous Swedish speaking Island in Finland.
These games started in 1985, with the sole intention of uniting different Islands, through sports. Apart from participating in the sporting events, participants are offered the opportunity to interact and get to know each other’s culture.
It has just been revealed by the 2009 Island Games organising committee that Janne Holmen might grace the event. Janne, who is a very popular Finnish long distance runner, was born in Jomala, Åland. He now lives in Sweden with his wife and two kids.
Talking to people on Åland Islands, one will obviously realise the excitement in them, as they eagerly wait for the games to kick off. The sporting organisations on the island, are currently busy trying to scout talents and making sure they emerge victorious in the games.
Below we bring you the programe guide for the games

Friday 26th June
Nat West Warm Up Party at Games Street
Saturday 27th June
Opening ceremony at 18.30
Nat West reception
Get together at Games street . Music & food & fun
Sunday, 28 June
Fun’n’Games at Games Street
Medal ceremonies will take place at Games Street
Monday, 29 June
Fun’n’Games at Games Street
Medal ceremonies will take place at Games Street
Tuesday, 30 June
AGM
Åland reception
Fun’n’Games at Games Street
Medal ceremonies will take place at Games Street
Wednesday, 1 July
Isle of Wight reception
Fun’n’Games at Games Street
Medal ceremonies will take place at Games Street
Thursday, 2 July
Fun’n’Games at Games Street
Medal ceremonies will take place at Games Street
Friday, 3 July
Fun’n’Games at Games Street
Medal ceremonies will take place at Games Street
Saturday, 4 July
Closing ceremony at 19.30
Final Night Party follows the closing ceremony
Fun’n’Games at Games Street before the closing ceremony

Interview with Minister of Immigration Astrid Thors

This interview is culled from The Helsinki Times

Helsinki Times (HT): Does the government have an overall policy dealing with all aspects of immigration?

Astrid Thors (AT): We are in a transition period with regards to migration to Finland. Previously, immigration was due to family reasons and protection issues, i.e. refugee resettlement. But now it is changing and we see the gaps in services, the Labour Ministry and various municipal organisations and those who supply services.

HT: You speak of gaps in services. What does this mean?

AT: Most of the services concentrate on those people who cannot live on their own devices. The gaps I am talking about are information gaps, service gaps and the right and availability of language education.

HT: What is the government doing about this?

AT: We are now having a review of the integration policy. The intention is for the government to present a white paper to parliament for debate in the autumn. Many regions and municipalities need closer cooperation between employees and authorities of different sectors that are responsible for migrants.

HT: Do you believe that the current Finnish language training programmes are sufficient?

AT: In Finland, Finnish and Swedish are constitutionally recognised languages. We have more protection of Finnish because of the historic traditions of the language. We are able to receive knowledge of the domestic languages, but we are stuck with some errors in the system of language training.

HT: What do you mean by that?

AT: We have a system that looks at people who are not employed. Additionally, there is no linking of past experience of students to the type of course they take. Such linking with things like knowing at least one foreign language, tertiary education levels, and also teaching students from the same language groups, rather than mixed in with all different language groups, have to be considered.

HT: Immigrants have indicated to us that it is difficult to get into language courses. Would you agree with this?

AT: A large part of newcomers are simply not eligible for state supplied education. There is a shortage of approved courses. Also, there are other problems, like if you get employed and lose your right to government sponsored language training as a result of it.

HT: Many sources talk about the recruitment of foreigners to come work in Finland. What about those who are already here, what is the job picture?

AT: When looking at employment statistics of migrants, in the 2005 EU statistical review Finland had the highest rate of unemployment of non-Finnish residents amongst OECD nations. What are the obstacles for employment of non-Finns? I have considered three major possibilities: the immigrant’s education is not recognised due to it being a long and time consuming process, other kinds of discrimination, and the language barrier being too high.

HT: Migrants think there are improvements that can be made to government services relating to getting jobs. What is your view on that?

AT: We are worried that the human resources capabilities of the Labour Ministry are insufficient to work properly with immigrants. We need to look to use our resources more effectively.

HT: As Minister of Immigration, what is your role?

AT: My role is interesting. I have over-arching responsibility for integration policies. Resources for these policies are in one department, and the operators for these are in another one. Despite discussions, for many years we have not been able to find a better structure.


Risto Haataja - HT
John Palmen - Lehtikuva

More refugees and asylum seekers in Finland

According to information i gathered from the YLE news, the Finnish Interior Ministry is boosting funding to cope with a projected rise in the number of refugees and asylum seekers.

The news website went further to indicate that, the Ministry has reserved about 14 million euros in extra funding for municipal costs and reception centre maintenances.
Among the many people seeking asylum in Finland are underage children. The website revealed that, the ministry officials expect that 500 will arrive this year. Last month, according to them, 144 underage asylum seekers arrived in Finland.


On Åland Islands, majority of the refugees are from Iran/Kurdistan. Some of them are currently undergoing a state sponsored Swedish course at Medis, in Mariehamn.

A New World

Barack Obama voted as the first black president of the USA. America has made history!!!

" If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things
are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who
still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. ”
~ President-elect Barack Obama excerps from victory speech

Mass immigration becomes an issue in Finnish politics

Mass immigration in Finland is becoming an issue that is dividing Finnish politicians apart. The Ministry of Justice is seemingly becoming so disturbed about it and news reaching Hej Åland has indicated that they have now taken it upon themselves to instruct all newly city council officials from the recent municipal elections as to what constitites hate speech.
According to Europe News, the Finnish political elites are dumbstruck that the average Finn has voted into power, in sweeping numbers, politicians who will address the people’s concern about mass immigration. Some politicians have said that, those of them who continue to raise a serious complaint about mass immigration, are either being called a racist or entertaining racist thoughts.
Some of the politicians have indicated that they are not racist and that they are not against immigrants or immigrant groups, but against the current government politicies in regards to mass immigration as being the only solution in solving the supposed crises in the work market. They also expressed concern with the government turning a blind eye to the criminal activity amongst Finland’s immigrant community.
News monitored from YLE revealed that the minister of Justice said, anti-immigration attitudes are now presently a problem, but council leaders will be trained to censor all kinds of slander.
In this year’s municipal election there has ben a huge participation by Finns with foreign backgrounds. In Finnish law Foreign residents are entitles to vote in municipal elections and run as candidates.

Overwhelming support for Hej Åland

I was overwhelmingly happy with the many emails i received, following the publication of my blog’s first edition. It clearly manifested the willingness of the people to see new things surfacing on the Island.
A brillient youth activist on the island called Petra Granholm has this to say:-
‘ I have already spread your blog among everybody here at the Peace institute and my friends in general, and the feedback already goes along these lines: ‘the most interesting English-speaking blog on Åland I have read so far and the most interesting African on Åland’ SO KEEP BLOGGING!’
Carina Aaltonen, a renwoned woman on Åland, who i mentioned on my previous edition has this to say also:-
‘I read about your blog in Nyan and wanted to check it out. It was a great surprise to find my name on your Obamaism on Åland-post. Good luck with your aim to establish an internet-magazine and with your stay on Åland.’
Many other Åland natives and immigrants has also emailed me similar complimentary and encouraging messages.
With the positive messages i got, i have now been challenged to transform this blog into an online magazine, as mentioned in my previous edition. I have already secured a web master and he is currently working on it.
Luckily for me also, a popular young photographer on the Island has expressed her willingness to join me, in making it happen. She is prepared to volunteer and help with all the photos i may need when the online magazine hit the internet.
I am still looking for more people, to support me with my initiative. Incase, you are interested you can email me at xaritnexna@gmail.com or call 0408795270.

Free service for some Africans

Many people have been have been wondering, why some Africans don’t pay to repair their bicycles on the Island. There is a funny story attached to this, but again for some one like me, it shows how supportive some people can be.
Some where in Mariehamn, a bicycle repairer ( name witheld) has assured some African immigrants, that frequent his place, that as long as he continue to fix bicycles, he will always offer them FREE SERVICE. His main reason for doing so, is because he felt they need support in steadily settling down on the Island and becoming full flege members of the community. This sounds absolutely funny and Hej Åland intends to run an exclusive interview with the bicycle repairer, on the first edition of the online magazine.
Watch out for it!!!

A new association to support an Aids Orphnage in Kenya

A new association is in the making in Mariehamn, to support an AIDS orphanage in Kenya. As you might all know, children in Africa has been severely neglected in the response to HIV/AIDS.
According to UNAIDS estimates, last year 2 million children between the ages of 0-14 were living with HIV . Again, it has also beedn disclosed that 12.1 million children have also lost one or both parents to the AIDS epidemic.
These figures clearly shows that AIDS still remain a major problem in Africa and this is why a native of the Island, called Heidi, decided to mobilise some support in offering a helping hand to some of these children.
Heidi was born and brought up on Åland. She went to school in Norway and the United Kingdom. In the summer of 2005, she was in Kenya and worked as a volunteer on Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria. According to her, that region of Kenya is the worst affected by HIV/AIDS. There are lot of orphans on that Island and some of them live alone, without any adult to support them.
She was involved with an organisation called Kanyala Little Stars Women’s Group. This organisation is all out to support AIDS orphans by gathering money to pay their school fees, medicines among other things. The group also runs a day care centre for the youngest children.
On the 1st December is World AIDS Day all over the world. Heidi and her team intends to organise something in Mariehamn to raise some awareness about the association and getting the Island people to show solidarity to the many children in Rusinga, who needs happiness and a smile on their face.
The Red Cross and the Åland Multicultural Society has promised to support them, in organising a World Aids Day Cafe. This event is taking place at the Red Cross Building and the general public is higly invited to attend.

Popular Åland painter talks to immigrants about her work

Eva Maria Mansnerus is one of the rare painters you will find in Scandanavia. She lives on the Island in Föglö. Her works are quite brillient and unquestionably brings a smile to your face.
On Tuesday, 5th November 2008 the immigrants on the Island, learning Swedsih at Medis, were invited to an exhibition of Eva Maria’s paintings. The event was held at the Åland museum and Eva herself was there to explain the stories behind her paintings. The immigrant language students, were amazed to realised that there are lot of oral stories of history that go with each of her paintings.
Throughout the Island , EvaMaria is known for her higly crafted drawings and paintings. Some of the students described her as a well talented painter, whose paintings have lot to tell.
During a classroom discussion, majority of the students disclosed that they found the exhibition very useful. The class was divided into groups to discuss more about the paintings, focusing more on what they have learnt about Eva Maria and her work.
PS: The painting ( photo ) attached with this story was done by Amanda Chanfreau, another popular painter on the Island.

Reggae is alive on Åland

Be your own DJ, was the big event at Indigo on Saturday, 8th November 2008. It was more like a sound clash and more than ten DJs were involved. It was really an amazing event and almsot all the DJs did their best.
I was one of the DJs and guess what? I dropped some reggae tracks by stars like Morgan Heritage and Kelvin Lyttle. I was surprised that the people at Indigo, that night, enjoyed it and some of them even requested for me to burn the songs on a CD for them.
I caught up with a devoted reggae lover called Mirjam Christensen ( Queen of the Galaxy) and we had a brief chat. She is absolutely one of the wonderful peopl on the Island, who are so nice and welcoming to the foreigners living here.
Hej Åland: When did you start listening to reggae?
Mirjam: ( laughs) I dont know really. I think i’ve always like reggae, but during the last five years i’ve been a real fan.
Hej Åland: How did you get attracted to reggae?
Mirjam: I thinks it’s the feeling in the music. The flow......its makes me happy.
Hej Åland: Who are your stars?
Mirjam: I listen to many different ones and i am really bad at names ( laughs). But i can say Diego Jah, Governor Andy, SOYA...its hard to say my favorite.

I would like to thanks Mirjam and her wonderful guy Dyk for the CD and also coming to Indigo to see my performance.

Alistair
Alistair is a British living on the Island. He is also going to MEDIS learning Swedish. He was also one of the DJs at Indigo on that day. He dropped some amazing drum base and it was just thrilling. Her girlfriend was there to support and the girl friend’s brother.

First time in Indigo
It was my first time in Indigo, since i moved to Åland a couple of months ago. I have been to Dinos many times, but not Indogo. To be honest it only took me very few minutes to fall in love with the place. Its so decent, there is enough space and every thing is so organised at Indigo, BUT it can be expensive for a student to frequent that place.