Tag: Global Finland

Global Finland – How Can a Global Climate Catastrophe Be Avoided?

by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Business, Change Management, CSR, Digital Marketing, Global Economics, Responsible Investing, Thought Leadership

Global Finland, communication unit for development of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, arranged a summer school day in Pori on July 16th, 2014. 

Pori Theatre

 

Agenda of the day: 

10-10:15 a.m. Opening

Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto and rap artist Signmark

10:15-11:15 a.m. Can Climate Catastrophe Be Avoided?

Rachel Kyte, The World Bank

Jukka Uosukainen, UNEP

Kaisa Kosunen, Greenpeace

11:20-12:00 Workshops

1) Why is democracy needed? Demo

2) Human rights and taxes in developing countries – The ABC of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). SASK and FinnWatch. 

3) The World Post 2015. UNA of Finland and UN Youth of Finland. 

12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-13:25 A World of Conflicts – Is Peace a Utopian Dream?

Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto

13:30-14:45 Workshops

1) Somalia/Finn Church Aid actalliance

2) Syria and exile/Red Cross Finland

3) Middle East/CMI (Crisis Management Initiative/Martti Ahtisaari Centre)

15:00-16:30 New Challenges of Finland´s Foreign Policy

Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja,

Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto, 

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Leena Toivakka, and 

Researcher Hiski Haukkala. The discussion was lead by Press Counsellor Leena Brandt. 

Can Climate Catastrophe Be Avoided?

Notes taken based upon the discussion: 

– In terms of Climate Technology, a positive signal is that technologies are available, although we are running out of time.

– The public sectors and governments must take the initiative, but of course also the private sector and corporations need to take action.

– A New Green Economy (renewable energy sources) is emerging, and the time of negotiations is hectic at the UNEP which is also serving developing countries, and (thanks to which) whole new bodies have been found in order to accelerate development.

– Implementation must be taken care of quickly, all over the world, since we are running out of time. 

– Climate change has to be fought against in order to assure prosperity for everyone.

– In the past 20 years, remarkable improvements have been made in terms of pollution control (see e.g. OzonAction Programme). 

– Incentives must be taken in the economy, both on macro and micro levels. Currently not even the G20 discuss the topic enough. The IMF and finance ministers of the world do discuss to some extent, although not enough. 

– NGO ́s need to create change and pressure. 

– The coal boom of China is coming to an end faster than thought since people understand their need of clean air.

– The trends of alternative energy sources are amazing, and costs are coming down fast. The amount of wind energy worldwide has tripled in a short period of time, and solar energy is now used tenfold. 

– Paris 2015 deal? => End of fossil fuel era? The breakthrough of renewables is now unstoppable. 

– Consumers can create pressure by expressing their opinions, and providing politicians with constructive feedback. Networks can be helpful when communicating needs. There are many ways of influencing.

– There are many new faces in the climate scene throughout societies. 

– Change can be made visible through education. Long-term decisions need to be made NOW. Children can also teach their parents e.g. in terms of recycling. Students change their own schools and universities through demanding renewables.

– Correct choices must be made in politics, although e.g. in Finland there are not so many environmentalists in the parliament. However, more and more climate groups exist on a national level and people are more busy acting than debating. 

– EU 2030: More radical actions needed. 

– Business coalitions (e.g. Richard Branson ́s coalition of companies). 

Pori, Finland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UN Millennium Development Goals: III. Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women

by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Business Ethics, Change Management, Female Leadership, Thought Leadership, UN Millenium Development Goals

The third UN MDG (Millennium Development Goal) is concerned with promoting gender equality and empowering women. As sad as it sounds, on both global and national levels, we are far from having reached this goal. On the current agenda, however, the empowerment of women around the world is in a key position.

The goal, in general, means:

-Improving girl ́s participation in education around the world

-Increasing the amount of women in work life

-Increasing the amount of women in parliaments

Currently, two-thirds of all illiterates globally are girls or women. Child mortality numbers are highest in countries where girl ́s educational levels are at their lowest.

  • The human rights declaration guarantees equal rights for both women and men.
  • Gender differences in primary schooling have narrowed down, however, gender equality at all educational levels worldwide has still not been reached.
  • Women account, on a global level, for about 40 % of all workforce involved in other than agricultural work.
  • The major part of unpaid household work, worldwide (even in developed countries), is taken care of by women.
  • 70 % of all poor worldwide are women.
  • Only 1 % of all wealth worldwide is currently in the hands of women.
  • Under 20 % of all leading positions worldwide are held by women.
  • The number of women in parliament is about 20 % worldwide => large regional differences.
  • At whole, the situation is at its worst in Southern and Western Asia and in Africa.

(Source: UNA of Finland. Printed material. 2014).

In order to accelerate the promotion of gender equality worldwide and the empowerment of women everywhere, the UN General Assembly created UN Women in 2010. UN Women comprises:

– Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)

– International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)

– Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI)

– United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

and its main roles are:

– Supporting inter-governmental bodies

– Helping member states in the implementation of these standards

– Holding the UN system accountable for its own commitments

Despite of the hard work and the progress in improving the lives of women worldwide, there is still a huge amount of work ahead in helping women all over the world e.g. in getting access to decent work and in abolishing violence and discrimination.

(UN Women. Quoted 7.5.2014).

According to Helsingin Sanomat (25.10.2013) and the World Economic Forum (Quoted 7.5.2014), the world’s most equal countries (top 10) are currently:

  1. Iceland
  2. Finland
  3. Norway
  4. Sweden
  5. Philippines
  6. Ireland
  7. New Zealand
  8. Denmark
  9. Switzerland
  10. Nicaragua

(World Economic Forum. The Global Gender Gap Report 2013. Quoted 7.5.2014).

According to the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2013, progress in gender equality has been made in 80 % of the 136 countries researched. The top most equal countries are, however, still 20 % behind from full gender equality. Indicators include: participation in politics, economic equality, rights to participate in education and access to healthcare. Progress in equality was not made in the Middle-East and North Africa: especially in Yemen the situation for women, according to the WEF, is bad. (Helsingin Sanomat 25.10.2013. Quoted 7.5.2014).

Global Finland, the platform for development communication of the Foreign Ministry of Finland, indicates that development does not take place without gender equality. Women are needed throughout societies in order to operate with full efficiency. Educating and employing women enhances the welfare of families and accelerate the growth of prosperous societies. Scary enough, more women between the ages 15-44 get killed and become disabled by violence than by cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and wars together. 80 % of all human trafficking victims are women, and they usually end up becoming sex slaves or prostitutes. (Global Finland. Quoted 7.5.2014).

There are enormous problems, sometimes deeply rooted in cultural behavior, that still need to be solved before the world is fully equal for both sexes. Luckily, the UN, many other organizations and people work hard to enhance gender equality.

  • Can you think of ways to improve conditions on a regional and national level?
  • What actions can you take to make sure that this basic human right of gender equality is fulfilled?

WHEN EACH ONE OF US (BOTH MEN AND WOMEN) COMMITS TO TAKING THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TOWARDS REACHING GENDER EQUALITY, WE WILL REACH THE GOAL.