Finland Times

Finland Times started its journey in a humble way on December 10, 2012. I take the pleasure to thank everybody, the readers, patrons, contributors and supporters who had been alongside Finland Times in making this first year’s journey quite memorable.

On this very special day, I recall the small resource that Finland Times had to start with. In this short period, Finland Times has been able to build trust among its readers at home and abroad.

The Finland Times has been initiated as a part of practical works of a new media project, run by University of Lapland and sponsored by the European Union. Our focus has always been on keeping our readers up-to-date with news upholding all ethical norms of journalism. Our readers would be our judges.

With our limited resources, it sometimes becomes hard to keep pace with the advancement of technology.

The positive response from the readers encouraged us to go ahead with the online newspaper that has already reached to a high online traffic ranking as per the alexa traffic ranking. The readership of the English language online newspaper is much higher compared to the number of native language newspapers by this time.

In addition to the People in Finland, residents of 173 countries visited Finland Times in the last one year, which created a big window for the people abroad who can know the regular happenings in the social, cultural, political and economic arenas in the Nordic country.

I once again thank the sponsors, the staff and the friends who are with us in our journey. And I hope that all who had supported the newspaper in achieving today’s feat will continue their assistance in reaching further heights.

Thank you all for your support with a bond.

I would like to congratulate Finland Times on its first anniversary.
We all make decisions, big and small, every day. To make right decisions we need information. I’m happy to see that Finland Times is helping the non-Finnish speakers in Finland and elsewhere to gain the information that they may need and want.

I want to wish Finland Times all the success and many more anniversaries to come.

As the chair of the Finnish Green party I would like to congratulate the Finland Times Daily.

In a globalized world it is of uttermost importance that we have high quality English language media outlets in Finland. We must be able to attract high skilled migrants in order to strengthen our economy and be able to compete with the rest of the world by making Finland an inviting place to come and live. This is not an easy task to accomplish. One cannot stress enough the importance of being able to follow current affairs for anyone who wishes to settle in Finland. We have some English language news on YLE however, this is hardly sufficient in covering the needs of the English speaking population in Finland. The Finland Times is therefore, plays a very important part in the lives of the English speaking community in Finland.

The Green party has always been a global movement and we are very happy that the Finland Times can provide quality journalism for the English speaking people living and visiting Finland.

We wish that the magazine will continue its work for years to come.

Lapin Kansa and its staff cordially congratulates the one year old Finland Times. We would also like to take the opportunity to wish you a joyful Christmas season.

On this auspicious day, I as the Mayor of Rovaniemi congratulate the Finland Times on the occasion of its first anniversary.
It is really a pleasure to see the country’s first online English newspaper make a mark in just one year.
I know that Finland Times has been successfully catering news and information of public interest which has made it popular in a very short time.
I assure you that Rovaniemi city municipality office will always be beside Finland Times’ in its journey forward.
I hope the newspaper will continue to provide its readers with up-to-date news and interesting information.
I wish Finland Times all the best and all success.

The Christian Democrats consider families, entrepreneurship and sustainable values to be the cornerstones of a healthy and flourishing society. Families are the cradle of the future and we therefore need to advance policies which support the well-being of families.
Furthermore, small and medium-sized enterprises are the key to increased employment and it is therefore imperative to create an environment where entrepreneurship is encouraged and supported.
Finally, sustainable values emanate from Europe's strong Christian heritage. Christian values have contributed significantly to the development of Finnish society and, despite increasing pressures, these values must not be forgotten. Rather, they continue to provide a solid and sustainable foundation for society.
The Christian Democratic Party of Finland is actively influencing policy-making at both the local and national levels and also at the European level We have around 300 seats in local councils around the country as well as six MP's in the Finnish Parliament. The Leader of the Party, Mrs PäiviRäsänen, holds the office of the Minister of the Interior, being responsible for internal security, immigration and church affairs. The Finnish Christian Democrats are also represented in the European Parliament by the former race walking world champion, MEP Sari Essayah.
News of budget deficits, rising unemployment and changing demographics fill the media. However, we must not lose hope in the face of such dispiriting news. We have a duty to continue to work for a brighter tomorrow for our children and grandchildren. We need a society where everyone, old and young, can look forward to the coming years with hope. We need a society with a future.
Finland Times has proved to be an important addition to the media in Finland. It is extremely important to have a reliable source of information for those who cannot follow the news in either Finnish or Swedish. As an online newspaper, Finland Times also serves an important role in transmitting news beyond our borders about current events in Finland. The Christian Democratic Party wishes Finland Times all the best for the future and a happy first anniversary!

The Multidimensional Tourism Institute (MTI) comprises tourism research at University of Lapland, the field of tourism and hospitality management at Rovaniemi UAS, and vocational education at Lapland Tourism College.

MTI aims to be the number one tourism and hospitality expert in the Arctic region.

On this cusp of Finland Times’ first anniversary MTI wishes to congratulate the publication for a successful first year.

Media is in a state of change, and people consume news in new ways.

Any study of society need to be objective to reach beyond stereotypes and alarmism, this is true both for education and public media.

Being an institute that equip tourism graduates with knowledge of the responsibilities they have in work life, MTI highlight ramifications that tourism can have on communities, the environment and different cultures.

From this perspective MTI is happy to continue providing Finland Times with informed opinions about education, tourism and hospitality, and wishes Finland Times many more successful years.

Kaleva (Newspaper and Kaleva.fi) congratulates the online English newspaper Finland Times´s anniversary. In Finland lives or visits ever more people from abroad so we need here also news in English.

Finland Times has shown by it´s short period to be a quality media and a global window of Finland.

We wishing good luck for the Finland Times!

I convey a huge congratulation to the Finland Times on the occasion of its first anniversary.

It is really an accomplished online newspaper providing news for people of all trade and profession.

I hope the experience attained, so far, will inspire all at the Finland Times to keep on marching ahead.

I am sure that Finland Times will be able to cater the need of the English readers in Finland as well as in other parts of the world.
Keep marching.

We at the Rovaniemi City corporation are happy to know that country’s first online English newspaper, Finland Times is celebrating its one year of publication.
It is remarkable to note that despite many impediments, the newspaper has been able to maintain high standard and to keep its readers update with local as well as international news.
There is a long way to go and we at Rovaniemi city believe that Finland Times would continue to uphold the journalism standards that the time demands.

I wish success of the online newspaper.

Rovaniemi City congratulates the country’s first online English newspaper Finland Times on the occasion of completing its maiden year.
We are happy to be part of the feat that the Finland Times has been able to achieve in this short period. We hope Finland Times attains new heights in the media and assure that we would be beside the newspaper in its journey forward.
Once again we wish all in Finland Times a very happy anniversary.

I extend my greetings to the staff of Finland Times and wish to congratulate you all on the first anniversary of your publication.

I think it is wonderful that there is an on-line newspaper publishing news in English about Finland, as well as other areas of interest.

I wish you every success.

Congratulations Finland Times to your first anniversary.

It is a pleasure and a honor to cooperate with the most read finish online newspaper. We keep fingers crossed that more people will recognize the comfort and the easy reading experience of Finland Times. In particular companies who wants to promote their products, services and their brands should consider the measurable and effective promotion/advertising benefit on Finish Times. On top it is environmentally friendly, therefore sustainable.

Thank you for your commitment,

Congratulations Finland Times and its editors for great work.

I am looking forward to see Finland Times grow.

As a regular reader, I wish to congratulate Finland Times for its first anniversary!Finland Times has enriched the Finnish media landscape – thank you for the first year.

Congratulations to all at the Finland Times for the feat of completing one year of publication. I congratulate for the hard earned and well done 365 days.

The Finland Times is doing a great job in keeping the English readers up-to-date with information about the world particularly the Nordic countries.

We, at New Bombay, are proud to be with the Finland Times from the very first step it made to reach at this point of its journey.

I sincerely wish that Finland Times reach new heights and earn greater laurels.

By Mostafa Iqbal Forhad

Global norm of international justice is a consistent phenomenon of justice that took shape to consider a strictly legal rational matter. In the Second World War a huge conflict of atrocities underpinned two historical judicial events as the Nuremberg Trials and Tokyo trails that accelerate the current form of Transitional Justice world-wide. The strictness of legal applications is a contemplating matter of transitional justice that intertwines democratization process and universal human rights to see justice done with the victims.

However, the holistic conception of justice supports various tools and mechanisms in transitional justice process. Firstly, Prosecutions through domestic/national, hybrid tribunals and international courts that focus on individual accused, yet these efforts also have the potential to reveal how large-scale crimes are committed and restore victims’ dignity and public confidence in the rule of law. Secondly, Truth Commission is a proactive tool of democratic stabilization in transitional justice that focuses access to records and historical diffusion of past human right violations and atrocities. Thirdly, lustration or vetting policies are sanctions, and related administrative measures are designed to punish perpetrators, prevent future violations, and distinguish the new government from prior repressive regimes by expressing clear support for accountability and fundamental human rights. Fourthly, Reparation (compensation) ensures victims right to reparations for violations of human rights and humanitarian law (Noman, Abu: 2009). States and others should provide victims with appropriate reparations for both acts and omissions resulting in past violations to provide a legal remedy and reparations form a cornerstone of establishing accountability for violations and achieving justice for victims (Bossiouni, M. Cherif, 2002). Also, Reforms of Institutions, Historical Memory, and Public/Victim Consultations mechanisms that efforts to collectively remember past human rights abuse and atrocity can contribute to a more democratic, peaceful, and just future. In these mechanisms, nation-state must concern compensation to victims, rehabilitation, acknowledgement to ensure reparatory justice and also building administration of justice, constitutional framework, and political, economic and social reform to ensure prospective justice.

However, in 1980s the development of Transitional Justice in Europe made accountable when the trails of members of the military juntas of Greece was one of the beginning initiatives of justice efforts. The dimension of specific legality in Europe is a continuous process. Transitional justice is a multidimensional long-term undertaking, defined by the EU Council document ‘Transitional Justice and the ESDP (the European Security and Defense Policy)’ as “a framework for confronting past abuse as a component of a major political transformation – from war to peace or from authoritarian rule to democracy” (Council of the EU, 2006). This undertaking may consist of judicial and non-judicial mechanisms focusing on accountability for past abuses as well as the establishment of a sustainable, just and peaceful future. The EU is strongly committed to the principles of international justice, human rights and humanitarian law, the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as to long-term peace building (EUEA Factsheets: 2012).

According to the legality, the cooperative standpoint of European policy is normative to consolidate the rule of law and democracy and forming the base of human rights and liberties (Art. 177.2 of The Maastricht Treaty and Art. 11.1 of the EU Treaty), in addition to establish transitional justice accomplishing tasks of combat forces in crisis management, peacekeeping tasks, humanitarian and rescue tasks, and peacemaking in a contemporary process (Art. 28 (a) of the EU Treaty). Prior in 1951, particularly the case in Europe the Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was adopted that relates to transitional justice dealings huge judgments and decisions with a wide range of issues, mainly compensation and restitution, but also prosecution, lustration, memory and truth, Eva Brems (2011) articulated. She added, the legacy of the World War II and Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, the war in the former Yugoslavia has definitively made attention to transitional justice that focused case law sets out a number of standards and criteria.

On the contrary, in Europe, more critically transitional justice activities are weakly applied in some European states from the viewpoints of judicial and non-judicial measurements; it is not exactly dealt with in Foreign Ministries, still just included in peace consolidation or development initiatives; positively counter hegemonic voices of the Third Sector are more concerned to enhance the accountability of transitional justice, María Avello (2007) stated.

Vis-à-vis, the existing EU regulatory framework is consisted a direct support for International Criminal Courts, ad hoc International/National Criminal Tribunals, reforming transparent democratic accountability for strengthening the rule of law, promoting the independence of judiciary, encouraging and evaluating legal and institutional reforms, and promoting access to justice (e.g. (1). Regulation of the European Parliament and Council Nº 1889/2006, December 20. 2006. (2). Regulation of the European Parliament and Council, November 15, 2006). EU adopts Agreement with International Criminal Court in December 6, 2005 and a Decision (Nº 2003/335/JHA) of EU Council regulates the investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (Jessica Almqvist: 2006).

According to European Policy initiatives, the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and Common Foreign & Security Policy (CFSP) are strategically functioned on humanitarian, rescue and peacekeeping mission by so called ¨Petersburg Missions¨ that is mainly framed as ¨civilian crisis management¨ and its function was to facilitate ties between the police force and criminal justice, a new role and one with a fairly wide scope. In this line of Transitional Justice access in Europe, it is necessary to include the fight against impunity in cases of grave international crimes as a key aspect of the creation of a European space of security and justice.

By Jasim Sarker

Finland is now a well reputed and attractive destination for higher education. An increasing number of students from around the globe are choosing Finland to pursue higher studies.

The positions in the rankings of Finnish universities are also promising in the global list of top institutions. Quality education, internationalization, study facilities and tuition free opportunity are attracting huge number of students every year.

International degree programs receiving increasing amount of applications every year. Experts opined that the government of Finland should take strong initiative to engage the foreign students in the domestic labor market. The need of international expertise in different field could create new diversity.

Despite huge protest from different political parties and also form the students’ bodies, the debate of proposed tuition fees in higher education has created a shadow on the prospecting foreign students’ studies.

Globally the numbers of the students looking for higher studies abroad are increasing. Finland could host the foreign students more for the future economic and social wellbeing.

Approximately 6 percent of students studying in the Finnish higher education level are international degree students. According to the Statistics Finland the number of foreign students is about 20,000, in addition to nearly 10,000 others who are here either on exchange programs or as internees.

The reason behind the growth in the number of foreign students is the availability of English language degrees and courses in the universities and polytechnic institutes in Finland.

The number of foreign students has increased significantly in the country in the recent years. According to the CIMO, an organization promoting International Mobility and Cooperation, the number has been doubled in the last 10 years.

About 10 per cent of the university students in Finland are foreigners who have come mainly from Russia, China, Vietnam, Nepal and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, a committee formed to assess the possibility for exporting education has proposed that tuition fees should be imposed on some specific portions of higher studies for the students from non-Euro economic zone.

The committee in its report, however, suggested that the university authorities should arrange funding or scholarship for the students from the developing countries, creating the opportunity for them to pay the tuition fees.

The strong argument against the free education for the foreign student is the tax payers’ money, and why Finland should allow foreign students to study in higher education institutions for free, while the country is still facing tough economic situation.

But the issues are, as the foreign students are coming in Finland it is also opening a new door for the economic and social wellbeing. The foreign graduates can contribute more for the country. In this point, the free higher education facility for the international students is ‘income’ and not a waste of tax payers’ money or the state expenses. But at the same time, the government should take appropriate measures for job opportunities.

xperts opined that the long-term economic advantages could be asset for the country. According to a figure of 2010, nearly 45 percent of the foreign students were working after they have graduated in Finland.

The programs for the inclusion of foreign students in the local market have been suggested by the experts.

International students are very much interested to study in Finland as it is an attractive destination for higher studies. But the concern is also about the employment. In most of the cases job opportunity for the foreign students is still not there. Students associations and international students’ organizations are continuously demanding the opening of the job market for foreign graduates. Finnish labor market should initiate strong measures to provide the opportunity.

In the current global challenge, Finland cannot stay away from the internationalization of education. In the long run, the International expertise will be asset for the country. Different cultural aspects, interaction, exchange of thoughts could be shared in a broader way. The government committee on tuition fees in higher studies has also set a target of having 60,000 foreign students by the year 2025, with the current figure standing at 20,000.

Leaders of student unions and political parties strongly criticized the proposal for imposing tuition on foreign students, after the proposal was signed by a number of lawmakers early this year.

The Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK) and the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) termed the move as “suicidal,” saying that it would close down the door to international expertise.