Prime Minister encourages to be active

The scout movement has, according to the Finnish Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi, plenty of valuable information to give for children and youth. She closely follows the scouting activities and knows well also the value of the international aspect of the movement.

The recently elected Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi is delighted to hear that there has been discussions on making a difference in the society, at the Kilke camp.

According to the international ICCS-research published at the end of June, the knowledge of Finnish youth about society is among the best in the world. We can be proud of this, Mari Kiviniemi says. A worse news is that youth in Finland are themselves not very interested in participating in the decisions in the society.
- You scouts learn in your troops to bear responsibility and at a very young age. Your Kilke Finnjamboree is a great example of a large memorable event that has mainly been organized by youth for youth.
- From scouting, you will have good basis for taking responsabilities and acting also in the surrounding society. The founder of the scout movement Robert Baden-Powell focused well his thoughts in his motto: "Try to leave this world a little bit better than you found it".

The full benefit of the international aspect

600 of the campers are foreigners.
- The experience of sharing your tent and meal with a foreign scout friend is the best possible education for the everyday international aspect, Mari Kiviniemi says.
- I am glad that you have received scouts from 30 different countries. Nine days at the camp and the home hospitalities after this will open you interesting views on different countries and cultures. Many of you will undoubtedly make friends in other countries, the friendships lasting throughout your life.

The international aspect has always been close to the heart of Mari Kiviniemi.
- Already as a child, I had the possibility to travel abroad with my family. During the high school years I was twice an exchange student in Germany and I was on Interrail throughout Europe with my backpag.

Soon Kiviniemi, knowing several languages, had the possibility to take responsibilities in several organisations, thus leading to strengthened international contacts and making them part of her daily life.
- For example, I remember well how in the beginning of the nineties, when I was the deputy chairman of Allianssi (Finnish Youth Cooperation), we worked together with the Guides and Scouts of Finland and your European region for enabling scouting in Russia and in other our neighbouring areas.

When speaking of international scouting, Mari Kiviniemi again underlines the aspect of making a difference.
- The scout movement does important work for building a free civic society all over the world and the international development cooperation made within the scouting movement enhances, for its part, the conditions of life of the poors. It is natural that your development projects are mainly focused on improving the education and well-being of children and youth.

A link to the history of Finnish scout movement

The Prime Ministers' own connections to the scout movement are however not limited to the international forums.
- The main ideals of the scout movement are close to my own ideals. I believe that the scout movement is one of the main counterforces for the passive "not my business"-thinking.

Mari Kiviniemi has followed the scout movement actively both through her own activites as well as through her scouting friends.
- And even our family has a connection to the early days of scouting: my husbands grandfather was Verneri Louhivuori, the long-term chairman of the Finnish Scouts and an honorary scout. It was nice to see that the family camp of your Kilke camp has been named after him.

Text: Heikki Hakala