An Islands Discussion Forum Established on the Web
The association Finlands öar rf – Suomen saaret ry (FÖSS) initiated in autumn 2008 the project Stepping Stones – Development Plans for Hamlets on Small Islands. The idea of the project is to enhance the ability of island inhabitants to gain influence and to support them in their efforts to organise themselves, e.g. by means of participation in the activities in the context of hamlet development planning. Stepping Stones is a pilot project incorporating five islands. The project also takes up the idea of trying out new working methods with respect of hamlet development planning, among them the use of discussion forums on the Internet.
On the Stepping Stones web site, which is a part of the FÖSS web site, you will be able to find, besides information about the project itself, the discussion forums of the participating islands: Vänö (municipality of Kimitoön), Nötö (Väståboland), Ruotsalainen (Naantali), Palva (Naantali) and soon also Borstö (Väståboland). On these forums island inhabitants will be able to consider their development plans for the hamlets, their ideas for development, and to exchange opinions about the way of life on the islands and about its prerequisites in general. On the forums will all island people, round-the-year inhabitants as well as leisure time dwellers and tourists have an opportunity to attend and to express their island-connected opinions and thoughts.
A general discussion forum, covering the topics of island development and hamlet development planning has also been set up on the Stepping Stones web site. Thus, it is high time to visit the site, if you already have not done it: www.foss.fi/steppingstones
Meeting with Cabinet Minister Stefan Wallin on 13 February 2009
The chairperson and the secretary of FÖSS met with the Minister of Culture and Sports, Mr. Stefan Wallin, in Helsinki on 13th February 2009. During the meeting we continued the exchange of views, initiated in the autumn of 2008, about the issue of earmarked State appropriations for the island areas, and also about a possibility to acquire general Government budget allocation for our work.
As regards the earmarked appropriations for the island areas, there is no need to worry, according to Mr. Wallin, since the recently elected municipal councillors in the municipalities that partly constitute of islands hardly will risk to lose votes of island voters, and, accordingly, it is highly probable that the appropriation moneys allocated for the island areas will not be reduced as compared with earlier periods.
As to the question of a general allocation for the association, Mr. Wallin requested us to contact the Ministry of Interior in order to find out together with it about this option. Thus, FÖSS will now take up the issue with the Ministry.
The Interreg Project Green Islands
Ms. Kristin Mattsson has, in her capacity as a representative of FÖSS, visited Sweden to discuss a joint Interreg application together with representatives of Sweden, Estonia and the Aland Islands.
Our Swedish sister organisation Skärgårdarnas Riksförbund (SRF) has been granted an award by the Baltic Sea Unit of SIDA for a pilot project to study environmental issues in the context of an island society. The pilot is being conducted by Mr. Lennart Andersson, a member of SRF. It is to be completed in June 2009. On the basis of the pilot an application will be forwarded to Interreg in October 2009, with the start of the project in 2010. This will be the initial launching of a larger project within Interreg jointly with the Aland Islands, Estonia and Sweden.
The idea of the project is to reduce effuent from sewers, to take care of all waste on islands, and to find means of saving energy. An inventory will be carried out concerning the use of energy in enterprises, in properties, on farms, and as regards cars, tractors, boat motors and mopeds. The goal is to explore how drain and water supply issues, waste management and local energy economy can be developed in small island societies. It is thought that the project will be a multiannual one with Sweden as the lead country.
The annual meeting was held at Arken in Turku on 27th March 2009 at 13 p.m. 12 members attended the meeting which was preceded by an introductory talk on democracy in the archipelago by Dr. Marko Joas, professor of public administration. The talk was followed by a discussion. Ms. Pirjo Hoffström was re-elected as the chairperson. The meeting also decided that the undersigned henceforth will be called the executive manager.
