Åland 2022 - Vision Booklet for Organisers

VISION BOOKLET

CALL FOR ORGANISERS Åland 2022 - 28th National Session of EYP Finland

THE SESSION Host city: Mariehamn, Åland Session dates: 2.–7.8.2022 (2.8. being the CMOJ day held in Turku) Organiser weekend dates: 20.–22.5.2022, 27.–29.5.2022 or 3.–5.6.2022

ÅLAND The Åland Islands (Åland in Swedish and Ahvenanmaa in Finnish) are a number of smaller islands located between the coast of Finland and Sweden.

Although Åland belongs to Finland, its mainland is actually closer in proximity to Sweden. Åland was granted autonomy and declared a demilitarised zone by the League of Nations in 1920. In addition to allowing the citizens of Åland to primarily govern themselves, with little intervention from the Finnish government, Åland also has its own post stamps and anthem. Åland only has one official language, Swedish, as opposed to the Finnish mainland where both Swedish and Finnish are official languages.

The Åland Islands are a largely unexplored region for EYP Finland, which is why Åland 2022 will be the first ever Session to be held on the island. Due to the remote nature of the island, recruiting and establishing a members base on the island is challenging. Åland 2022 - 28th National Session of EYP Finland will allow youth from Åland to more easily take part in the event and engage in the organisation.

This year Åland will celebrate its 100th anniversary between July 9th and 12th.

THE CORE ORGANISER TEAM

Yannika Rönnqvist (FI) Head Organiser

Amanda Häkkinen (FI) Core Organiser

Mira Engström (FI) Core Organiser

Vilhelm Hayen (SE) Core Organiser

THE THEME

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Islands of Peace: Fostering intergovernmental cooperation and maritime sustainability in the Baltic Sea Region

The theme of the session revolves around the Baltic Sea, the unique region around it as well as the cooperation between different states and different actors.

The Baltic Sea is the most polluted sea in the world. In addition to an abundance of waste, other key problems include drug and hormone residue as well as blue green algae. In order to tackle these problems the countries in the region have to work together to reach a common solution. Furthermore, the Baltic region has a huge potential for growth, development, and innovation in other areas which can be enhanced by cross-border cooperation.

AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SESSION As the Session theme will highlight the Baltic Sea, one of the most polluted seas in the world, we want to consider our environmental footprint when organising the Session. In order to limit our carbon footprint as much as possible we encourage participants to refrain from any kind of printing and use of paper. To implement this we would wish that the Academic Team would consider executing Committee Work entirely through online tools such as Flinga and Miro.

Other measures planned to be taken to limit our carbon footprint during the Session is to only serve vegetarian food, recycle, as well as limit the usage of disposable containers and cups as much as possible.

VISION FOR THE ORGANISER TEAM The Organiser Team The Organiser Team will consist of one Head Organiser, three Core Organisers, and twelve Organisers (note that this number may change depending on the quality and quantity of applicants as well as our logistical needs for the Session). We are primarily looking for Finnish or Swedish-speaking Organisers, however, a portion of the Organiser Team will also consist of international Organisers.

Working groups The Core Organiser Team, led by the Head Organiser Yannika Rönnqvist, consists of Amanda Häkkinen, Mira Engström, and Vilhelm Hayen. Each member of the Core Organiser Team will be responsible for their own portfolio during the pre-session preparation. Each Organiser will be divided into different teams corresponding to these portfolios, each team led by a different member of the Core Organiser Team.

Buddy groups In addition to leading a working group focusing on different parts of the pre-session preparations, the Core Organiser Team will each lead an emotional buddy group. The objective of the buddy groups is to provide the organisers with a platform for expressing themselves and emotionally digesting the stressful environment a Session can entail.

Organiser Weekend on Åland in May/June In order to train the Organisers and prepare them for the Session we deemed it important to have an in-person organiser weekend before the Session. The organiser weekend is planned to take place on Åland during a weekend in May or June (potential dates are 20.–22.5.2022, 27.–29.5.2022 or 3.–5.6.2022). The Organiser Team will first gather in Turku and then take the ferry to Åland together. Travel reimbursement for travelling to Turku will be provided. While participation in the weekend is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged as this is an important chance for the whole Organiser Team to get familiar with the location of the Session as well as build team spirit within the team.

Open communication Open communication is something that we strongly value both within the Organiser Team and the Officials Team as a whole. We believe open communication and transparency can greatly contribute to a healthy work environment as well as prevent potential intra- and interteam conflicts.

ORGANISER APPLICATION QUESTIONS 1. What skills and personality traits do you have that would make you an asset to the Organising Team of Åland 2022? What weaknesses would you like to work on and how can Åland 2022 aid you at overcoming them? (max. 300 words) 2. Think of a possible problem the Organising Team of Åland 2022 face during the Session and present your solution to it (max. 250 words) 3. What creative ideas or innovations can you suggest to incorporate the unique location and theme of the session into the event? (200 words)