Politiikkaseminaarit / Policy Seminars

Kehitystutkimuksen seura järjestää politiikkaseminaareja säännöllisesti. Tapahtuman tarkoituksena on pureutua ajankohtaisiin kehityskysymyksiin, luoda dialogia eri kehitystoimijoiden välille, avata uusia näkökulmia kehitystutkimukseen sekä tavata jäseniä vapaamuotoisen keskustelun parissa.

FSDR organises policy seminars on regular basis. The aim of the seminars is to discuss topical development related issues, create dialogue between different actors, open new perspectives to development policy and research, and to meet FSDR members.

Policy Dialogue 2024: Finland’s Development Policy for Today: Past Lessons, Future Visions

The recent government plans and actions for Finland’s development policy have alarmed development practitioners and researchers alike. In this Policy Dialogue, we gather speakers from the parliament, government, third sector, and academia, to discuss the recent development policy trajectories and their future implications.

Event structure and resource persons:

INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE: Bonn Juego (Chair, Finnish Society for Development Research & Senior Lecturer, University of Jyväskylä)

PANELISTS:

  • Kimmo Kiljunen (Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of Finland)
  • Juha Savolainen (Director-General, Department for Development Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
  • Marikki Karhu (Secretary-General, Development Policy Committee)
  • Ilmari Nalbantoglu (Director of Advocacy, Fingo)

MODERATOR: Eija Ranta (Academy of Finland Research Fellow, University of Helsinki)

See the recording of the online event on YouTube.

 

2021: The Politics of Conflict and Development: Myanmar, Ethiopia and Palestine in Focus

When: 19th November 2021, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Where: Tampere University, Linna building (lecture hall Väinö Linna), Kalevantie 5.
Zoom: Zoom link will be provided to those registered day before the event

This seminar provides an in-depth analysis of the complex power dynamics and longer-term trajectories that underpin conflicts dominating the media headlines. The three speakers are internationally prominent experts who have carried out long-term field research in Myanmar, Ethiopia and Palestine. In addition to shedding light to the situated conflict dynamics, the event aims at identifying resonance: 1) in the shifting (in)visibilities and temporalities from slow to fast and immediate violence, 2) in the ways conflicts are entangled with access to and control over resources, and 3) in the aspirations for self-rule and complicated state formation processes.

After the presentations we expect to have lively discussion with perspectives from scholars, peace-movement activists and other civil society representatives and policy-makers.

Program:
10:00-11:00 Presentations
• Opening remarks by Mira Käkönen (FSDR) and Hanna Tuominen (FPRA)
Kevin Woods (East-West Center, University of Hawai’i): Transformation of Resource Conflicts and Rebellion in Myanmar from Ceasefires to Military Coup
Gutu Wayessa (University of Helsinki): State building, Development, and Conflict in Ethiopia
Mikko Joronen (Tampere University): Politics of speed in Palestine
11:00-12:00 Q&A, Discussion and Dialogue
• Chaired by Marjaana Jauhola (University of Helsinki)

Further information: Mira Käkönen (mira.kakonen@tuni.fi) and Karim Maiche (karim.maiche@tuni.fi)
Organisers: Finnish Society for Development Research and Finnish Peace Research Association together with the Tampere University
Facebook event

2020: Financing for Sustainable Development in Africa
Africa’s prominence as the main development partner of Finland and the European Union is becoming ever more evident. Within the past five months, both the Government of Finland and the new President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, have announced that they will start drafting respective new Africa strategies. With the importance of Africa and financing for sustainable development on the rise, we want to ask:
– Is there a shared vision between the EU, Finland and Africa on development financing?
– Where is the geographic and sectoral added value of Finland’s and EU’s development financing in Africa?
– How can we ensure that the financing strengthens democratic principles and respects human rights?
– Where private sector financing can and should be leveraged?
– What is the role of civil society organizations in this puzzle?
– How to effectively bridge development research and the new policy initiatives?
The event invites academics, policy and decision makers and civil society representatives to debate how the future relations between Africa and Finland and the EU should evolve.

PROGRAMME
09:00 Welcoming words
09:05 Africa on the rise in Finnish Foreign Policy
Johanna Sumuvuori, State Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
09:20 The EU-Africa Puzzle: Reflections from the Africa Platform
Paul Okumu, Secretary General, the Africa Platform
09:45 Financing for Sustainable Development and Partnerships in Africa – Panel discussion
Saara-Sofia Sirén, Member of Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Development Policy Committee
Gutu Wayessa, University lecturer, Development Studies, University of Helsinki
Leena Vastapuu, Visiting researcher, Tampere Peace Research Institute
Jannika Ranta, Senior Adviser, Confederation of Finnish Industries
Katja Ahlfors, Director, Unit for Development Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Paul Okumu Secretary General, the Africa Platform
The panel discussion is moderated by journalist Reetta Räty. The seminar will be held in English.
Further information: Marikki Stochetti (marikki.stocchetti@formin.fi), Mira Käkönen (mira.kakonen@helsinki.fi)

The video of the event can be watched here: https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/unitube/video/21249
Facebook event
Blog

2018: Human meets Machine – bright or bleak future?

Thursday 18 October 2018, 13:00-16:00 hrs. Tiedekulma, Yliopistonkatu 4, Helsinki. The seminar will be held in English.

Digitalisation advances forcefully, renews industries and services, offering numerous opportunities to everyday life. Automation may profoundly transform global labour markets. Will democracy disappear in a control society made possible by the total reach of Internet? Will singularising artificial intelligence enable sustainable development or is it a seed of catastrophe? How will the so called Fourth Industrial Revolution affect the Global South?

The organizers are Development Studies, University of Helsinki, Finnish Society for Development Research, Pekka Kuusi Ecofoundation, and Demos.

Part 1: Technology, surveillance and democracy

Speakers: Dr. Matti Aksela, F-Secure, Dr. Elina Sinkkonen, Senior Research Fellow, FIIA, Dr. Michael Laakasuo, University of Helsinki, Prof. Barry Gills, University of Helsinki

Part 2: Technology, labour and development

Speakers: Prof. Samuel Jones, WIDER, Doctoral candidate Anna Salmivaara, University of Helsinki, Dr. Nikodemus Solitander, Hanken Svenska Handelshögskolan, Dr. Franklin Obeng-Odoom, University of Helsinki

The event will be chaired by Lyydia Kilpi, Finnish Society for Development Research
Facebook

2017: Private-sector driven development: Views from Academia and Activists

Time: Wednesday, the 7th of June, 13.00-16.00
Place: House of Science and Letters, Kirkkokatu 6, Hki (Hall 505; 5th floor, lift available)

This seminar, organized by the Finnish Society for Development Research, will explore the drivers and implications of the current “private turn” in development policy and aid practice. The global Agenda 2030 for sustainable development is paving the way for an increased role of the private sector in development. In Finland, the government has made substantial budget cuts in development cooperation, while the funds channeled to the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation (Finnfund) were raised to record height. The seminar addresses questions that are widely discussed among development scholars and activists, Including: Is the private sector taking over the development agenda? How should this private turn be understood in relation to trade policies? Can profit driven activities work for the impoverished? Is knowledge production on development being challenged in new ways? How are development researchers and activists reflecting upon their position and working agendas amidst these changes? Is there a need for new kinds of north-south solidarities and links between researchers and civil society actors?

PROGRAMME

13.00-14.30:

Business as usual is bad for development: the case of tax responsibility in Finnfund’s forest fund,
Sonja Vartiala, Finnwatch

New instrumentalism in development finance, Matti Ylönen, University of Helsinki

The new private turn in Nordic development cooperation: A question of ethics or opportunities?,
Dr. Bonn Juego, University of Jyväskylä

Commentators:
Dr. Marikki Stocchetti, Development policy committee
Dr. Zerfu Hailu, Finnish Agri-Agency for Food and Forest Development (FFD)
Prof. Barry Gills, University of Helsinki

14.30-16.00:

A roundtable discussion with the speakers and commentators. Seminar participants are encouraged to take part in the debate. Moderated by Dr. Minna Hakkarainen, the chair of FSDR.

Registration by 1.6.2017: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/80125/lomake.html
Contact person: Mira Käkönen, mira.kakonen@helsinki.fi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1399923093380403/

 

See a blog post written by a FSDR board member Dr Bonn Juego on the Nordic perspective to the theme of the Summer Days 2017, private-sector driven development, here.

 

17.5.2016 At the interface between arts and development
Taiteen ja tieteen, erityisesti kehitysmaatutkimuksen, rajapinnoista keskustelemassa olivat Kukka Ranta (HY), Antti Erkkilä (ISY) sekä Riikka Bado. Keskustelua johdatti Petter Korkman Tiuku ry:stä.

 

20.5.2015 Development research meets development cooperation
Keskustelemassa kehitystutkimuksen ja kehityspolitiikan rajapinnoista olivat Sari Lehtiranta (UM), Riitta Launonen (Suomen Akatemia), Outi Hakkarainen (Kepa/CRASH) ja Irmeli Mustalahti (ISY/LYY).

 

10.6.2014 Career in development
Tapahtumassa keskusteltiin kehitys- ja kehitysmaatutkimuksen opintojen jälkeisestä työelämästä Suomessa ja kansainvälisesti. Se järjestettiin yhdessä Kehitysmaatutkimuksen alumniyhdistyksen kanssa.