Vote Real Finns NOT True Finns

The Finnish women were the first in the world with the right to elect and be elected and that over a century ago at 1906. Just think that the rest of the western world followed as late as 1950s and 1960s. Finland prides to hold the top position in the list of the less corrupted countries globally, to have one of the best education systems, one of the best welfare states and one of the most secure countries all around the world. But the last decade Finland also has a very dark cloud that overshadows the country the last decade and unfortunately has veiled with a very dark shadow today’s national elections.

I have said it a lot of times in the past and unfortunately Finland makes it for one more time timely, tolerance is the weakest part of democracy. Tolerance to everybody even to the ones who fight democracy and bring out the worst part of the human nature; thirst for power under any cost. Covered under the so fashionable lately identity of the Euro-sceptics a party that only by its names betrays its real identity has come the last decade to test the Finnish democracy and her tolerance. The True Finns.

A party that never explains what their name stands for, who the “true Finns” are and what identifies them but the same time vomitingly preaches xenophobia, prejudice and racism. A party that in a manifest a month ago stated that even art and education should be Finnish-centred in a world were Finns have immigrate to every single country; a political party that with populisms drifts a nation into a political abyss. A party than in the parliamentary elections of 2007 got 4.7% threatens today in the year 2011 to get more than 18% in a country where parties get less than 25% maximum and governments are a result of coalitions. A party that chillingly reminds another national-socialist party that combined in the same way left-wing economic policies with extreme conservative social values

Whatever is the percent the True Finns will take by the end of this evening if it is more than 5% it will be a victory for the darkest side of the Finnish democracy and the higher the percent the darkest the future of the country. The worst is that one way or another True Finns have already won from the minute their fear veiled the actions of the whole country. They won the minute the rest of the parties including the so called Finnish Green party had to prove how Finns they are and they won the moment all the parties changed their policies turning and focusing their campaigns to immigration and non-Finns in general. And fear.

You can see the fear when you deal with any kind of state services. You can feel it that …you are not so welcome anymore. The True Finns have spread fear in all the society and this unfortunately is a victory for a party that stands on fear, a party that pumps power from fear. Even the Christian-Democrats in Finland lost their merciful characters and they have become a homophobic and xenophobic cult that declared that only Christian immigrants should be welcome in Finland.

For the next few hours thousands of Finns will stand in front the poll and vote for the next parliament and in extent for their next government. Let’s hope that all these people will feel the responsibility not only for all these things they are proud off but for all these things they want to be proud for and xenophobia and racism I’m sure are not included.

Last not least remember what I wrote a few days ago quoting the German Pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

St. Petersburg days in Helsinki

EU-MAN’s Permanent Gallery - St. Petersburg days in Helsinki

The European Union Migrant Artists Network (EU-MAN) cordially invites you to attend the grand opening of the permanent EU-MAN Gallery in Helsinki’s Cable Factory on Tuesday April 14th. Since the launch of EU-MAN in January 1997 there have been countless exhibitions in many countries displaying a huge variety of artworks created by the Network’s many active members, but this is the first time that a permanent exhibition has been established and it is an exciting prospect for everybody involved.

As a special part of this first exhibition, there will be a celebration of 200 years of relations between Finland and Russia. EU-MAN is participating in the “St. Petersburg days in Helsinki” event with a painting exhibition that includes works from 13 Russian artists and five artists that are members of EU-MAN in Finland. The certain exhibit will be open between the 14th and 24th of April.

The gallery’s opening and the exhibition is going to be attanted by Mr. Goubankov Anton Nikolaevich, Chairman of Culture committee of SPB and Mrs. Larisa Skobkina Curator, Chief of the Department of the newest currents of the Central exhibition hall of St. Petersburg “Manege”, so you have the opportunity to meet and talk with them.

So please join us as the 12 year-old EU-MAN organisation celebrates another first and is finally able to display an impressive selection of its members’ work.

The Russian artists:
Oleg Frontinsky
Larisa Golubeva
Rashid Dominov
Boris Zabirohin
Alla Geguerey
Lada Panyukova
Stas Kasimov
Nikolay Vasilyev
Andrei Chezhin
Lyudmila Chezhina
Dmitry Konradt
Dmitry Shaguin
Andrey Kouznetsov

The EU-MAN artists:
Andrea Bauer
Tigneh Negash
Nastaran Nasirzadeh
Amir Khatib
Thanos Kalamidas

EU-MAN Gallery Grand Opening
Tuesday April 14th
Cable Factory
Block B, Floor 3
Tallberginkatu 1
00180 Helsinki

Ovi magazine, Copycats and Nokia

First of all, we want to thank reporters, journalists and bloggers because they are the only ones who have seen what Mr. Nikula missed and hopefully the legal department of Nokia Corporation will not ignore. Mr. Nikula unethically ignored that there was already an Ovi magazine in Finland that had been well-established since December 2004 well before he ever created his copycat.

Read the original story here: http://ovimagazine.com/art/926

The fact that there is an internet link with the same name was a major clue, plus when he was forced to choose a name like Ovi dash something. Actually he missed that there is Ovi Lehti, Ovi Sanomat, Ovi Junior, Ovi Cartoons, Ovi iKritic, Ovi-magazine, Ovi stories, Ovi iBite and many others that belong to Ovi magazine and are registered to Chameleon Project, never forget the Ovi Bad Boys weekly radio show that is announced to all the Finnish newspapers and magazine; none of which are for sale. Fortunately reporters and bloggers did notice and they are aware of the major ethical injustice.

We like to emphasize this ‘not for sale’ because the Ovi magazine is not just an internet magazine but it is an idea with a heart and soul that hosts from its establishment in 2004 the ideals of democracy, freedom of speech and the exchange of opinion. Human rights, domestic abuse, the plight of children have been among just a few of the worthy causes we have championed, while simultaneously offering a platform for the work of new writers and illustrators, from Finland and from all around the world. That makes us a universal family that cannot be estimated in money.

Unfortunately, through leaks to the press, we discovered that Mr. Nikula is negotiating the sale of his copycat magazine and the Ovi trademark to Nokia Corporation. We trust that this is just a wishful thought and that Nokia Corporation will search a little bit better as to what is going on behind the name Ovi magazine.

Our four years of hard work advocating freedom of speech was recognised and rewarded by Newropeans, while we have had cooperation with many national and international magazines, such as Ydin magazine, Europe & Us, Agenda magazine, Books from Finland, EU-MAN, Free magazine, Newropeans-Magazine, OneWorld, Psihadi magazine and more. We have relationships with Non-Governmental Organizations, such as Reporters without Frontiers and Finland's International Cultural Center CAISA, and the site receives well-over 20,000 visitors a week - the numbers literally increase day after day. We are considered a well-established magazine and trademark internationally and Ovi magazine has been reference for hundreds of sites and blogs from all around the world.

We have always believed that this was an issue of ethics should it ever come to a court house – where, as we are well-informed by experts, we can easily win the case – and it comes as a surprise that, according to leaks to the press, some representative of the Nokia Corporation said that they had never heard of us. It is a simple enough task for them to Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask Jeeves or whatever else to locate the name Ovi and then find us straight away. Of course we didn’t financially invest in the promotion and push of Ovi magazine, like an international corporation can do, but the thousands of articles, the thousands of links and references to our work, even from Wikipedia and most of all the thousands readers keep us on the top in every search engine.

The fact that the copycats of the printed Ovi magazine ignored us, despite the fact that we could open a case anytime demanding a large percentage of their profits, which they knew, doesn’t excuse an international corporation like Nokia maintaining the same attitude. We are expecting their telephone call before investigating our legal rights on what they plan to pay the copycat because we want to know whether it is true and not a wishful greedy act of somebody who wants to increase his lost popularity.

It has been a justifiable question as to why we didn’t take the case to the court. From the very first moment, other than the support that came from every side and every corner of Finland including employees of the certain magazine, we believed that there is justice that punishes the unethical and the failure of the magazine from its second issue to reach anybody in Finland was proof.

Regarding the money behind this case, we believe that the people who read this magazine and have seen the path we have followed and the fights we have given over the last four years for democracy, for justice, against poverty and have realized the hours, the effort and the financial cost we have put in this magazine will know in their heart of hearts whether we are after the money!

The Ovi Team

High-ranking Finnish peacekeepers involved in bribes?

The state prosecutor is charging two high-ranking Finnish peacekeeping officers with turning a blind eye to bribes collected by two junior peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, they are accused of neglecting to disclose information during the preliminary investigation. I suppose they did so respecting the fact that Finland is ranking on the top of the less corrupted countries!!!

Two other high-ranking Finnish officers working in Afghanistan, who were previously named in the case, were not charged. Recently, the two junior peacekeepers were sentenced to unconditional prison sentences. The men accepted bribes worth tens of thousands of Euros from Afghan companies from the years 2004 to 2006 in exchange for lucrative construction deals.

According to the sentenced men, taking money for such deals is the custom in Afghanistan. However, they said they did not demand payment.

So it was bribe for the non-corrupted Finns, it was …multiculturalism!

Finn held over Easter Island ear

The authorities on Easter Island have detained a Finnish tourist on suspicion of trying to steal an earlobe of one of the world-famous moai stone statues.

Police on the Pacific island, which is an overseas territory of Chile, said a woman had seen him rip off the earlobe, which then fell and broke into pieces. Marko Kulju could face seven years in prison and a fine if convicted under laws protecting national monuments.

The statues of Polynesian ancestors are believed to be up to 1,000 years old.

The man wanted a souvenir for …Santa Claus!!!

Kimi Raikkonen won the Malaysian Grand Prix

World champion Kimi Raikkonen kicked his title defence into life with victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Finn passed his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa thanks to a stunning lap before his first pit stop, after which he dominated the race. Massa spun out of second place, gifting it to BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica, with Heikki Kovalainen's McLaren third.

Raikkonen said: "I got alongside Felipe after I got a bit better start but I thought we don't want to risk between the team-mates in the first corner, and I decided to stay behind and try my move on the first stop and it worked out perfectly. "We were pretty similar speed-wise, but once he went in my car went better and I was able to go much quicker on my in-lap and pass him.

"After that the car was handling perfectly and I was able to go away. "It was a pretty easy race from that first pitstop really. "We had quite a difficult weekend in Australia and we were not 100% sure it was going to be any different here. "But everything worked perfectly. This is a good start to the season for us and we're in a pretty good position."