To be happy as a Finn: Key takeaways from the 2022 Finland Correspondents Programme 

By Krixia Subingsubing
@krixiasINQ

My idea of Finland has always been that of happiness. And quite literally, too—every year, the Nordic country tops just about every imaginable list that quantifies happiness. Understandably, for a young journalist from the Global South, it’s made Finland into this unbelievable, near-mythical nation, resilient to suffering and impervious to conflict.

But when ...  (continue reading)

Haluun takas mun perhoset

Before I got on the plane, I was looking for Finnish music to listen to. Then I came across Haluun takas mun perhoset without much reason, but I already liked it a lot. It promised a nice trip. 

When I arrived in Helsinki, one of the first images I remember was the presence of many LGBT flags in many places in the city, for the pride month. I thought it was strong and beautiful. 

 ...  (continue reading)

THANK YOU!

Once again, the FCP week is behind us. The week went by fast and during the week we received background information about Finland’s foreign and security policy and Finland’s NATO application. We also visited Espoo and Turku. From our FCP-Facebook you can see more where we visited and who we met.

Thank you all FCP2022 participants Zahra, Finn, Dilara, Israel, Rushana, Grace, Pierre-Mickaël, Magdalena, ...  (continue reading)

Finland in the eyes of an Uzbek journalist

Hi! My name is Rushana Aliakbarova. I’m from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I would like to give a little bit information about my sunny country. Uzbekistan is a heart of Central Asia. Modern Uzbekistan is absolutely another country that can boast a modern infrastructure, a growing economy.

Talking about myself, I work as head of the department “International relations” at non-governmental organization ...  (continue reading)

Greetings from Ankara

Hey there,  greetings from Ankara!

I am Dilara a 27-year-old journalist who has been covering issues on Foreign policy and Turkish diplomacy for the past three years. I was thrilled when I found out I was in the program a couple months ago but little did I know that I would come to Finland at such time. To be more precise.. a time when Turkey and Finland are having “a slight” diplomatic ...  (continue reading)

A political and poetic journey ahead

Bonjour ! I’m Pierre-Mickaël Carniel, a 22-year-old journalism student. This year, I will be the young Frenchy of the group. I am originally from Courcelles-Chaussy, a village in Lorraine near Luxembourg. I studied political science in Mulhouse, in southern Alsace, near Switzerland. Today, I am studying journalism in Strasbourg, on the German border. All my experiences are linked to Eastern ...  (continue reading)

Poland and Finland: Shared Stories

Sauna, vodka and the skijumping champion Janne Ahonen – these would most probably be three most commonly mentioned names and things if Polish people were asked what they associate with Finland. Among thirteen countries participating in this year’s Finland Foreign Correspondents’ Programme, Poland is geographically closest to Finland, but I feel like there ...  (continue reading)

Hello from sunny Philippines!

Hello from sunny Philippines!

I am Krixia Subingsubing, a 26-year-old journalist from the country’s paper of record, the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I’ve been a reporter for nearly six years now and have been largely covering social justice, human rights and the environment—issues that most newsrooms consider as separate beats but are, in reality, very much intersectional and related to one ...  (continue reading)

LATINOAMÉRICA IS HERE!

On 2003, I remember myself watching “Brother Bear” when I learned about the northern lights for the first time. Years later, a friend of mine told me he was visiting a country called Finland which had the best educational system all over the world. Only a couple months ago, I decided to try luck applying to the Foreign Correspondents’ Program in Finland. Today, ...  (continue reading)

Thoughts from Hungary

Hi! I’m Jakab from Hungary. I work at Hungary’s most viewed left wing media, called Partizán. We upload videos on a daily basis including my own series called Monoszkóp. In my videos I covered generational differences in media, pop culture, and also between green activists. Me and my colleagues are trying to emphasize values like solidarity, human rights and sustainable economy. Also providing ...  (continue reading)