JEF Finland’s extraordinary National Congress will be held on 12.8 from 18.00 onwards in Helsinki. At the National Congress, a new president will be elected for the organisation for 2024, and if necessary a new vice-president for 2024. So far, one candidate has put themselves forward for vice-president. Below is the vice-presidential candidate’s introduction.
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In the face of challenging times, JEF Finland needs a hard worker in its presidency.
I am Pieta Päivänen, a member of JEF Finland’s executive board and a candidate for Vice-President of JEF Finland, should the position open up. I study international politics in Turku and am indeed a product of JEF Turku, which I also chaired last year. My time in both regional organisation activities and on the executive board has given me an incredible amount and taught me extensively about organisational work, chairing, good governance, fundraising and, of course, political advocacy. I also have a very strong knowledge of the Union’s decision-making, as I had a front-row seat to it last spring while completing a traineeship at the Council of the EU.
In the coming autumn, JEF Finland must focus in particular on stabilising its financial situation. The presidency needs people who are up to date on the situation and ready to put in long days to secure the sustainable continuity of our activities. My own expertise culminates in coordinating various projects and initiatives, which are currently key sources of income for the organisation. By taking on a stronger role in leading projects — a role previously belonging to the project coordinator and the Secretary General — I would aim to give the rest of the presidency and the Secretary General more time to focus on what matters most: securing future sources of income.
The wellbeing and equality of executive board members and active volunteers are cornerstones of organisational work. Even though we are in a challenging situation operationally, no one should have to burn themselves out. We can prevent this through a clear division of tasks, delegation and open communication. The executive board has already done a great deal of work for equality, and in the coming autumn it will be even more important to focus on how our people are coping. As vice-president, I also want to ensure that every region and every member of JEF Finland deserves to be heard and seen. I want to make sure that our work on the executive board remains open and that, for example, applying to the executive board does not feel like too big a leap for regional activists. Supporting the regions will also be a key task for me in the coming autumn, as active and broad regional activity is also the lifeblood of the executive board. For this reason, the organisation must continue its work to narrow the gap between the regions and the executive board and to revive new regions.
JEF Finland has given me an incredible amount over the past few years, and above all it has given me my own organisational home, to whose development and sustainable continuity I want to dedicate my time. Now it is time to give back.
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You can find more information about the National Congress and the elections here.
