#iVote is a video series that aims to raise awareness, promote civic participation among naturalised Finnish citizens in the upcoming parliamentary elections slated for April 2, 2023, and increase the visibility of candidates of foreign background from different sides of the political spectrum.
The series consists of three panel discussions featuring a total of 10 parliamentary candidates from seven political parties (the Left Alliance, the Social Democratic Party of Finland, the Greens, the Center Party, the Christian Democrats, the Swedish People’s Party, and the National Coalition Party).
The series can be found on Think Africa’s YouTube channel and our Facebook page and is also available in audio format as part of Think Africa’s podcast Harambee on Spotify, Apple Music, Podbean, and Amazon Music.
The discussion touches on central issues in the context of the parliamentary elections. Among others, the state of Finland’s health care and social services, labour shortage, climate change, and the country’s educational slowdown, as well as the integration of foreign-born Finnish citizens and its correlation with civic participation.
Speaking about the initiative, Think Africa’s Chairperson, Dr. Myriam Munezero, said: “We believe that civic participation is essential for a functional and inclusive democracy, and the iVote Series is one of the ways we’re working to achieve this.”
“We want to give immigrants a better understanding of the political landscape in Finland, encourage them to exercise their right to vote, and showcase politicians of foreign background to address the overall lack of representation of people of foreign background in Finnish politics,” adds Munezero.
According to a 2022 report by the Ministry of Justice of Finland, naturalised Finns exercise democratic participation significantly less than the rest of the population. They are underrepresented in voting, standing as candidates, and serving as elected officials.
This causes a significant democratic deficit in Finnish society. The report also cites a lack of accessible communication as the most common reason for the low level of voter participation.
