The Finnish Expatriate Parliament
C/o Suomi-Seura, Mariankatu 8, FIN 00170 Helsinki, Finland.
Phone +358-(0)9-174255 Fax +358-(0)9-654868
The Expatriate Parliament Founded
A total of 131 Finnish expatriate
organizations have founded an expatriate parliament. At the Finland
Society's invitation, the parliament, convened in Helsinki, made
its resolutions on Tuesday, August 5, 1997.
The Finnish government and state
have announced that they are prepared to cooperate with the parliament.
The announcement was made by Minister of Culture Claes Andersson
when addressing the parliament.
The parliament will convene in its
first proper session roughly a year from now. Kalevi Sorsa, the
Finland Society's chairman, was chosen as the parliament's first
Speaker. Deputy speakers are Ritva Viertola-Cavallari from Italy,
Veli Ylänkö from Canada, Leonid Gildi from Russia, Arvi
Tervalampi from Sweden and Robert W. Selvälä from the
United States. The extended speakers' council also includes Heli
Ignatius-Fleet from Great Britain and Esko Melakari from Sweden.
The founding meeting approved the foundation charter, by-laws
and standing order as well as several resolutions.
uparl@uparlamentti.org