To ensure sustainable development, autonomous regions must “think for themselves” and provide inspiring, inclusive and dynamic environments for developing new ideas, as well as attract young people to stay or to return to the region. Strategies, cooperation, digitalization and investments on infrastructure are perquisites for knowledge development and research. What are the key development areas of Åland, and what is happening in other regions?

On 22 October 10:00 EEST, the KUT-network (Network for sustainable knowledge development on Åland) organizes a conference on the subject “Knowledge and Research as Motors for Regional Development and Innovation”. Is there a need to strengthen the structures for knowledge development and research on Åland, and what experiences do other regions have? 

Questions for the spekaers can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. during the conference.

The conference will be sent live on the youtube channel of the Åland Islands Peace Institute.

Full program here.

Contents

• Online conference 22.10: Knowledge and Research as Motors for Regional Development and Innovation
• Call for Interns at the ÅIPI in the spring of 2021
• EU seminar series: 25 years in EU – experiences of Åland
• And more ...

Innehåll

• Konferens 22.10: Vad har Åland för behov av kunskap och hur gör andra regioner?
• Praktik vid Ålands fredsinstitut våren 2021
• Seminarieserie: 25 år i EU – åländska erfarenheter
• Med mera ...

Read the newsletter here.

Läs nyhetsbrevet här.

In a seminar series given during autumn 2020 and spring 2021 the Åland Islands Peace Institute and Statistics Åland will present results from an evaluation of what the EU-membership has meant for Åland during 25 years. The evaluation has been commissioned by the Åland Government.
The first seminar in the series was held as a webinar and took place on 13th October 2020. 50 participants listened to presentations by Susann Simolin (ÅIPI) and Gustav Blomberg (Munincipal Director) about how the EU has impacted the decision-making abilities and democratic participation of the autonomous Åland Islands. The webinar continued with a panel discussion with Roger Nordlund, amongst others Head of Government of Åland 1999-2007, and Julia Lindholm, the Government of Åland Representative in Brussels 2014-2020, with Katarina Fellman (ÅSUB) as moderator.
Coming seminars will regard among others population changes during the EU membership, EU's impact on legislative work in Åland and changes in the economy. All seminars will be held in Swedish.

The Åland Islands Peace Institute offers a possibility to experience a dynamic and flexible internship during the spring semester of 2021.
We are looking for applicants interested in issues of peace, security, minorities and autonomy. Work assignments include participating in the arrangement of annual Kastelholm talks on peace and activities regarding the Åland Islands 100 years celebration. Assignments can also include assisting with research related tasks as well as tasks under the Åland Mediation Office if needed. We appreciate skills and experience in arranging events and in text production both in Swedish and English.

My name is Vilma Kallio and I am a communications intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from October to December 2020. I study International Relations at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi. In my studies I have focused on topics concerning the Arctic, Indigenous peoples and the EU as well as questions of security and peace. I am currently writing my Master’s thesis about the politics of reconciliation in Canada. During my internship I will assist with communication tasks such as updating the ÅIPI’s homepage, newsletters and social media as well as marketing the upcoming seminars and publications focusing on EU. I will also help with conferences and presentations as well as more research related tasks if needed. This internship gives me an opportunity to closely follow the Peace Instititute’s work related to peace and mediation and to better understand the different aspects concerning minorities and autonomy. In addition to gaining valuable working experience in communications and in Swedish-speaking environment, I hope to gain new insights for the Arctic context as well.

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 is awarded to the World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon for war and conflict. 

The Director of the Åland Islands Peace Institute, Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark comments: 

2020 has been an exceptional year. We have become deeply aware of the vulnerability of peace and life. That is why the UN’s World Food Programme is an excellent Nobel Peace Prize winner for this year. Both in times of peace and in times of conflict, they work to promote food security and to prevent hunger crisis.  

Starting in December, Liz Lindvall will work as Information Officer at the Åland Islands Peace Institute all through 2021, as replacement for Susann Simolin who will be on a leave of absence for her PhD-studies.

Liz has perviously worked - among others - as a journalist at the newspaper Ålandstidningen and as a freelance journalist. She is also well experienced in digital marketing, copywriting and translating from Swedish to English.

As of this month, the Journal of Autonomy and Security Studies, JASS, is included in the Directory of Open Access Journals, www.doaj.org. DOAJ is an independent database which includes over 15,000 open access journals covering all areas of science, technology, medicine, social science and humanities.
- This is an important step for a small journal – to be seen and have access to a wider audicence and potential contributors. It is also an important stance for the world of open access – all articles in JASS can be accessed openly and free of charge, says Kjell-Åke Nordquist, Editor-in-Chief of JASS.

The corona pandemic has affected also the publication of the first issue of JASS this year, but we are proud to announce that JASS 1-2020 is now out! This issue features two articles analysing parliamentary debates about Åland – one on Finnish foreign and defence policy stances with regards to Åland demilitarisation, and one historical analysis of the Ålandic politicians´ relationship to the League of Nations decision during the three decades following 1921. In addition to this, we enjoy reading a research note on the politicisation of travelling, very topical in times of climate change and pandemic. Authors are Saila Heinikoski, Ida Jansson and Kari Palonen respectively. 

You will find the latest issue of JASS here.

Are you interested in conflict resolution, multilevel governance and diversity questions? Do you want to know how the autonomy of the Åland Islands works and how the “Åland Example” and other cases are used as possible tool for conflict resolution? Apply for the Åland Islands Peace Institute’s digital course “Territorial Autonomy as a Tool for Diversity Management – Lessons from the Åland Example”, that will be offered in cooperation with the Open University on Åland. The application deadline is 25 September.

The Åland Islands Peace Institute together with the Open University on Åland offers since 2015 a university-level e-course on territorial autonomy, with the Åland Example as a main case study.

The course has been renewed and updated, and a new round of the course will be given autumn 2020 (19.10.2020-08.01.2021) with application deadline 25th September.