Strength through networks Have you ever had the feeling that a person whose acquaintance you had never made until recently is now someone you know through and through? That happened to me at the British Council's "Policy Development in the New Europe" seminar last summer. After only the first day, people who had gathered together from different parts of the world had formed a close network, through which they have remained in touch also after that rewarding week. During that time we managed to deliberate not only EU enlargement and the evolution of the information society, but also European regional development, the possibilities of education and training and the importance of identity. All of the themes were really interesting and the animated debates that they prompted in the working groups was the most rewarding aspect of the seminar. As Finland's only representative, I wanted to highlight the services provided by my country's welfare society and the equality between citizens that has been achieved with their aid. The jaws of many of the participants dropped open in astonishment when they heard how well we are able to look after even the worst-off of our people. Many immediately wanted to hear more so that they could take similar models back to their respective countries. However, I did notice some discordant voices in their chorus of praise; countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union or belonged to the Eastern Bloc seemed to harbour a strong faith in the power of capitalism. They believed that once the economy has been gotten into shape, welfare services can be improved. I personally do not believe that a welfare model can be successfully built later; instead, the political will for one must be found already at an early stage. On this theme we got an interesting exchange of ideas going with, among others, two Georgians both named George. Although months have passed since the seminar, this very engaging theme has not yet properly left my mind at ease. Perhaps it reveals that one is able to examine one's own thinking better when it is reflected in the views of different people who live in a different kind of situation. Hearing how people living in a different reality in the same Europe as ourselves have to make their way through life likewise makes it easier to appreciate one's own country's models. I suppose that is internationalism at its best: learning and growing. When we were discussing the possibilities of new technology, a point that came up several times was Finland's status as a world pioneer. Mobile phones and networks are in everyday use. It came as a surprise to many when I told them that not even in Finland is the information society by any means complete. An American fellow-participant at the seminar had difficulty believing that many of my young friends had never accessed the Internet. Indeed, I would see probably the most important observation that we reached in the discussion as being that the Internet is no more than an instrument which makes it easier for us to achieve something than it would otherwise be. A human person should not act according to the idea: ONLINE, ALL THE TIME. I personally emphasised, for example, how new technology can be used to strengthen democracy. That appears to be a challenge facing us all, given that poll turnouts are falling in every country and on all continents. Even after all of the factual content and new knowledge, I still feel that the most important thing that the seminar gave us was - as my modest experience reveals to be generally the case with events of this kind - contact between people, the establishment of wonderful new ties of friendship. I nearly burst into tears recently when, tired and coming to the end of my working day in my tiny study, I received a real, hand-written letter from one of the seminar participants. I can't remember when I last received a proper letter; that's what it has come to with electronic communications. It felt just as good when I met one of the seminar participants at my own workplace! My surprise was considerable when I stood in our Speaker's hospitality suite together with representatives of other factions to greet a parliamentary delegation from Croatia and, looking at the visitors, discovered that one of them was no stranger at all. Besides making friends, it feels great to be able to see time and time again that despite our different skin colours, cultural backgrounds, languages and homelands, at the end of the day we are all the same, people with our joys and sorrows. In the same way, it is a relief to understand that the problems with which we are struggling are suprisingly the same. One can tangibly see that a good idea conceived in one country can solve the same problem somewhere else. Yet we cosmopolitans still face challenges. Taking up the challenge of multiculturalism can be more difficult than we imagine. Religious and political conflicts should not be allowed to come between people, but nevertheless they appear to be smouldering on beneath the surface. I found it almost incredible that the representatives of Cyprus and Turkey had difficulty in saying even "good morning" to each other during the seminar. These are things that we cannot get around, but we can learn from them. And how? Not, at least, by staying put in our own countries and lambasting our neighbours, but rather by boldly going out into the mainstream of international affairs and getting to know new things or people who initially seem somewhat alien and difficult. I am openly envious of Britain for their government having at its disposal a body like the British Council, which arranges these splendid gatherings to address a variety of themes. INE, or International Networking Events, not only prompts a discussion at the seminar, but also continues it on the Internet. I want to conclude by extending warm thanks to the British Council for a magnificent week, a time that gave me many new experiences, in addition to the new knowledge and friends that I found. It is only by networking that people interested in global development can be together in a search for solutions to problems that afflict not only their own nation, but also the whole world. This road opened up for me at last summer's seminar and now the journey goes on in many different directions. Susanna Huovinen
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