Joining The TUL Crew
Joining what I may call the TUL crew at the beginning of May this year was to me like getting back into the arena of activities which I had been partially out of for a while.
The environment was not totally alien to me since I have earlier worked with a large organization almost the same size as TUL, but there were new and interesting people to meet, and the working spirit was very cordial.
There was a big change going on at the office the week I started, the big move from the Itakeskus office building to a new office building in Hertoniemi, which was not an easy task..
When I first stepped into the new office, the entire place was littered with moving boxes and the staff of the moving company were still bringing in stuff from the old office.
My principal Ismo introduced me, and took me to the new office space I now share with him.
I felt a great sense of belonging right away while mingling with other members of the staff, among the chaos of littering office equipments, and I knew right away from that moment that I was in the right place.
Yhteisille Kentille Hanke
My assignment at TUL is anchored on a new project called Yhteisille Kenttile (Common Grounds Project).
It is a Sports and Education Ministry funded project aimed at activating migrants to get involved in sports for their well being. The argument behind the project is that most migrants do not have the information, and other possibilities to do sports, or get into sport activities of their choice.
There are many reasons for this, and it ranges from lack of information about existing and accessible facilities, to lack of motivation.
It is a known fact that most ailments people suffer are due to inadequate physical exercise.Inability to do sports leads to health problems, and health problems take a huge toll on state finances.
It will be healthier and less expensive to invest on a project that provide possibilities for citizens to involve themselves in sporting activities, than paying huge healthcare subsidies.
In practical terms the project will have some TUL member organizations partner with migrant organizations in their locality to work out a sporting program.
The TUL member provides the administrative and sporting facilities and technicalities, and the migrant organization also bring in their know-how, and their network of members as target groups.
Meanwhile we have a pilot involving ten organizations, 5 TUL members, and 5 migrants organization going. There is also the possibility to continue to the next stage after the pilot.
The Finnish Worker's Sports Festival (Lakeuden Kisat) Seinajoki 2014
I had the opportunity an honor of being a part of the big TUL tradition of Citizen Sports Festival which is captioned Lakeuden Kisat. This is a massive festival of sports that showcase almost all possible sports and games you can think of. It has both traditional and mainstream sports events in its program. It attracts thousands of participants from different works of life, and of all ages. It is one of a kind, and there is nothing else like it in the whole country.
'There is nothing that more clearly portray TUL's role as a leading organization in all inclusive sports for well being than this massive festival, the Lakeuden kisat.
According to information I got from my colleagues, in the past this festival attracted participants to the tune of 4o thousand people, and often took place at the Olympic stadium and other open field facilities.
For this years, festival, the number of participants though still significant, has fallen down to 3000 people or more.
It was an amazing experience to see such large number of people of all ages showing such dedication towards sports. Organizers, volunteers, participants, everyone giving a helping hand to ensure success.
The perfect combination of the sport activities with cultural themes also added value to the festival. There was music, dancing, theatre, amusement park visits and camping for the kids, sightseeing and so on. The festival practically took over the entire city of Seinajoki, and the city government led by the Mayor played a leading role as hosts.
As a volunteer without a specified task, I had the opportunity of roaming around and viewing a variety of events and at different venues of the festival. What struck me most was the general mood of comportment among all the people. It further pointed to the importance of this form of low threshold sports. I watched little kid in judo games. It was so beautiful to see their eagerness to participate. The winners and losers bow to each other with high spirit, big smile, and a hug.
The joy of participation was the driving force. I watched old ladies dance merrily to the traditional children folk song 'Täti Monika' on the open stage in the city market square. It was all merry making, and happy feelings. This translated to the real meaning of the term 'Sports and Well Being.
The other key point of observation was the level of socialization afforded by the event. People and groups came from different counties around Finland, and also from outside the country.
This afforded the opportunity for physical contact and socialisation.
Part of the program was also the International workers Federation Chess tournament which featured participants from Bulgaria, Austria, and Israel
Does the dwindling number of participants in this great event tell something?
This is one question that is hanging on many people's mind especially the staff and members of Tul. At the end of this successful event hung the uncertainty of what lay in the future.
Nowadays, there is a rapid change of attitude and lifestyle among people around the world.
The way and mode people interact have drifted from the known traditional ways, and this have immensely affected attitude. Could this be responsible to the reduction in the number of people willing to physically participate voluntarily in large citizen events like the Lakeuden kisat?
Would it require a new approach in planning and executing subsequent festivals to meet up with the new ways of thinking?
If so, what would be the new approach?
These are questions that require thorough research investigation to find answers and solutions.
I my view, I think it will be to the interest of the state and city authorities to find resources for TUL to work towards finding new ways of keeping this very important sports tradition going.
It is like a box of chocolate, if you get my flow. Well I ordered a cup of mint tea, my favorite, and sat on one of the benches outside the kiosk. As I sipped my tea with the comforting warm fluid and mint aroma caressing my thoughts, I came up with something I felt could be a good feeling contribution for this amazing surprise. BTW, there were notebooks on every table where one can write or draw something. Before I put words on the notebook, I flipped through it to find out what my predecessors put down there. I saw a kaleidoscope of words, drawings, sketches and graphics, as I read through them I found myself smiling. Some strangers I do not know, and would never meet have put a smile on my face this morning while sitting on the open space surrounded by the Sanoma building, KIASMA, and Music House. This was what I wrote
I looked at my time, and found out it was 6 minutes before my meeting starts, luckily, the parliament building was looming just across the road in front of me. I reluctantly got up, thanked the nice lady and went away.
On my way back to the office while walking towards the railway station I saw in front of the Museum of Modern Arts, the great hero of the Finnish Winter war, General Manerheim having a wash.
A tireless dedicated African dance and drum teacher he was, and he gave lessons almost everyday at different locations hence he was always saddled with drums.
