National dialogues are a series of open discussion events that offer a new way of social dialogue. The dialogues held this autumn will look for issues that bring people living in Finland together.
National dialogues have repeatedly highlighted people’s observations of deeper divisions in society. Participants in the dialogues have felt that it is difficult for different groups of people to find connecting factors and ways of encountering each other. Conflicts and differentiation may arise especially between generations and cultures, occupations and livelihoods, urban and rural residents, and between majorities and minorities. Opposing political ideologies also differentiate people from each other.
National dialogues are a series of dialogues to which as many people and communities as possible are invited to organise dialogues. The purpose of the discussions is to obtain information on the participants’ experiences and thus understanding and up-to-date information on various social phenomena, challenges and opportunities. A summary will be drawn up of all the discussions that have taken place and published after the round of discussions. The collected data will be compiled for everyone’s use, and it will be made available to central and local government.
The autumn discussion days are 10 October and 26 November, and all organisations and communities are welcome to register for them. The aim is that organising the discussion will benefit the organiser’s own activities or organisation, for example in the form of new information and ideas. The organisers of the discussions will be offered induction and support in the invitation process. You can register for the Lockdown Dialogues on the website of the national Dialogues. The registration opens in August.
The organisations actively involved in the activities of the national dialogues were selected, and they have also organised discussions during the spring season. The topic of the national dialogues must be one on which Finland needs a versatile understanding. The topic must concern a large group of citizens, it must not exclude any particular group of people, and a broader understanding of the topic must benefit the entire public administration.