100 years Anniversary in Finnish White Ribbon Union 22.10.2005

SUMMARY OF THE SPEECH President Marja-Liisa Holopainen: In the Jewish tradition there is a story of two men who discuss the moment when night ends and morning begins. One said: “Morning begins when you can see a horse in the crack of dawn. The other said: “Morning begins when you can see a cat in the crack of dawn.” They could not agree on this matter and decided to go and ask the rabbi, the teacher, for advice. The rabbi said: “Morning begins when you can see the face of a man.”

White Ribbon work has been done in this country for a hundred years. It has been typical for this work that the ones engaged in it have seen the distress of people, noticed the longing for morning on their faces. These workers have often met people face to face. In 1905 the purpose of the Union was defined as the following: “Based on the word of God to work for women’s welfare in mental, spiritual and material respects, to promote temperance and morality and work for a general sense of morality." Despite some rephrasing that has been done over the years, the aim and purpose of the Union is still the same.

The international history of the White Ribbon movement has features of a vast national movement but in Finland the White Ribbon movement has aimed at flexibility, focusing on the challenges of the moment - in other words, it has aimed at working at the grass roots. We have worked following the instructions of an American White Ribbon member, Frances Willard: “Do everything you can, open every door.” Therefore the White Ribbon work has included, for example, child and youth work and morality work in the form of a so-called railway mission, a White Ribbon sister waiting at the railway station to meet young women from the countryside, offering them lodging and employment service.

There have been many kinds of homes in the history of the Union: asylums and lodging houses for women, homes for girls and boys, student homes, reception centres etc. We have done field work, street mission work, prison work and carried on educational work. We have taken important initiatives in questions like starting the training of policewomen, for example. Nowadays some of these work forms belong to social services.

Over the years the White Ribbon Union has expanded and diversified the range of different groups that it cooperates with. Since the early days of the Union it has had connections to the state and congregations, little later also to different organisations. Even so, the White Ribbon Union has preserved its independence even though it has been a fairly small organisation.

The state has financed the Union's work almost since the beginning. In addition to this we have received collections and in the early days sales proceeds and membership fees formed an important income. Later our work has been financed also by Finland's Slot Machine Association (which our biggest donor), the City of Helsinki and other foundations and funds.

Even today there is a lot of work to be done in the field of substance abuse. The social barometer from 2005 states that there are not enough services for people who have problems with alcohol. The health barometer from 2005 and the objectives of the Finnish Centre for Health Promotion emphasise the importance of the substance abuse prevention. Organisations in the field of social and health work insist that the decision to lower alcohol taxation should be overturned immediately since alcohol consumption has increased and the situation in the field has worsened. The increase of alcohol consumption among women and elderly people has also been noticed. We in the White Ribbon see the substance abuse prevention as a part of mental work, i.e. an attempt towards strong and positive mental health.

The White Ribbon work has its origins in voluntary work. This was the case in the Finnish White Ribbon work as well, until in the 1960’s it turned into more professional and organised work. Do we appreciate voluntary workers enough to see them as an important part of welfare work? In the future this work is most likely to include not only professionals, but also volunteers and clients themselves. Most of the mental problems of adults have started to develop already in the childhood. With the help of an active treatment and the support of the family these mental problems can also be prevented through the work of organisations. When developing services these organisations could work as a link between different levels.

It has been typical of organisations of citizens, especially women organizations, that the need to unite and organize arises from a shared sense of need or distress. Hard work and criticism towards the society to some extent has also been typical. The organisations have been innovative and offered a means to make a difference. It is important that organisations of citizens will have the opportunity to continue their work in the future. The work of organisations, like the White Ribbon Union, has been steered partly by financers, partly the society and the ideology of the organisation. On one hand the organisations are detached from power structures, on the other hand they are dependent on them. The organisation reflects its own history in its choices and successful new work forms are a good combination of the history of the organisation and the present everyday life.

One of the chairpersons of the Union, Karin von Willebrand, who herself had suffered many losses in her life, said: ”An isolated life has no purpose; we need concrete action to prevent distress.” How did the Jewish rabbi say it: “Morning begins when you can see the face of a man.”

MP Suvi Lindén (Member of the Finland´s Parliament, member of the White Ribbon): SUMMARY OF THE KEYNOTE ADRESS

Already in 1888 a head of school and an MP Lucina Hagman appraised strong, hard-working women. The critique was especially aimed at nobles, who she considered as being lazy and unaware of the duties of life. This, she thought, was a result of their upbringing, which emphasised weakness and helplessness of girls.

However, these women were among them, who established the Finnish White Ribbon Union 100 years ago. No matter, what the background is, the main thing remains the same – the world needs strong women wanting to influence the society. They have had a major impact on the development of equality in Finland. Actually, a big milestone was achieved in 1907 when Finnish women became the first in the world to exercise full political rights.

Organisations of citizens have played a major role for the well-being of the Finnish people. In fact, the whole landscape of the Finnish society would look quite different from today's society. The voluntary organisations have successfully filled the obvious flaws in our system. They have recognised problems and acted on them.

The voluntary work is needed, but no organisation can survive without financial help. The Finland's Slot Machine Association has supported Finnish health and welfare organisations for over 60 years by raising funds through gaming operations. This way of financing voluntary work is unique in the world but nonetheless it is still current.

As the economic situation of the municipalities has weakened and the problems of the people along with unemployment and alcoholism have grown, the amount of applications to the Finland's Slot Machine Association has risen. In fifteen years the amount of benefits granted has become six times bigger. As a member of the board of the Finland's Slot Machine Association I have been able to watch closely the development of the need for funding. That is why I consider it highly important that the organisation like the Finnish White Ribbon Union gets funding assistance to support their activities. This year the Finnish White Ribbon Union gets 141 000 euros from the Finland's Slot Machine Association.

The world around us changes and so do the problems people face in their everyday life. This requires continuous ability to adapt the courses of action to the problems at hand. The White Ribbon Union has been able to meet the needs of people, decade after decade. By doing so, it has genuinely understood the sufferings of people and offered help sincerely. However, it has always based its actions on Christian values and faith. That has been a solid rock in the winds of change.

I truly believe that the work for the Finnish White Ribbon Union has not been done yet. On the contrary, I believe that the work will be even more versatile. And how could the need for "organised maternal love" ever stop?

The Finnish White Ribbon Union has been working for women, children and families with distinction. The work has demanded active and dedicated members. The journey of 100 years shows a true caring that has made this anniversary possible. I express my thanks for your work for the Finnish society and my warmest congratulations for the celebrating Finnish White Ribbon Union!

GENERAL SECRETARY IRJA ESKELINEN: Today we have the opportunity to look back with gratitude and forward with confidence. Will it be enough to meet the challenges that the White Ribbon work will face in the future? Not by any means. We also have the present, our work and everyday life in front of us. And that is the way it should be. Every generation will take care of its watch and then step aside. Our generation was given the 100-year stake. Our challenge is - and will be - the ability to find and preserve the same excitement and freshness that the early White Ribbon members had in their work.

As Helen Keller has put it: I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.

We hold it precious in the White Ribbon Work that our gathering has preserved the spiritual aspect in its programme and tradition. It reminds us every time that we are not gathered here only as members of a union or an organization, but also as members of the church of Christ, working for its life and future.

The fact that today we have been able to compose ourselves to thank God, join in singing and sing at church has hopefully given us the kind of feeling of unity that strengthens us and strengthens the quarters where we do our everyday work. At this point I would like to say thank you to all of you who have already served in different tasks at this occasion of celebration.

Special thanks for the children for songs and thank you, parents: you gave your time and came here with your children with a glimpse of the future - that for the next hundred years children will sing and play and maternal love will blossom. As I look at you I believe that the White Ribbon work is in good hands, in the hands of seers and doers.

We live on God's blessing every day. His goodness and mercy surrounds us. The Lord protects our life even though we do not always know the ways of his love. He gives us an internal peace that carries us even when we face difficulties in our lives. Protected by His blessing we can also die one day.

When we bless each other or ask for blessing we can rely on triune God to turn His face upon us and be with us.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

ABSTRACT of the book "100 Years of organized maternal love", writer Irja Eskelinen

The International White Ribbon Movement, the World´s Woman´s Christian Temperance Union was introduced to Finland 1896. At that time, the first White Ribbon Association was established in Turku. The most noteworthy early personalities were the Danish White Ribbon ambassador, Elisabeth Selmer, and the Finnish advocate of women´s rights, Alli Trygg-Helenius. The Finnish White Ribbon Union was established in 1905. The Union chose as its slogan For God, Home and Native Land, and as its emblem a white enamel bow. The travelling secretary, Maria Stenroth actively made the Union known in Finland. Consequently, local associations were founded at a swift pace.

In the early years the most essential objectives were morality work and instruction in temperance. The morality work consisted of so called railway mission, youth work, and relief given to prostitutes. The railway mission was conducted especially in Helsinki and Turku. In addition White Ribbon homes and employment service were included in the activities. Young girls seeking after employment in towns were offered night´s lodging in the White Ribbon homes, and White Ribbon people helped them to find a situati on. Besides the Emmaus home for prostitutes or sorely afflicted women in the Helsinki area, also asylums and lodging houses were founded all over the country not to mention homes for girls and boys. For young people study circles were started. Women policeconstables soon appeared in the big cities as a result woman police training. The Union pursued active publishing and lecturing. The Valkonauha periodical has been published since 1909.

In 1920 the Finnish White Ribbon Union joined the World White Ribbon Union which operates in every continent and has approximately 50.000 members all over the world. There is active cooperation between the Unions in Scandinavia and the Baltic Countries. The Finnish White Ribbon Union soon found its place among other Finnish organisations. It petitioned and was granted support from the Lutheran Church and the Ministry for Social Affairs. There has been active cooperation between Christian, social, and tempe rance societies right from the beginning.

Today there are nine local associations and several private persons in the Union. The activity has largely centered round maintaining the White Ribbon homes in Helsinki and Kuopio (the Helsinki White Ribbon Union and the Kuopio White Ribbon). In addition there is a women´s welfare home supported by the Metropolitan Area White Ribbon in Helsinki. The Union works in the Hämeenlinna woman prison, and the Oulu county prison. Young people under thirty can seek help at station for consultation. 10 t o 12 mental health workers, mainly psygologists and theologians are involved in helping young people at the station for consultation. There is also telephone service for addicts to alcohol, their relatives, and those closely associated with them. Street mission is conducted in many parts of the country. Various courses and projects are also attributed to the Union.

The Union´s work is mainly financed by the slot machine association, the Ministry for Social Affairs, the City of Helsinki, and the Administrative Board of the Church. Furthermore, considerable sums of money come from such sources as donations from individual parishes, contribution from the White Ribbon Foundation, the Ministry for Education and many other foundations and funds.

The White Ribbon Movement would be justified in calling organised maternal love. It was the origin of many methods of working that helped to solve distressing problems in society. During its 90 years of activity it has become obvious that the periods of transition in society have been the most active and innovative time. The activity started in the critical period of the General Strike, continued through the Depression of the 1920s, and the years of world wars in the 1930s and 1940s. Prosperity brought about new challenges. Living quarters were needed for girls moving to towns from the countryside. Increasing abuse of alcohol and drugs gave reason to establish stations for consultation for young people, and to start courses for supports. Most of the activities started in the 1960s are to the purpose today.

When writing history we cannot see and predict the future events. But there is reason to say that the Finnish White Ribbon Union´s field of work is rather growing than diminishing. The sources of innovation than can strengthen our identity, and encourage all of us in our work, already exist in our tradition. The motto of the White Ribbon work is still: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to ye, do ye even so to them".