What is the role of art institutions in the reconciliation process? – The Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission Debate 17.11., Helsinki
The primary mission of the Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission is to listen to the Sámi people, individuals, and groups. The Commission aims to raise awareness of the Sámi as Finland's indigenous people and strengthen the realization of Sámi rights in Finland.
According to the Finnish Government, the institution of truth and reconciliation commissions has its roots in the 1970s. Internationally, truth commissions or truth and reconciliation commissions are processes that examine collective injustices in history. The Sámi Truth and Reconciliation process finally began this autumn with the hearing of the Sámi people, and the truth and reconciliation report is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The public discussion introduces the truth and reconciliation commissioners and their mandate, and asks how the truth affects Finland’s identity and historiography. What are the new narratives that reconciliation requires, and what is the responsibility of art institutions in spreading them?
The purpose of the truth and reconciliation process is to identify and assess historical and current discrimination, including state assimilation policies, as well as rights violations, to determine how these affect the Sámi and their community in the current situation, and to propose ways to promote connections between the Sámi and the Finnish state, as well as within the Sámi community.
In addition to the public discussion, Baltic Circle organizes a workshop for art institutions, with the aim of dismantling structural discrimination and seeking concrete forms of reconciliation work. The events are realized in cooperation with the Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute (FINNO), Nordic Culture Point and the Goethe Institut Finnland.
Fri 17.11. 16.00
Cafe Willensauna
Bergbominkuja 1, 00100 Helsinki
Duration: 2h
Language: Finnish, interpretation available
The event is free.
Read more about the accessibility of the space here: balticcircle.fi/en/festival/accessibility
