KESTÄVÄ KEHITYS

Every fall about 50 young people leave this lovely village, which is full of warm and symphatetic people, because there are hardly any chances for post –senior high school studies. And in the future only a few of them will come back. Why is this happening, why is this village dying out?

Well, in my opinion there is one, but very obvious reason for this: there are no jobs. I mean, honestly, after my studies, I would come back and stay for the rest of my life here in Tornio Valley if there was a job for me. Otherwise this area is wonderful whether you consider nature, the possibilities for freetime activities or safety, which is very important for families with little children.

I find safety and peace very important. How you see this Tornio Valley is a question of values. I mean if you prefer shopping to safety, then living in Tornio Valley might not be your cup of tea.

There has been a lot of discussion about the fate of Tornio Valley and Lapland as a whole. Even though Tornio Valley is regarded as one of the most upmarket areas in Lapland there is still much to improve.

We have such beautiful nature with all its possibilities and resources. The thing is that we need to find out how to take advantage of them. We all know that we can have life here in Tornio Valley, it´s just all up to our own attitudes.

So, would I rather stay here in Lapland or in the south? Here, indeed, because of the way of living is more relaxed and conditions for so called "good life" are better.

I live in a little village called Pello in Tornio Valley in northern Finland. There aren´t many inhabitants here and Pello is quite far from everything, so it sometimes feels like everybody just wanted to leave this place as soon as they can.

Still, in my opinion there are also many good sides in living here, but maybe people just take them as self-evident facts. For me, absolutely the most important thing here is nature. There are clean and big forests, beautiful hills and a wide blue river that flows through the landscape.

We, young people, have to move to the southern parts of Finland to study and to work, because there aren´t as good possibilities to do it here in Lapland. I`m sure that many of us would gladly return, if there were better basic services. But it´s difficult to develop this area, when all the politicians live in Helsinki. Should they move some of the ministers up here or is ist better that the people who live in the north move down to Helsinki to decide about the future of Tornio Valley?

I don´t think that I´m going to stay here for the rest of my life. I can´t get any further education here so it´s obvious I´ll have to move away from here to study somewhere. A good job and a family might make me stay here, but I don´t think it´s going to happen.There are too few jobs for me. But who knows, maybe when I retire I´ll move back to Tornio Valley to see the blue river and the beautiful landscapes, if those things still exist then.

I have been living here for ten years and I like to live here. A friend of mine asked me once that how you can live there in the north with ice and eskimos. He said that there is no life here. I laughed and said that he was so wrong!

The best sides about living here are people, nature and silence. Here everybody knows everyone. Small villages create a feeling of togetherness. Everyone in the same village is a neighbour to each other.

I´m not a conservationist or nature activist but I still think that nature is important. Nature means also a source of income.

I know that this is not the best place to live, but this is the best place for me.

I need to admit that living here after I´ve educated myself isn´t surefire. Services are cut here yearly, which unfortunately forces people to move further to the south. Despite this I still keep hopes alive that in the future I´ll have some kind of possibilities to give my children a safe environment to grow up as my parents gave to me.

A REFUGEE AS A NEIGHBOUR

I would help them to know some Finnish culture – assuming that there wouldn´t be overwhelming communicational obstacles – show them my friends and my home town and take them on a trip to Lapland´s breathtakingly beautiful nature.

Of course some kind of job should be arranged as soon as possible to ensure their welfare in the future.

I think that refugees and all people from other cultures enrich our lives and Finland should, if needed, take more foreigners and provide them as good circumstances for living as to any Finn.

I´m sure it would be very important that I would go to talk to him. Many foreigners say that Finns are too quiet and expressionless. Definitely it´s a huge shock to come to a new country. I would try to get his confidence. Maybe he needs someone who to talk to. I could arrange some kind of Finland-evening. I´d make traditional Finnish food. Perhaps he would be happy if I told him something about Finnish habits and daily duties.

I´d definitely be enthusiastic to hear about his experiences and homeland. We could enrich each other´s lives. I´d imagine how it would be like to be in his position. Not so nice I´m sure. If I was really lucky we could become real friends.

Written by 2^nd year students from Pello High School:

Kaisa Koivuranta, Tomi Enbuska, Henni Kitti, Heidi Soini, Emilia Välimaa, Jenni Maansaari, Aurora Toivanen, Antti Nätynki, Rebekka Talka

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