Lintulahdenkatu 10
00500 Helsinki
Finland
- Environment/Sustainable development
- Youth and education
The Finnish Somalia Network (FSN) is an ideologically, politically and religiously independent umbrella organization and co-operative body for organizations that conduct or plan to conduct development cooperation projects in Somalia. FSN was founded in 2004 and registered in 2009. It currently employs 4 people and has 9 board members. It has an annual budget of approximately 300,000 euros deriving funding from membership fees, grants, state aid and fundraising. FSN executes development cooperation projects in different sectors and areas in Somalia with its member organizations and offers its member organizations peer support, training and advice in the form of seminars, consultations and information service. FSN also publishes an electronic, trilingual Afrikan Sarvi – Horn of Africa Journal to bring developmental issues of the region to the attention of the wider audience. More recently, the Network has started a volunteer program for immigrant background youth.
The Finnish Somalia Network (FSN) is an ideologically, politically and religiously independent umbrella organization and co-operative body for organizations that conduct or plan to conduct development cooperation projects in Somalia. It executes development cooperation projects in different sectors and provides training to strengthen the capacity of its member organisations. Doing so it relieves the pressures the civil society faces in Somalia, and contributes to peacebuilding and development in the country. FSN is well-known and trusted expert among funders, media and other partners.
FSN is currently engaged in two environmental projects that target desertification, one of the root causes of the current migration flows. The first project began in 2012 and with its positive results another project was launched two years later. These project have been successful not only in environmental terms, but they have been able to generate cooperation between actors coming from different parts of the region that have previously experienced challenges in working together. Another long term project the FSN has been committed to is the electronic journal, Afrikan Sarvi - the Horn of Africa. The journal caters the wider audience bringing academic news and studies from the region to their attention. More recently FSN has began developing a volunteer program for immigrant background youth in Finland to fully integrate them to the Finnish society and to improve their societal skills and employment possibilities. Also, the Network is constantly preparing new development cooperation projects with organization partners as well as developing business cooperation.
As an umbrella organisation we have an excellent and enthusiastic network through which we can distribute information and knowledge. Also, we bring our own expertise to the benefit of the ALF community.
Tackling the root causes of illegal migration, radicalism and other challenges the Mediterranean and European community is currently facing is very important in order to solve or at least alleviate the problems. As many of our members are in fact diaspora organisations as well as active in development cooperation, we feel we have a lot to offer in these current topics.