One of the world’s biggest startup events, Slush, took place in Helsinki on 21st -22nd of November this year. The event attracted over 25,000 attendees, 3,500 startups and 2000 investors from all over the world from over 130 nationalities.
In 2013 Edward Snowden exposed a system of mass global surveillance. Six years later, he says not much has changed and will not change until the internet is restructured. In a live interview over a video link, Edward Snowdens shared his views with 70 000 Web Summit attendees listening in Lisbon’s Altice Arena last week.
Therapy recycle + exorcise presented their collection on the first day of HFW. Vegan sneakers by Heluna shop. Photo credit: Julia Rahikka
This year Helsinki Fashion Week took place from 19th to 22nd of July, in four locations in Helsinki. The fashion shows took place in the Palace of Nobility, Wanha Satama and Clarion hotel Helsinki. Talk panels were also held in these places and keynotes were held at Elisa Kulma, witch is an official partner of HFW.
You may not have ever been to Lithuania or have heard much about it, but this small baltic country of 2.9 million is going to surprise you in the near future.
Lithuania, is probably the most courageous and progressive of the Baltic states at the moment. With a young workforce and vibrant startup atmosphere the country is railing towards a fast modernisation and economic development.
A tweet form the youth wing of the Finns Party has caused uproar on the internet for scaremongering with racist content. The tweet uses a picture of a black couple holding a newborn baby.
Jorge Arreaza, Minister of the People’s Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in Venezuela. 26 February 2019 Photon: UN
April 25: Foreign Minister Arreaza Describes Excruciating Suffering of the Venezuelan People Resulting From US Sanctions;
April 26: US Violates its Obligation as UN Host Country and Sanctions the Foreign Minister for Speaking Truth to Power
“We are not only on the wrong side, we are the wrong side.” Pentagon Papers Expert Daniel Elllsberg
On April 11, the ongoing saga of journalist and transparency activist Julian Assange took a dangerous turn. Ecuador's president, Lenin Moreno, revoked his asylum in that country's London embassy.
Sara Khameis's mother is Finnish, and her father is a Jordanian. Sara has grown up in Amman, the capital of Jordan. She received a bachelor degree in biotechnology in Jordan and then applied for a Master's degree in Finland.
This year Slush came back bigger and better than ever with 20 000 attendees, 2 600 startups, 1 600 investors and 600 journalists. Slush was held dec 4-5 in Messukeskus, the Helsinki Exhibition Center. The trends of this year included artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, machine learning, blockchain and sustainability. There were lots of inspirational speakers including Werner Vogels, Julia Hartz, Katarina Berg and Casey Winters.
Middle Feast -- one of the business teams of the Business Program.
Startup Refugees is one of the leading NGOs in Finland that helps asylum seekers and refugees by assisting them with starting a business or finding employment. I met with Maiju Mitrunen, the Head of Business & Employment Programs, in their office in Helsinki and we talked a little bit about the work they do.
A group of around 20 members of the far-right group, who call themselves “Soldiers of Odin” arranged a show off in the Puhos shopping mall in eastern Helsinki on Monday evening, frightening and intimidating immigrants. Puhos is a small shopping mall adjacent to Itis. The outdated mall has been rented out to mainly ethnic shops and restaurants. Visitors of the mall are almost all from Somali, Kurdish, Arab and other immigrant groups.
Mohammed received two negative decisions to his request for asylum and exhausted from the process, he returned voluntarily to Iraq. He now lives in Baghdad. In a phone call, Mohammed talks about why he left Iraq, the case and how he’s getting on back at home.
Taha fled Iraq for love. Unfortunately that’s not a reason good enough to stay in his adopted home in Finland. He went underground and now lives in Kirkkonummi with a Finnish family who wanted to help. Taha is one of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Finland.
THE 31st HELSINKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, also referred to as Rakkautta & Anarkiaa (Love & Anarchy), came to a close on Sunday, having drawn in record breaking numbers. This year’s film festival attracted more than 60,000 visitors and featured almost 500 screenings.
Helsinki fashion week is the first fashion event focusing on 100% sustainable production and brands. This year the event was held in an exciting old oil tank, transformed into exhibition centre, located in Laajasalo, Helsinki. While the shows were held inside the oil tank, and an eco village was set up outside.
Flight to Finland starts with a narrator’s doctoral defense session and his/her lectio when he/she addresses custos, the opponent, and audiences, and ends with concluding remarks of custos, and in between, the narrator moves back and forth to recount his/her narratives of living, studying, and working in Finland.
A Nigerian mechanical designer student called Ty from Aalto University (name changed here) saved our family from a snow blizzard with his Uber ride. Ty is looking for a job and is pondering whether to stay in Finland or move to Norway. I asked how about the startup companies (building new business with strong tech focus and high growth potential), has he checked that out. He said he tried it and it was disappointing; all the hard work and no salary in the end.
