PARTICIPANTS’ FINLAND

National programme and action plan to strengthen inclusion and reduce loneliness

The programme aims to reduce loneliness and social exclusion in Finland while strengthening inclusion, community belonging, and a sense of meaning. Its goal is to build a society where everyone has both the opportunity and the desire to participate. It is a long-term, research-based, cross-sectoral collaboration addressing core human needs. Participants’ Finland is coordinated by an expert group convened by the Parliament’s Working Group for Reducing Loneliness and Ostracism.

21 MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN BELONGING AND TACKLE LONELINESS:

3. Cooperation between home and school is strengthened, and shared educational goals are clarified.

4. Every child and young person has the opportunity to explore and engage in volunteer activities as part of their learning path.

5. Children stay engaged in sports clubs for longer periods, reducing early dropouts.

6. Children and young people experiencing loneliness or at risk of social exclusion are identified and supported in joining activity and hobby groups.

7. Mental health skills improve among people of all age groups and across diverse communities.

8. Families discover and make use of local community services to help reduce loneliness.

9. Professionals are equipped to support families with infants and young children who are experiencing loneliness or mental health challenges.

10. Professionals have the skills and tools to reduce loneliness in their work across education, training, teaching, youth, and cultural sectors.

11. Evidence-based practices to prevent and reduce loneliness are adopted and embedded.

12. Actors across sectors are aware of existing, proven models for reducing loneliness.

13. Sports clubs have tools to promote a sense of community and a positive atmosphere within groups, and to integrate these themes into their development processes.

14. Parishes have improved tools to prevent loneliness and strengthen the sense of community.

15. Communication promoting a community-oriented culture is strengthened systematically and supported by major events.

16. Digitalization is used purposefully to reduce loneliness, while recognizing the importance of human contact.

17. All decision-makers have sufficient, up-to-date and understandable information to reduce loneliness and social exclusion.

18. As part of the economic impact assessment of decisions, the cost impacts of loneliness are taken into account.

19. Work communities have a better understanding of how loneliness and social exclusion affect work ability and productivity.

20. Cooperation between organizations expands and becomes more effective in achieving shared goals with the support of artificial intelligence.

21. Members of Parliament, together with regional and municipal decision-makers, commit to implementing the Participants’ Finland programme in cooperation with ministries and other stakeholders.

Interested? Contact us!

You can reach us at: yhteys@osallistujiensuomi.fi

Emil Salovuori
Senior Advisor, non-fiction author, researcher
Founder and coordinator of the Participants’ Finland programme

Niina Junttila
Professor
Founder and coordinator of the Participants’ Finland programme

Petra Heikkinen
Research Coordinator
Interaction Coordinator for the Participants’ Finland expert group