"Village activities bring security closer to people and make it concrete. Preparedness is not about intimidation, but about responsibility. It's about identifying our own resources and expertise before they are needed," said the Minister of Agriculture. Sari Essayah in his opening speech at the event.
The Welcome to the Village event was held in Parliament on September 23, 2026 under the title: What is the basis for overall safety in everyday life in rural areas?
The Executive Director brought a message from South Ostrobothnia Miia Hietaniemi From the South Ostrobothnia Villages Association and village developer Mari Viljanmaa From the development association Liiveri.
"Leader groups promote preparedness at the village level in a concrete way by developing it in cooperation with the villages. Leader money supports the purchases necessary for preparedness, such as generators that ensure the supply of power to critical equipment. In investments related to preparedness, the villages also focus on accessibility, which was not yet taken into account when village houses were built over 100 years ago," Viljanmaa said. Jouni Kemppainen when asking for concrete examples of where Leader is needed.
Leader development manager Heli Walls from the Finnish Villages Association appealed to decision-makers to act in favor of Leader funding. “Leader activities genuinely and cost-effectively respond to the needs of local communities. The question is the future of all rural development funding.”
The event was organised in cooperation with the Parliament's Village Action Network, the Parliamentary Working Group on Sparsely Populated Areas (HARVA), the Finnish Villages Association and Svenskfinlands Byar. Ministers and MPs with their assistants, as well as staff from Parliament and party offices and the media were invited to the event.