This year is a jubilee year in many ways. We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of our homeland, and it will be 20 years since the establishment of the Seinäjoki Region Development Association Liiverri. In those two decades, an incredible amount of work has been done for the development of the homeland. The highest thanks and appreciation to the generations that have preserved Finland's independence is strong homeland work that preserves vitality and active rural development work focused on the future.
I have been a member of the Liiver board since spring 2014. During that time, the board has processed hundreds of different business support applications, public benefit investment project applications, and development and theme project applications, in addition to matters that are legally within the association's jurisdiction. It is a privilege to follow the effects of these decisions. Growing companies are increasing their turnover and hiring more staff. Villages are investing and building new common facilities and repairing old ones through volunteer work. Young people have become active in improving their hobby opportunities. Even internationality, which has been raised as one of the development targets in our strategy, has been made possible through international projects.
The joint meetings of the Leader groups have brought peer support and understanding of the wider impact of Leader activities through familiarization with the activities of other groups. Being part of the steering group of the Kylille project is always surprising – the meetings of the joint project steering group present the activities taking place among people in the villages in their full scope.
A major turning point in municipal history
This month, I began my fourth term in municipal politics. What municipal decision-making and Liiveri's government work have in common is the pursuit of the common good. We build the future by securing economically sustainable solutions and encouraging investment in the future. In both municipal decision-making and Liiveri's government work, the most important document is a strategy drawn up to achieve the agreed operational goal. A common goal, a common will and jointly agreed means are the right tools for implementing the strategy. When the goal of the journey is clear, we can focus on the journey, because there are enough crossroads, rocks and potholes to make the journey difficult. A strategy is a map from which we can always check whether we are heading in the right direction.
The council term that is now beginning will be a major turning point in municipal history. Preparations are underway for the social and health care and regional reform, in which some of the municipal tasks will be transferred to the regional administration as of 1 January 2019. The tasks of the municipalities will be reduced when the social and health care sector and the rescue service will be transferred to the regional administration. Among the municipal tasks, the development of vitality, development services, employment services, advocacy, internationality, communications and various events will become important.
The city of Seinäjoki has prepared for the upcoming organizational reform, in which these tasks will be assigned to the vitality and competitiveness sector. All of these are also key issues in Leader work. We need to build a discussion forum as a tool between the new vitality board of the city of Seinäjoki and the Liiveri government. There will certainly be similar changes and needs in Ilmajoki and Kurikka as well.
Active citizens are needed
In Liiveri, the villages and their needs are known. I have wondered if the municipality could help with the difficult paperwork of writing project applications and other paperwork in village projects with employee input. The civil society of the future breaks boundaries. Could the municipality of the future have a forum where village representatives, municipal employees and Liiveri employees, in a tripartite and united manner, would consider concrete measures and funding opportunities for developing villages and securing the operating conditions of companies operating in villages, and mapping out new business needs? The upcoming provincial reform will certainly offer a market opportunity for village welfare entrepreneurs.
The world has become more complex and active local residents will be needed in the future as experts in safety, preparedness, digital services and communications, and various civic skills to help and guide the villages. Perhaps these ideas will take shape in the future as development projects or new business activities.
I look at our society from the perspective of an agricultural entrepreneur, an association activist, a municipal decision-maker and a member of the Liiveri board, and I have seen how much Leader work has achieved in South Ostrobothnia. Open-mindedness and faith in the future unite decision-makers today, just as they did 20 years ago when Leader activities were started here. Thank you and happy anniversary!
Mervi Mäenpää