Lauri Alhojärvi
I’m a 37-year old Master of Arts, currently working on my doctoral thesis in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki. While searching for grants, I work as a school attending assistant, mainly with autistic children, and a drums teacher. I’m running for the city council of Helsinki as an independent candidate with the Feminist Party. My principal themes include increasing the funding of kindergartens and schools, lowering the costs of housing, abolishing child poverty, creating more jobs and preserving the city’s parks and forests.
I defend peace, solidarity, democracy, equal rights, multiculturalism, education and the environment.
These are my fourth municipal elections thus far. After the first one, I was chosen to be a member of the Environmental Board of Helsinki. Those four years served me well: I became familiar with political language and behaviour. Still, I could not stand making decisions appear more complex than they actually were. Basically, all decisions are really quite simple: one either supports the well-being of humans and the nature, or one does not. Hardly ever do those two oppose each other. Most often it’s a choise between private capital and well-being.
If you want a multicultural and democratic Helsinki that looks after the homeless, the children and the elderly while preserving its nature, vote number 2.
More information about the elections and the right to vote is available at vaalit.fi/en
”Don’t ask me where I’m from; ask me where I’m local”
I moved to Kurkimäki a few years ago, and as a third generation resident of Kontula-Vesala area, I have a fair knowledge of its people, services, strengths and challenges. I spent my childhood in Paloheinä, Munkkivuori and Tali. I’ve also lived in Alppila, Arabianranta and Hermanni. I have frequented the bars of Kallio and Vallila. Visiting friends, I have had the pleasure to get to know places like Tapiola and Viherlaakso in Espoo, Mikkeli, and the general Turku area. I’ve lived in France and the United States, which both feel like a second home to me.
I was born at Naistenkinikka in Töölö, Helsinki, Finland. But I’m local in all of the places mentioned above. I wouldn’t like to be categorized merely as a Finn, because that would remove all the nuances that have enriched my life, nuances brought by the feeling of belonging. I wouldn’t want to categorize anyone other, either. We all have different backgrounds which are, while not always pleasant, always building blocks of our identity.
Lauri Alhojärvi 