Dear women of Moniheli's member associations,

Moniheli's Women working group is arranging a workshop training for Moniheli's member associations: "Empowering immigrant women with the positive mindsets to approach challenges".

Date: Saturday 10 December 2011 from 9 to 17, lunch and snacks will be served free of charge for the whole workshop.

This training is targeted at immigrant women of Moniheli's association members.
This training is given primarily to Moniheli's association members and we are requesting each member association to send 1-2 women representatives to participate in this training.

The objectives of this training are:

1. To empower multicultural women who are living in the capital area by promoting a positive mindset
2. To motivate women in pursuing certain challenges or changes they encounter whilst integrating into the Finnish society. The common challenges which exist among multicultural women are for example family challenges, job situation challenges, cultural integration challenges, health challenges etc.
3. To establish a peer support group for women by mentorship method. Peer support group is the volunteer group of women who have participated in this workshop and would like to continue sharing, bringing their ideas and support and help to motivate the positive mindset to other multicultural women.

After this training, the women representatives of each association members should be able to be part of the Moniheli's women core support group.

Member associations will be contacted individually by phone in the coming week.

Please see the invitation leaflet (link), and please send the name and contact information of your association women representatives to Nan (women's group coordinator) at the address nontharos(at)gmail.com or by phone at 044 253 9877.
Please confirm your registration by 30 November 2011.

We look forward to meeting women representatives at the workshop!

Dear Guest

We are cordially inviting you to a seminar scheduled to take place in Caisa, on the 25th of November, 2011 from 10 – 14 hrs. The seminar is part of the African Voices Day event that is being organized by the African Civil Society Council in Finland (ACSCF). The title of the seminar is: The Future of Africans in Finland.

Thereafter will be the evening programme which will feature various forms of entertainment like African live and DJ music, poetry readings and theatre performances.

The African Civil Society Council in Finland (ACSCF) is a non-profit making organization. It is a council with a mandate to promote the interests of Africans and people of African descent living in Finland. The activities are coordinated by a committee that is composed of representatives from different African countries associations.

The main objectives of the Council of the African Civil Society in Finland are as follows:
1. To advance the image of Africans and the values of their cultures
2. To promote the active integration of Africans in Finnish society.
3. To advocate for the equal rights of Africans living abroad and in Africa.
4. To promote the emancipation of African women and children living abroad and in Africa.
5. To open windows of opportunity between Africa and the rest of the world.

Your presence at the seminar and the multicultural evening entertainment programme will surely add to the spirit of bringing Africans together to chart a better future in Finland. Our united effort will also be a springboard for far reaching activities that also includes raising the flagship of Africa in Finland. There is free entrance to both the seminar and evening programmes. Please pass on the information to anyone interested.

Regards

ACSCF Chairman
Daté K. Georges Kouassivi-Benissan

***

November 25 2011 Venue: Caisa

1000 – 1030
Registration and coffee

1030 – 1100 Opening of Africa Voices Day – Batsirai Chivhanga (Zimbabwe) General
Secretary and Daté K. Georges Kouassivi-Benissan (Togo) ACSCF Chairman

Presentation of the board members and the new structure of ACSCF)
Seminar – The Future of Africans in Finland

Seminar Facilitator: Batsirai Chivhanga (Zimbabwe)

1100 – 1110        Opening Seminar Batsirai Chivhanga
1110 – 1130        Keynote Presentation 1     Ogechukwu Eneh M.Ed (Nigeria)
1130 – 1140        Questions and discussions
1140 – 1200       Keynote Presentation 2      Alex Baniba (Togo)
1200 – 1210       Questions and discussions
1210 – 1300       Lunch Break
1300 – 1320       Keynote 3    Muhammed Nur  (Somalia)
1320 – 1330       Questions and discussions
1330 – 1400       Further discussion and conclusion
1400 – 1800       Food and Break

1800 – 1930        Film Screenings – Batsirai Chivhanga
1930 – 2030        Poetry Readings ‘A Home  – A Way from Home’ – Batsirai Chivhanga
            Theatre Performance – Palace and Cultural Network (PACUNET)
2030 – 2100        African Achievers Award
2100 – 2200        Live Music – Bina Nkwazi and The Daughters of the Sun
2200 – 0000        DJ X Ray, DJ Francis, DJ Amara and Eric

Enquiries and registration:

Batsirai Chivhanga – African Voices Day Coordinator     

bchivhan(ät)gmail.com (0465590383)

Marraskuussa Helsingissä järjestettävässä seminaarissa pohditaan, miten vapaaehtoistoiminnan käsite ymmärretään eri kulttuureissa, miksi toimia vapaaehtoisena, miksi vapaaehtoistoimintaa rahoitetaan ja mitä tarkoittaa toimia vapaaehtoisena monikulttuurisessa Suomessa.

Seminaarin teema vapaaehtoistoiminta on erityisen ajankohtainen, sillä vuosi 2011 on virallisesti Euroopan vapaaehtoistoiminnan vuosi. Iltapäivän aikana tarkastellaan myös miten vapaaehtoistoiminnan merkitys ja arvostus on lisännyt yhteistyön mahdollisuuksia.

Seminaarin puhujina on muun muassa:
RAY:n toimitusjohtaja Sinikka Mönkäre
Vuoden Pakolaisnainen Saido Mohamed
Suomen Mielenterveysseuran OVI-hankkeen projektijohtaja Sari Nyholm
Voima-lehden toimitusjohtaja Tuomas Rantanen
Vuoden Lotta Aune Rahola
Moniheli ry:n varapuheenjohtaja Abdirahim Hussein
Helsingin Nuorisoasiainkeskuksen johtaja Lasse Siurala
Järjestöaktiivi Richmond Ghansan
Suomen mielenterveysseuran aluekoordinaattori Suvi-Tuuli Porkka

Yhteistyössä on potkua -seminaari järjestetään Eurooppasalissa (Malminkatu 16) 9.11.2011 klo 13.30-18.

Järjestäjät
Seminaarin järjestäjinä toimivat Järjestöhautomo, SPR, Monika-naiset liitto ry, Moniheli ry, Väestöliitto, Somaliliitto, Suomen Mielenterveysseura, Helsingin kaupungin maahanmuuttoyksikkö.

Registration for the seminar by 7.11.2011 through the Organization Incubator webpages, www.jarjestohautomo.fi.

Lisätietoja
Järjestöhautomo, Matti Forsberg, 040 835 3361, matti.forsberg(at)pakolaisapu.fi
Moniheli ry, Antti Vuorio, 044 535 5722, antti.vuorio(at)moniheli.fi

Yhteistyössä on potkua seminar will be organized in Helsinki on the 9th of November. The seminar deals with issues such as diverse views of volunteer work in different cultures, reasons and importance behind working as a volunteer, the financing methods of volunteering as well as what it means to work as a volunteer in a multicultural society of Finland. The seminar and discussions will be in Finnish.

The volunteer work theme of the seminar is very topical at the moment, since the year 2011 is officially the European year of volunteering. During the day, you will also hear how the importance and appreciation of volunteer work have increased the possibilities of cooperation.

Among the speakers there will be:
- Sinikka Mönkäre, managing director of RAY (Finland’s Slot Machine Association)
- Saido Mohamed, Refugee Woman of the Year 2011
- Sari Nyholm, OVI project manager at the Finnish Association for Mental Health
- Tuomas Rantanen, managing director of Voima Magazine
- Aune Rahola, Vuoden Lotta 2010
- Abdirahim Hussein, vice-chairman, Moniheli ry
- Lasse Siurala, director of the Youth Department of the City of Helsinki
- Richmond Ghansan, organisation activist
- Suvi-Tuuli Porkka, area coordinator at Finnish Association for Mental Health

The seminar will be held in Eurooppasali (Malminkatu 16), Helsinki on the 9th of November from 13:30  to 18.00.

Organisers:
Organization Incubator (Järjestöhautomo), Finnish Red Cross, Monika – Multicultural Women’s Association in Finland, Moniheli ry, The Family Federation (Väestöliitto), Somali League (Somaliliitto), The Finnish Association for Mental Health, The City of Helsinki Immigrant Unit

Registration for the seminar by 7.11.2011 through the Organization Incubator webpages, www.jarjestohautomo.fi.

For further information:
Organization Incubator (Järjestöhautomo), Matti Forsberg, tel. +358 40 835 3361, matti.forsberg(at)pakolaisapu.fi
Moniheli ry, Antti Vuorio, tel. +358 44 535 5722, antti.vuorio(at)moniheli.fi

How to deal with depressive feelings, anxiety, loneliness? Join the support group "Find your own story" for young adults in similar life situations. The aim of the group is to prevent depression and discover new strengths and increase empowerment.

The group will start on the 23th of November and there will be 10 meetings in the evening. There will be 6-8 participants in the group and two trained group leaders.

The meetings will take place in the SOS Crisis Centre in Helsinki. The group is organized by The Finnish Association for Mental Health, SOS Crisis Centre. It is financed by donations and free of charge for participants.

Further information and applications http://www.mielenterveysseura.fi/vertaistukiryhmat/nuoret_ja_nuoret_aikuiset

Further information
Elina Mäenpää, SOS Crisis Centre
elina.maenpaa(ät)mielenterveysseura.fi
tel. (09) 61551 739
gsm 040 740 6001

Target participants: The workshop is meant for leaders of immigrant organisations and those working with multicultural groups. The participants should be in a duplication position where they can inspire their own members, communities and institutions to run and take part in public participation processes, consultations and community engagement. Maximum 30 participants. Workshop is free of charge and will include a lunch.

Content: The workshop day will provide an introduction to public engagement, participation and dialogue as well as to hands-on practices of how to design a participation process within an association.

The day is divided into 3 sessions:

1. Internal meetings – thinking creatively about an issue
2. Research meetings – improving the association’s knowledge about an issue
3. Meetings to overcome conflict – finding and developing agreement

“Immigrants often care passionately about local issues, but struggle to actually get involved.
The workshop day will explore what it is that immigrants need if they are to actively participate in building their own communities.”

Facilitator of the workshop:
Edward Andersson is the Deputy Director of Involve, and an established expert on methods of participatory decision making. He set up peopleandparticipation.net – the UKs leading public engagement site, and has advised a number of organisations on public engagement strategies, including the European Commission, the OECD and numerous Local Authorities and Health Trusts.
He is a Professional Facilitator (Certified by the International Association of Facilitators), sits on the National Expert Panel on Local Governance for the Department for Communities and Local Government and is a board member of the international not-for profit e-Democracy.org.

Please register by 3.11.2011 at the address toimisto(at)moniheli.fi (name of participant and organisation).

Welcome!