How has the 60th anniversary year of Maailmanvaihto begun? Roosa Kontiokari, the chair of the board of the organization, talks about her January.
1. Hi Roosa! What kind of tasks did you have in January?
I ran the first board meeting of the year – and of my term as chair! Before the meeting I had familiarized myself with my new role with the help of our Secretary General Anni Koskela. The most rewarding thing in January was to get started with the new position and to begin laying out plans for the year.
2. What are your expectations for this year?
I’m looking forward to anything that working on the board during the anniversary year brings with it. I’m sure I will learn a great deal about organizational activities as well as international volunteering. Of course I’m also looking forward to meeting the new volunteers.
3. Maailmanvaihto is working to advance intercultural understanding. What do you think is the board’s role in this?
Building intercultural understanding is one of Maailmanvaihto’s core aims and as such it has to act as a basis for all decisions made by the board. This ensures that Maailmanvaihto’s activities as an organization promotes intercultural understanding in a society.
4. How would you like to see Maailmanvaihto’s activities evolve in the future?
Long-term international volunteering can provide incredibly valuable learning experiences for the volunteers themselves as well as for the people around them. However, only a few understands or even knows about that. My hope for the future is that more people will get to hear about the amazing experiences that people have had through Maailmanvaihto’s activities.
5. What is your own experience of intercultural learning in Maailmanvaihto’s activities?
People in different cultures see the world from different perspectives, but in the end humanity and humanness is the same – regardless of where in the world you are.
6. Three reasons to join Maailmanvaihto’s activities?
International experiences, positive atmosphere and great people.
Finally, your greetings to the 60-year-old Maailmanvaihto?
Congratulations on the anniversary! Keep up the good work and remember to enjoy the anniversary year.
Photo: The first meeting of Maailmanvaihto’s board was held in January. Roosa Kontiokari in the middle in the photo.
The article series My anniversary year presents once a month during Maailmanvaihto’s 60th anniversary year what’s going on in the lives of people connected with the organization. The anniversary year is filled with different kinds of activities and people!