The Finnish older people’s population is diverse. There is an increasing number of older individuals among us who were born outside of Finland and whose native language is neither Finnish nor Swedish. However, public imagery and discourse surrounding the older people still depict an aging population as highly homogeneous, primarily Finnish-speaking people. Additionally, we do not see enough older individuals of foreign backgrounds represented as users of services.
As all of us represent small organisations, we decided in 2020 to unite our efforts, following the example of ENIEC. We established a coalition to strengthen our collaboration, utilise each other’s resources, and increase our impact. Together, we have written articles, participated in events and seminars, trained professionals, organized panel discussions, presentations, and speeches, conducted research collaborations with universities, and met with local politicians. One of our collaborative projects was the impactful exhibition The Many Faces of Aging, where 20 older individuals who had immigrated to Finland from various countries were photographed and they shared their personal stories. This exhibition has been touring Finland for four years, making the diversity of the older people visible nationwide. Short video from exhibition is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhI5uMHMt7g Another joint project is the Facebook Live discussions led by Ann-Ly, where we examine the challenges faced by older immigrants in Finland.
Last year, we realised that although our collaboration has been valuable, our visibility and ability to influence are still limited, and important information remains out of reach for a broader audience. We decided to expand and open our coalition to everyone interested. Thus, we founded The MOI Network for Diverse Aging, which is open to anyone, including members of older people’s municipal councils, municipal employees, gerontology students and teachers, politicians, and researchers.
The network operates through an email group where we regularly share newsletters about ongoing activities and upcoming events. Members of the email group can exchange thoughts and information on issues related to diversity and aging. Each newsletter also includes a reading recommendation featuring research articles and blog posts on diverse aging. Previously highlighted authors have included ENIEC network members such as Saloua Berdai Chaouni and Jennifer van den Broeke. In the latest newsletter, we shared experiences from the ENIEC meeting and workshops in Nijmegen. Since its establishment in October 2024, the network has grown to nearly 150 members.
To ensure the success of our joint efforts and the maintenance of the MOI Network, we hold regular monthly meetings. During these meetings, we assign tasks, such as who will prepare the newsletter and what content will be included. We also decide on other collaborative activities alongside our individual work commitments. These regular gatherings within our small working group provide motivation and reinforce our belief that together, we can achieve meaningful results. Expanding our cooperation through the new network strengthens our collective expertise. Many challenges can be avoided when there is a place where people can ask questions and share their experiences with proven solutions. Together, we accomplish more.
The ENIEC members behind the MOI Network are Susanna, Katja, Miina, Dora, Tuulikki, Farzaneh, Siiri, Ann-Ly, Alina, Evgeniya, and Eva.
