Information on the programme for the Åland anniversary year
Past events
Culmination of the anniversary year — June 2022
The anniversary year culminated in June 2022. Plenty of events took place in Åland itself, as well as in Mainland Finland and all over the world.
In June, everyone was invited to clean up beaches and other natural environments to celebrate Åland’s anniversary. Waterways and seas are something we all share and cherish. These efforts were our gift to everyone in Åland and beyond, both for today and for the future, and helped to promote the themes highlighted by Åland’s anniversary.
For one week, from 6 to 12 June 2022, people were invited to take part in a cleaning campaign built around the UN World Water Day on 8 June and Åland’s Autonomy Day on 9 June. Participants were urged to share their participation and congratulate Åland on social media using #Åland100 and #cleanupaland100. Everyone were invited to get involved — organisations, associations, businesses, individuals, and even groups of friends or colleagues. Y
Hundred years since League of Nations decision
On 24 June 2021, it was 100 years since the League of Nations granted Åland an autonomous status.
Finland and Sweden ratified the decision, according to which Åland would belong to Finland and be granted an autonomous status on 27 June 1921.
The Prime Minister's Office and the National Archives of Finland organised an event — “100 Years Since the League of Nations Decision” — which included Allan Rosas' keynote speech and a panel discussion with historians and self-government experts on the background and significance of the League of Nations decision, from both historical and present day perspectives.
The event is available on the Government's YouTube channel
The jubilee year began on 9 June 2021
The official centennial celebrations began on Åland's Autonomy Day on 9 June 2021. The programme included an event at the statue of Julius Sundblom, a central actor in building the Åland self-government after the decision of the League of Nations, and an evening concert to mark the beginning of the anniversary year.
The Ministry of the Interior recommended flying the flag on Åland’s Autonomy day even on Mainland Finland. The flags were flying to celebrate the centennial jubilee on 9 June in 2021 and 2022.
The Åland Week in schools — March 2022
All schools in Finland got to join and celebrate the Åland Week from 21 to 25 March 2022. The National Archives of Finland, Hanaholmen's Svenska Nu project, the Finnish national agency of Education, the National Museum and the Museum of Åland, Kielilähettiläät, Visit Åland and Pohjola-Norden produced materials and events on a variety of Åland themes for teachers, ranging from history and cuisine to economics and culture. The Prime Minister's Office cooperated with the organisations involved.
History, self-government, democracy, and the importance of demilitarisation — inter-disciplinary seminars
Autumn 2021 and spring 2022 saw numerous celebratory seminars being held on the theme of the anniversary of Åland. The seminars are being organised by both public and private bodies:
- The Hanaholmen Cultural Centre organised a seminar on autonomous regions on 25 August 2021. You can watch the seminar on Hanaholmen's website.
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The youth event ReGeneration Week on sustainability was organized in Mariehamn and online August 28-31. The target group was young people around the Baltic Sea and among others the EU Commissioner on the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius participated. The recordings can be found on YLE Areena.
- One of the main seminars of the anniversary year was held in Mariehamn on 20 October 2021. The event was organised by the Parliament of Åland and was live-streamed on the Åland Parliament's YouTube-channel. The speeches can also be viewed on Yle Areena.
- In November, a jubilee seminar was held in Parliament 24.11. Material related to the seminar can be viewed on the Parliament's YouTube channel.
Several international seminars are held throughout the anniversary year:
- On 8 December 2022, the closing conference of the research project on Nordic self-governing regions will be held in Copenhagen / the Nordic Council, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, and the Government of Åland. The seminar "Sustainable democracy in the Nordic region" can be viewed on the Nordic Cooperation YouTube channel.
- On 5 April 2022, the international seminar for the anniversary of Åland’s autonomy was held in The Hague / the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and the Government of Åland. The event was streamed on the Åland goverment's Youtube-channel.
Links to further information, materials and previous events
- Finnish Institute in Stockholm webinar series on Åland:
- Hanaholmen event for university students "Det unikaöriket Åland"
- The Åland Islands Solution digital exhibition
- National Archives of Finland website about Åland
- Svenska litteratursällskapet Åland – photo album in Finna