The full factual programme for World Village Festival has been unveiled. The festival’s main theme, climate change, is present in many of the dozens of featured discussions on societal issues.
Speaking events will be hosted by the festival’s main partners – the European Union, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Maailman Kuvalehti – and many other programme producers. The festival is organised by Fingo, an umbrella organisation for more than 300 development organisations.
The election day for the 2019 European Parliament election falls on the festival weekend. Saturday’s FingoTalks election panel on Mekong Stage will tackle the direction of Europe’s development. Present to discuss their views will be Mikkel Näkkäläjärvi (Social Democrats), Heidi Hautala (Greens) and Merja Kyllönen (Left Alliance). Later in the day, Fingo’s climate talk will test the climate policy knowledge of MEP candidates Sirpa Pietikäinen (National Coalition), Ville Niinistö (Greens) and Mia Haglund (Left Alliance).
The European Union’s discussion in Village Cinema will look for ways to combat climate change with Chief Negotiator Outi Honkatukia from the Ministry of the Environment, director Sini Harkki of Greenpeace Finland and Laura Kolehmainen, the founder of the Ilmastoveivi 2019 campaign.
Media ready to self reflect as a reporter for climate change
Taiga Stage will also feature discussions on the media’s role in reporting about climate change and developing countries. Yle journalist Jenni Frilander and meteorologist Kerttu Kotakorpi join Yle’s panel to discuss global differences in climate change reporting.
Maailman Kuvalehti’s panel will include journalists Jami Jokinen and Riikka Suominen talking about whether the media is a part of the problem or the solution in terms of climate change. Journalist Rauli Virtanen and photographer Meeri Koutaniemi will talk about their work in developing countries in a panel hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
World Village Festival is held on 25–26 May 2019 in Helsinki at Kaisaniemi Park and Railway Square. The festival is hosted by Fingo ry, an umbrella organisation for 300 CSOs and an expert organisation in the field of development.
