SPLMs European spokesman, Ali Abdelatif Husseinin, met with me on Wednesday in Helsinki. Ali Abdelatif Hussein said, that right now everything seems to be unstable and that the government in Khartoum does not comply with the peace agreement. There are still several open issues as how to share the oil incomes and where to draw the border.

I am going to ask the Christian Democrats in Parliament to call on other parties to express their support for democratic and free referendum in January. In the worst case it seems that a new war could start, which may involve huge flows of refugees and cost innocent people their lives.

- SPLM is a social democratic party, but now all parties should work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict.

According to Ali Hussein M the support from Finland and the European Parliament is very important, because Khartoum is closely following how different countries attitudes will develop. A significant number of countries have already promised to recognize

South Sudan independence if the people chooses this alternative in the January referendum.
Christian Democratic Party and the SPLM will keep regular contact to follow up with developments in the autumn.

Several European leaders were quick to condemn Israel’s campaign Monday to prevent an illegal flotilla from reaching Gaza – well before information and video footage showed that the self-described human rights activists aboard one of the ships were armed and violently attacked Israeli military personnel.

Despite the fact that Israel publicly offered to inspect and then transfer the flotilla’s aid to Gaza several days prior to the incident, many opponents of Israel are now making wild accusations that humanitarian supplies are being blocked from entering Gaza. The facts put these charges to rest – just take a look at how much aid Israel regularly delivers to Gaza, and what it means in real terms for Gazans:

• Over one million tons of humanitarian supplies were delivered by Israel to the people of Gaza in the past 18 months – that’s equal to nearly one ton of aid for every man, woman and child in Gaza.
• In the first quarter of 2010 alone (January-March), Israel delivered 94,500 tons of supplies to Gaza. It’s very easy to miss what that actually means for the people of Gaza. The breakdown includes:
  • 40,000 tons of wheat – which is equal to 53 million loaves of bread;
  • 2,760 tons of rice – which equals 69 million servings;
  • 1,987 tons of clothes and footwear – the equivalent weight of 3.6 million pairs of jeans;and
  • 553 tons of milk powder and baby food – equivalent to over 3.1 million days of formula for an average six-month-old baby.

• This reflects a long-term effort on the part of Israel to deliver a massive and comprehensive supply of aid to Gaza’s civilians, while restricting the ability of Hamas to import missiles that have been launched at the cities of southern Israel. In 2009 alone:
  • During the Muslim holy days of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, Israel shipped some 11,000 head of cattle into Gaza – enough to provide 8.8 million meals of beef;
  • More than 3,000 tons of hypochlorite were delivered by Israel to Gaza for water purification purposes – that’s 60 billion gallons of purified water; and
  • Israel brought some 4,883 tons of medical equipment and medicine into Gaza – a weight equivalent to over 360,000 260-piece mobile trauma first aid kits. A neccesary question to all of us is: how would we act – and what should we demand our leaders to do, if Hamas would be shooting rockets at our country every day?

Of the imports SMEs share is 23 percent and of the exports 10 percent. It should also be recognized that many small and medium-sized companies has a role as subcontractors to larger enterprises, whose products and services are exported.

In many cases, sole entrepreneurs could have the opportunity to expand, but companies are not necessarily prepared to deal with the risks and responsibilities that an employee entails.
In many situations a job could be easier for the entrepreneur, as this could share the liabilities. By reducing the costs of employer’s temporary for 1-2 years, it would be easier for sole entrepreneurs to employ new staff.

Actions to strengthen the business is an importnat issue for Finland. It is particularly important that we give postive signals to the investing industry and that we are prepared to ensure energy at an affordable price also in the future.

The government should ensure the presumptions for the industry. At the same time it ensures that Finland collects export revenues. The energy tax on industry must therefore be on a level, so that the economy of Finland remains competitive.

Single parents, carers and new families are increasing in number. These parents also need strong support from our society in their role as carers and raising up children. A good network  of supporters is particularly important for single parents. For the lone parents’ strength and wellbeing, it is crucial that they also have an opportunity for their own time and to socialize with friends.

Family program’s overall theme is to emphasize family values, to facilitate the formation of the family, to assist and support families in difficult situations. The cornerstone of our society ‘s family. If the families are doing well – then the community is well doing, or vice versa. Even in a changing society the Christian values are a solid base for family policies.

Well-educated people, skilled at different tasks – and even with a long work experience – but what does it benefit, when there are no jobs to be searched?

The only thing that can be worse, than when the alarm clock goes on early in the morning, is if it does not need to go on.

Widespread unemployment is a waste of human resources. One reason for having a job, is of course money. However, it is also about the fact that people wants to belong to a community, to feel that you are needed, to feel satisfaction because of doing a good job.

Human dignity is not measured in how much we work, how much we earn or what we achieve. But having a job or task is a key issue in our lives. Unemployment must be combated by all means. Large industry, often public stockmarket companies, automate and reorganize to become more competitive, trying to optimize profit margins. Rather than in large industry, most new jobs in recent years occurred in SMEs. Therefore, the focus in policy decision must be on lowering the employment threshold for SMEs.

What other expectations, than the previously mentioned universal criteria, are waiting the candidates? 

I think the candidates’ ideological base will play a decisive role in selecting candidates. The Christian Democrats will not look for the perfect, faultless people. Because those can not be found . But, it is important that candidates commit themselves to the goals and values that form the basis of the Christian Democratic ideology.

Candidates who want to ensure that our democratic society is built on Christian values. The universal and lasting values which arise from the Bible and the Christian heritage, and form the basis of a good, functioning community. 

The value base which intends emphasises respect of human dignity, the importance of family and close communities, defending the weak, encouraging resourcefulness and individual and collective responsibility, not just for themselves but also for their neighbours and the rest of creation. Membership of Finland’s Christian Democrats is open to every candidate who agrees with these values and aims.

MP Karpela believes, that  the next government programs should be drawn with fresh courage, including a ban on the fur industry by the year 2025.  This goal could be achieved through retirements and retraining.

Karpela wrote about her thoughts on Saturday in his blog. Prime Minister Vanhanen noted, only a couple of weeks ago, that the fur industry is a legitimate industry which employs thousands of people. Vanhanen also found that the detected management deficiencies is to correct, and that there is no reason to ban the industry. The Center party seems to run two lines. One line that fits all people in rural areas and another  line which is suitable for the City mortals!

An eventual strike, among stevedore workers, means a loss of 160 million in export revenues and 120 million in imports revenue per day. The ports have a central position in the logistic-chain. Ship, rail, road and air transport make up the whole transport chain in the entire nation´s economy. The strike would also likely lead to closure of some industries within in one week.

The consequences of a strike can be seen also in store shelves, because 90 percent of the import goods transported via the ports. According to trade association, for instance foreign fresh fruits and vegetables, would run out first.

Stevedore wages are at a relatively high level. With this in mind, and with the current economic situation, the stevedore workers’ demands and threats of a full-scale strike sounds unreasonable.

Already last year, in early April, suggested MP Oras Tynkkynen, (green) in a Act to the Parliament, an amendment to the Marriage Act. Tynkkynen justified the Act, among other things, that attitudes have changed markedly in a more tolerant direction, after the Act of gay couples right to be registered came into force. He sees the bill as a tool to provoke discussion and to change attitudes, and that the bill could also contribute to the next government, ultimately, can bring about a gender-neutral marriage law.

The bill assumes to change the Marriage Act, to a gender-neutral law, which would allow marriages between same-sex couples.

A representative of SETA, described at the time when the Act of gay couples right to be registered was debated, that their strategy is to progressively work towards universal law, where the ultimate goal is gender-neutral marriage. The goal would be achieved in stages, first Act of gay couples right to be registered, then the Act on fertilization, and through this on to the internal adoption Act, following with the external adoption Act, and finally the gender-neutral marriage. Seta’s stategi has so far progressed as planned.

I fear that the final step in the plan will be addressed immediately after next yeras parliamentary elections.

The trend appears now to be ”gender-neutral marriage”. This trend also seems to be increasingly present in the major parties. This is also a part, of the step away, from the society, the culture and the Christian basis, which the European society is built on.

There is also a sign that the ideological streams and trends are more important than what God created us be – to man and woman