1.9 Current debates and reforms
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Forthcoming policy developments
Based on the Finnish Government’s decision on the 2nd of March 2023 (in Finnish), the relationship between gambling revenue and the state budget will be organised differently in the future. This means that from January 2024 the income from gambling revenue, which is allocated to science, art, sport, health and social and youth work, has been taken into the state budget without the current uses stipulated in the Lotteries Act. It is not yet known what kind of impact this change has on the funding of youth policy. The obligating force for the system’s renewal is the will to reduce gambling-related harms with more effective action for responsibility. For more details about financing youth work in Finland, see the Youth Wiki/Finland 1.7 Funding Youth Policy.
Ongoing debates
On 26.4.2024, the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) provided a news story entitled ‘Finland cuts funding to peace organisations.’ The story referrred to an earlier press release made by Laura Lodenius, Executive Director of the Peace Union of Finland. Organizations dedicated to peace-building were said to be upset as they already have worked with difficult financial positions. The cut was said to be linked to the government's austerity measures adopted a week earlier. The prognosis for the total amount of the cuts in the Ministry of Justice, which is also responsible for funding peace organisations, is said to be 3.5 million euros. In 2024, ten peace organisations received a total of 325 000 euros in grant support. A year earlier, they received a total of 502 000 euros in grants.
The Peace Union of Finland represents 16 organisations, including the Committee of 100 in Finland, the Union of Conscientious Objectors, and the Peace Education Institute, which, for example, co-operates a lot with children, young people and youth workers.
According to Lodenius, for most organisations, grants are how they have been able to employ staff and run their day-to-day activities. Lodenius feels that NGOs are not valued in the same way as they have been previously and there is not enough general discussion about peace.