| International Panel
Under the auspices of the Deputy Mayor of Oulu, Päivi Laajala, the International
panel held its first meeting on Thursday, October 12, 2006.
The panel was established to gather the voices of different international
communities and make them heard in a city that wants to become international.
The establishment of the International panel marks a notable change in the
policies of the city. Not many representatives of the foreign community were
seriously heard before. Now, politicians are ready to admit that there is work
to be done to make Oulu an International city. A core group of Internationals
were chosen to represent their point of view to give the city an international
face.
Together with the City council working group, the panel will concentrate on
the creation of more employment opportunities and better services to
international newcomers.
The following points emerged as themes in the discussion:
The need for a panel and the possible positive/ negative outcomes.
Representation of the foreign community in Oulu.
The commonalities and differences of the panel members
For the very first meeting, members had the opportunity to share their
experiences and explore the challenges for future meetings.
For the next meeting, it was agreed that every member will - together with
his/her community – think about three main problems of the international
community in Oulu. These problems will be discussed in a solution-oriented way
to be able to give input in the form of concrete recommendations for procedures
to the City Council´s working groups.
Appointed Panel members:
Bohui Dassé Bernard
Abdul Mannan
Brent Cassidy
Ildikó Hámos
Ata Bos
Those seriously interested in the discussed topics are advised to keep an eye
on the EFA webpages: oulu.ouka.fi/efa
Or contact:
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