It’s barely two months to the rescheduled Finnish Municipal Elections and more candidates have shown interest in running for the election. So far, Diaspora Glitz Magazine has interviewed eight candidates from African background. The only candidate on our list who is from the Christian Democratic Party Is Adwoa Brewu a Masters degree holder in Economics and Business Administration.
- Please introduce yourself to our readers?
Born and raised in Ghana, I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management. After a couple of years working as an HR consultant, I moved to Finland a little over 13 years ago to complete my Masters degree in Economics and Business Administration (International Management). Upon completing my Masters’ Degree, I have worked in various positions and sectors (education, youth, culture) in Espoo City and currently work as a Business Coordinator in Employment services. I am a member on the Executive board of the Christian Democratic Party, Espoo branch. I am also a member of the Early Childhood Education Committee and a Deputy member on the Equality Committee of Espoo. I have a passion for the promotion of active citizenship. I am married with two children and a volunteer worker in the Finnish Methodist Church.
- Why did you decide to pursue a career in politics?
Personally I like to participate and influence the issues and decisions that affect my life and that of the people around me. Issues regarding the challenges with employment of immigrants and their effective integration into society coupled with a research that, children with immigrant background, academically lagged 2 years behind their native Finnish counterparts prompted my interest to get involved in politics.
- What did you see in the Christian Democratic Party that made you join the party?
Values influence political decisions. We live in a time when we need a lasting value base on which to build a lasting society. The policies of the Christian Democratic Party emphasizes the respect for human dignity, the importance of family and close communities, defending the weak, encouraging resourcefulness as well as individual and collective responsibility. These values agree very much with my personal values and I want to promote them in my municipality.
- What do you cherish most about your community?
Each day, I come across Finnish natives who demonstrate their desire for an inclusive and integrated Espoo, where both natives and immigrants come together to build thriving communities. On the other hand I see the resilience of most immigrants, their passion, motivation and persistence to make it against all odds. With such an attitude, there is no end to the possible success we can achieve as a municipality.
- Help us understand the type of leader you will be by describing your two highest priorities for change in your community, in the short and long term.
I am the kind of person who leads through empathy and motivation. One of my goals is to promote the effective integration of immigrants through education and work. Considering that local degrees and certificates are more recognised over foreign ones, I will advocate for more short term professional courses that promote the employability of immigrants and the utilisation of their skills. In addition to this, it is all too clear that the Finnish language poses a limitation to entering the labour market. I will therefore push for increased access to more job-specific language programmes which prepares qualified immigrants for the labour market. It’s important to note, however, that language skills and most especially professional language skills cannot be developed in isolation. It must be practiced in a work environment. Therefore there is the need to support companies to build capacity to embrace workforce diversity. Assisting companies to develop language awareness is crucial in attracting a diverse workforce and limiting structural exclusion. To this end, I will also seek to motivate immigrants to take the necessary steps and utilise the opportunities that are made available to them.
My second objective is promoting the wellbeing of families, children and young people with immigrant backgrounds. As I mentioned earlier, only last year the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) released a research (Suomi seuraavan sukupolven kasvuympäristönä, meaning Finland, the Next Generation’s Growth Environment), which found that children born in Finland into a family where one parent or both parents are of immigrant background are more likely to perform worse at school and suffer mental health problems. Furthermore children of immigrant parents are taken into custody twice more than children of parents born in Finland. It’s important to provide support to families at an early stage by increasing cultural knowledge and awareness in the provision of educational, social and health services. I wish to see that children and young people in Espoo can pursue their dreams without limitations.
Finally community initiatives that promote cultural interactions between natives and locals should be strengthened. This is where most immigrant organisations play a role. Espoo City has intensified cooperations with the third sector and I want to see immigrant organisations take advantage of this opportunity to promote participation within their communities by providing information and assistance to all who need them.
In the long-term, I wish to see workplace diversity as a norm and not an exception and I want to see an Espoo, where everyone is well equipped to participate socially and economically.
- What is your perspective on the best ways to collaborate with other levels of government to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for your community?
I believe in dialogue.Decisions that affect the day-to-day lives of residents are made at the municipal councils and regional authorities. Once the channels of dialogue are open between policy makers and residents, it affords the opportunity for people’s voices to be heard. The strategy that drives Espoo’s goals and operations are contained in the ‘Espoo story’. That story must contain your story too. Getting various groups of residents; elderly, adults, youth, children, natives, immigrants, employed, unemployed, will ensure that everyone’s story is represented. In this way, policies can be made to address the issues that concern everyone for a sustainable future.
- You contested for the 2017 Municipal elections and you didn’t win. Please could you share some of your experiences. Are you optimistic of winning this time?
Taking part in the 2017 elections was a great opportunity. There were lots of good things like gaining exposure, learning about public appearance, developing presentation skills, creating networks among others. I have made mention of this before, that once you put yourself in the public, you have to be prepared for public opinion about you. Some may be positive and others could be negative. Most importantly, you must be ready to make the best out of it. Focus on your strengths and build on your weaknesses. Although I did not get enough votes to make it to the municipal council, it afforded me the opportunity to serve on committees. Whatever happens, resilience is the key. Once you have the passion to pursue a dream, try again if at first you don’t succeed. That is why I am in the race again this year and counting on your support to make it to the municipal council.
8 . Why should we vote for you?
Having worked in different roles in the City of Espoo, I have gained a variety of experiences and I understand how the system works. On the other hand, coming from an immigrant background myself, I can use my personal experience and that of many others to bring perspective to decisions and policies made within the City. I stand for building a fully functional and well integrated Espoo. I will influence decisions and policies that ensure that Espoo City derives full benefits from the growing international community.
I ask for your votes to serve the good people of Espoo even in a better capacity.
- Any message for the voters from the immigrant background?
My dear friends, we have come a long way but there is even still a longer road ahead. You have a part to play in the future of our municipalities and therefore Finland. You cannot afford to be passive or silent. If you do not speak, someone else will speak and decide for you. I encourage all of you to exercise your right to influence decision making within your municipality, wherever you may be.
For those in Espoo, I urge you to vote for me and vote for the Christian Democrats to ensure that everyone is fully included in building our wonderful City. Let your voice be heard!
