Political Parties of Finland for Democracy – Demo Finland is a co-operative organisation of Finnish parliamentary parties. It enhances democracy by strengthening the political participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in particular and by supporting dialogue between political parties. Demo Finland is also Finland’s leading expert and advocacy organisation on democracy support. Demo Finland is not ideologically, religiously, or politically tied to any particular movement.
Demo Finland envisions a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in democratic decision-making.
Demo Finland’s objectives:
- Political parties are more programmatic, inclusive and democratic
- Political Parties perform strengthened multi-party dialogue
- Finnish parliamentary parties’ commitment to democracy support translates into policies
Demo Finland’s activities are aimed at strengthening equal opportunities for participation, constructive multi-party cooperation, pluralist political debate, and the capacity of politicians to influence social development through peaceful methods. The specific priorities of the activities include supporting the inclusion of groups that are underrepresented in politics, such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities, fostering dialogue between political parties, and strengthening the programmatic work of parties.
Demo Finland was founded by Finnish parliamentary parties themselves. The Finnish Parliament and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland have also been closely involved in the planning and activities of Demo Finland from the very beginning. Thus, Demo Finland has a strong mandate for furthering democracy in new and developing democracies and has the expertise of the entire Finnish political system at its disposal.
At the moment, Demo Finland’s work is mainly funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The WYDE Civic Engagement programme is funded by the European Union.
