70 Years of Workcamps in Finland!

by Meri Paunonen (Jun 15, 2016)

This year is the 70th anniversary of the first KVT workcamp organised in Finnish Lapland and next year it will be 70 years since the establishment of KVT, SCI's Finnish Branch! Anniversaries bring various kinds of programme and sneak peeks to KVT’s history! The very first workcamp started in the village of Hirvasvaara (near by Salla) on the 15th of June 1946.

KVT’s first workcamps were organised in 1946, when Finnish volunteers and Quakers from the USA joined forces and started to repair damages after the World War II. Many parts of Lapland had been badly destroyed and the work done was mainly clearing the fields, reparation and construction work. Two camps were organised during the summer of 1946, the first one was held in the village of Hirvasvaara, not far away from Salla and the second was held in Autti in the Auttiköngäs national park, near Rovaniemi. *The very first workcamp started in the village of Hirvasvaara on the 15th of June 1946, exactly 70 years ago today!*** The camps held in 1946 led to KVT was founded in November 1947. The nature of the work in our camps today is less about rebuilding and more about community activities, but the underlying dream of a world without war is just as present now as it was 70 years ago!

KVT has well preserved journals from both of the camps written by the participants. For this celebration we have prepared you sneak peeks into the world of the diaries (also translated into English)! See them here: http://www.kvtfinland.org/kurkistuksia-ensimmaisten-tyoleirien-maailmaan/

Please also feel free to share in social media, and stay tuned for more KVT Anniversary material this year and in 2017!

Laura, Meri & everyone at KVT