Helsinki+50 activities in Helsinki July 30 – August 1

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Date(s) - Wednesday - Jul 30, 2025 - Friday - Aug 1, 2025
All Day

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The Helsinki+50 People’s Initiative marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act by launching a civil society call for peace, human rights, and common security. This initiative, driven by the Nordic Peace Alliance in collaboration with international partners, aims to reinvigorate the Helsinki spirit at a time when human rights, peace, and cooperation face renewed threats.

Why We Need the Helsinki+50 People’s Initiative

August 1, 2025, marks five decades since the Helsinki Final Act laid a foundation for cooperation between East and West, paving the way for arms reduction, a dynamic peace and human rights movement, and the creation of the OSCE. Today, however, many of those achievements are being neglected by governments. Civil society organizations from the Nordic region—together with global partners in peace, environmental, migration, and social justice movements—are coming together to reaffirm the values of the Helsinki Process and confront today’s social and environmental crises.

The Helsinki+50 People’s Declaration

Formulated through global online dialogue and finalized by July 7, the Declaration reaffirms commitments to peace, human rights, environmental sustainability, and common security. It outlines 21 key principles including the right to conscientious objection, the need for disarmament, gender inclusion in peace processes, digital rights, and the imperative of addressing climate and biodiversity crises as security concerns.

The Declaration calls upon governments, organizations, and individuals to endorse these shared principles and commit to peaceful coexistence and international cooperation.

The Declaration will be officially submitted to OSCE embassies in Helsinki and presented at the government-hosted Helsinki+50 conference on July 31.

To sign the declaration, contact: info@helsinkiplus50.org
Last date for signing: July 28, 2025

Helsinki+50 Activities in Helsinki: July 30 – August 1, 2025

Over three days, a series of activities will gather civil society actors and peace advocates in Helsinki. These events aim to honor the legacy of the Helsinki Final Act while presenting a forward-looking agenda for peace and security.

Wednesday, July 30

  1. Morning: Delegates will submit the Helsinki+50 People’s Declaration to OSCE embassies in Helsinki, as well as in Copenhagen and Stockholm where necessary.

  2. 12:00–16:00: A seminar organized by the Finnish Peace Committee at the University of Helsinki (also available online).

    • Speakers:

      • Noora Kotilainen on the militarization of European identity

      • Heikki Patomäki on OSCE 50+ and common security

      • Markku Kangaspuro on Russia’s future in European security

  3. Evening: Civil society gathering at the Peace Station in Pasila, Helsinki

Thursday, July 31
The official Helsinki+50 Conference titled “Respecting the Legacy, Preparing for the Future” will be held, organized by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
(Note: Civil society side events proposed by Helsinki+50 People’s Initiative partners were not included in the official agenda.)
Details: https://um.fi/osce25fi/helsinki-50

Friday, August 1: One-Day Civil Society Conference
Title: Exploring the Future of Peace and Security in Europe and Beyond: Top-down and Bottom-up Approaches
Location: Helsinki Public Library, Pasila

Program Highlights

  • 11:00–12:00: OSCE “Birthday Party” at the park near Finlandia Hall

  • 13:00–17:00: The Peace Lab – panel discussions, keynote speeches, and working groups

    • Keynote speaker: Michael von der Schulenburg (former UN Deputy Secretary General, peace negotiator)

    • Panels include:

      • Making peace in Ukraine with the help of OSCE

      • Building bridges between peace, human rights, and environmental movements

    • Working groups explore three “baskets” of the Helsinki Accords:

      1. Security and Military

      2. Economy and Ecology

      3. Human Rights

    • Concluding session: Harvesting ideas and presenting civil society outcomes for a potential future OSCE Peace Summit

Closing with Finnish Tradition
The event concludes with a Finnish-style sauna session at the Peace Station in Pasila, offering space for informal dialogue and community building.

About the Helsinki+50 Initiative

The initiative is coordinated by the Nordic Peace Alliance in cooperation with the International Peace Bureau, World Beyond War, United for Intercultural Action, Via Campesina, Friends of the Earth, and other civil society movements. The goal is to contribute to a peaceful, just, and ecologically sustainable world order by combining bottom-up and top-down approaches to peace and human rights.

For More Information
Website: https://helsinkiplus50.org
Contact: info@helsinkiplus50.org