By Päivi Arvonen

The SOPU “mutual understanding” project works to prevent honour-based violence by supporting parenthood and by encouraging a dialogue between generations.

Finland should develop processes to prevent honour-related conflicts and violence, as the number of foreign-born and multi-cultural families in the country keeps growing. A four-year project has achieved promising results from a comprehensive approach that supports families

The project, titled SOPU (“mutual understanding”), is implemented by Kalliolan nuoret ry, an independent youth organization, and financed by RAY, the Finnish association that channels funds from gaming operations to social and welfare organizations.

“Honour-related conflicts and resulting honour-based violence occur in cultures in which a man’s honour is tied to a woman’s honour and chastity,” says chief project worker Johanna Aapakallio. “The phenomenon is known from Finnish history, too,” she admits.

Aapakallio has gathered experience in honour-based violence over the past eight years working in non-profit organizations.

“Finnish authorities are today well aware of honor-based violence, but specialists of various fields have inadequate means to intervene,” Aapakallio says.

According to the Finnish Police, no honour killings have been committed in Finland.

“It’s often difficult for people who have been brought up in the Finnish culture to understand abusive behaviour related to honour and to recognize signs of such abuse,” says project worker Omar Abdi. “At the same time, foreign-born Finns don’t know Finnish laws well enough to protect themselves and can’t seek help for many reasons including inadequate language skills.”

Abdi, who is of Somali origin, has lived in Finland for more than 20 years. He points out that honour is a positive thing in itself. However, honour becomes destructive when it threatens the mental or physical wellbeing and safety of a member of the community.

Abdi says, “It’s impossible to know how much honour-based violence really occurs in Finland, because the phenomenon is usually hidden and only extreme cases become known.”

Prevention is better both for the individual and for society

“Sometimes the only chance to intervene in conflicts between generations is to take a child or young person into custody,” Aapakallio explains. “But problems should be tackled before they spiral out of control. Custody is an expensive solution to society.”

“Custody cuts the bond of a child or a young person to his or her own culture,” Abdi continues. “It’s in the best interests of everybody to retain this bond.”

The SOPU project seeks to bring members of different generations and genders to engage in a dialogue and to make them understand each other’s points of view.

“Our work relies on a low-threshold and harmonizing approach,” Aapakallio says. “In addition to community meetings, we offer family-based support and guidance, peer-group support and camping activities.”

The SOPU project’s base at Kinaporinkatu 2 C also hosts discussion groups for Somali, Dari and Sorani-speaking girls, boys, women and men. The current autumn season will also see open thematic evening meetings, in which expert presentations are followed by general discussion.

Means arise from the community

The SOPU project collaborates with the Somali community of Helsinki. Aapakallio announces, “We will hold a community forum on 1 December. The forum will take the form of a tribal meeting in which members of the community discuss honour-related conflicts and how to resolve such conflicts in constructive ways. We welcome views from the community in advance and anonymously in order to hear from women and young people, too.”

Read about the SOPU project (in Finnish only)

Translated by Johanna Lemola

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