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FINNFEST 2008 |
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ABOVE: President Halonen was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Laws degree for public service by University of
Minnesota Duluth on July 25, 2008.
President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen and Dr
Pentti Arajärvi
will visited Duluth in Minnesota on 23-28 July 2008 to
attend the
Finnish-American FinnFest 2008 event. During the visit,
President Halonen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws
degree for public service at the University of
Minnesota Duluth. "Her outstanding leadership on behalf of
the rights of women, and workers, and the poor have made
her an international role model", Chancellor Kathryn A.
Martin noted.
The President´s visit highlights the importance of the
Finnish-American
community in maintaining and deepening the relationship between the two
countries. The University of Minnesota Duluth was the
official host for President Halonen and she gave a speech
at the University´s Honorary Degree Ceremony.
President Halonen also attended the Panel of Women
Leaders, along with the former U.S. Ambassador to
Finland, Ms Marilyn Ware, and other women leaders. The
Presidential couple will also visit the Natural Resource
Research Institute.
The theme for the five-day FinnFest 2008 event was
"Sharing the Spirit of Finland". The festival offered a
variety of displays of Finnish culture and marks the 25th
FinnFest USA event. Minnesota has one of the largest
percentage of population who have Finnish roots in the
United States. President Halonen also attended the
FinnFest event that took place Lake Worth in Florida in
2004.
President Halonen and Dr Arajärvi returned to Finland on
Monday.
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| photo below convention center welcomes the President
of Finland. |
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| Duluth DECC venue for FINNFEST 2008 |
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| above: Walking in the Spirit of Finland. This year's
theme replicated in the abundance of walking sticks
painted by local Finns. |
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| President Tarja Halonen giving her speech on Friday
morning |
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Flutist Ulla Suokko and flamenco guitarist Carlos
Revollar....Manhattan-based, prize-winning duo will be
performing a New York recital in next season's Artists
International Alumni Winners Series.
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| One of the lectures: Viili - Real Finnish Culture
with Beatrice Ojakangas. Session discussed viili....made
with a specifically identified culture called "Lactococcus
lactis". |
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| one of the many "gardens" found throughout the DECC. |
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| The Marketplace (Tori) included items like the unique
round sauna pictured below. |
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above: The International Dance Groups performed
together: Katirilli Finnish Folk Dancers of California,
Kisarit Finnish-American Folk Dancers of the Twin Cities
in Minnesota, Kasareikka from Stockholm, Sweden, and TKY
from Turku, Finland |
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| Kivajat....Finnish Folk Dancing children ages 8 to 13
from the Copper Country in the UP of Michigan. Leader is
Kay Seppala of Chassell, Michigan |
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