Finns are now more willing to invest in education for development cooperation than earlier, revealed a study. Almost 23 per cent of the people of Finland are ready to increase appropriations for development cooperation, a considerable raise from the corresponding figure of 16 per cent a year ago.
Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala presented the findings of the survey conducted by the market research company Taloustukimus Oy on development cooperation at a press conference on 5 July, 2011. The minister stated that Finland is committed to the European Union’s decision to allocate 0.7 per cent of its gross national income to development cooperation by the year 2015.
The survey indicates that Finns support this goal; the figure corresponds to the most widely held view of what would be a suitable level for development cooperation appropriations.
The Minister for International Development is pleased that the weightings of the Government Programme can be seen in the research results. As a motive for development cooperation, promotion of democracy and human rights has nearly doubled in support since last year’s questionnaire.
Hautala pointed out that development policy is part of the broad spectrum of foreign and security policy.
“In this Government, the portfolios of the minister for foreign trade and the minister for international development are assigned to different people; nonetheless I hope we shall be able to work together,” she continued.
Citizens’ responses to questions about motives for development cooperation show an interesting change since last year. Aside from moral responsibility and poverty reduction, a third reason, “improving the living conditions of people in developing countries and thereby preventing illegal migration”, was supported twice as often as a year ago.
On the other hand, the findings could also indicate that people are more aware of migration and its impact. Minister Hautala pointed out that illegal migration and refugees are often seen as greater threats than they are in reality.
The new Government Program emphasizes the importance of education as the focal area of development policy, especially in order to enable a worthy life for the quickly growing population of young people in developing countries.
The findings of the survey prove that development cooperation still has widespread support among Finns.
Source: http://formin.finland.fi/
