About us
Ressun Nuorsuomalainen Klubi is a club centered around economics, politics and other societal subjects, operating within Ressu upper secondary school. The purpose of our club is to unite fellow students sharing similar interests through our wide range of activities and events, providing our members with valuable opportunities for learning and mutual development. The core activities of our club consists of discussion events, larger events such as election panels and trips abroad, as well as a wide range of visits to corporations, government entities and other organizations.
Discussion events are events where we invite distinguished experts, professionals and politicians as guest speakers to present and hold a dialogue with our members about a particular topic. All discussion events are held within school facilities. Topics are predetermined and they can be relevant to any economic, political or societal theme.
Honoring traditions
The history of the Young Finnish movement (Nuorsuomalainen liike) is a long and multifaceted one. The original Young Finnish movement was born as early as the late 1800s, initially as a part of the Finnish Party, later continuing its existence as an independent entity. In 1905 the movement solidified into its own party, a process led by Eero Erkko and K. J. Ståhlberg. The party valued the constitutional process, along with developing the education system, advocating for broader entrepreneurial freedoms and the improved status of the Finnish language.
Many members of the Young Finnish movement achieved great success in their life; well-known past exponents of the movement include presidents Risto Ryti, K. J. Ståhlberg and P. E. Svinhufvud, in addition to artists Jean Sibelius, Eino Leino and Akseli Gallen-Kallela. After Finnish independence, the question concerning what form of government the state should adopt caused the movement to split into two. A majority of prior Young Finns joined the new National Progressive Party and the emergent National Coalition Party.
Subsequently, the Young Finnish movement has seen many attempts to revive it over the years. In 1994, Risto E. J. Penttilä founded the Young Finns Party, which borrowed its name from the historically significant Young Finnish movement. The party program was centered on economic liberalism and strived to restore old Young Finnish values by advertising itself as “the party opposed to parties”. The goal of the party was to detach from traditional party politics and challenge the “elites of the baby boom-generation” to whom the nordic welfare state was like a religion. The party demanded tax cuts, a renovation of the welfare state, equal tax rates and tax exemptions for those with a small income.
The Young Finnish values of economic liberalism are still burning hot today. Despite the Young Finns party led by Risto E. J. Penttilä ceasing operations in the 90s, the torch has been handed over to us: the Young Finnish movement’s ideological and civic heritage in the 21st century is upheld by Ressun Nuorsuomalainen Klubi. Our ambition is to increase political activism and societal discourse between students in our school. Despite Young Finnish liberal thought, our key goal is to remain strictly non-partisan. This way we insure a low threshold for political and societal activism between our members.
