Kalevi Sorsa Foundation

Political Academy in North Macedonia: ”Great time, acquaintances and experience’’  

Demokratiatyö, In English

Discussion: Young people have a major role to play in a just green transition

Eriarvoisuuden vähentäminen, Oikeudenmukainen ekologinen siirtymä, In English

Dr David Hope: Major tax cuts for the rich do not generate growth 

Talous- ja veropolitiikka, Videot, In English

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the power struggle between the EU, China, and Russia in the Western Balkans

In English

Mosaic of the political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina and  general election madness

In English

EuroPride in Belgrade—marching towards equality, against all odds

In English

North Macedonia’s road to NATO—Perspective from the newest NATO member state

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Russia’s war in Ukraine hastens Lukashenka’s demise

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

People with disabilities have suffered from the pandemic in the Western Balkans

Demokratiatyö, In English

The Decisive Decade for Progressives

Oikeudenmukainen ekologinen siirtymä, In English

Unequal Europe: Tackling regional disparities in the EU

Eriarvoisuuden vähentäminen, Julkaisut, In English

Finnish local elections saw a drop in support for the government coalition partners

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Report: Unequal Finland—Regional socio-economic disparities in Finland

Eriarvoisuuden vähentäminen, Julkaisut, In English

Webinar on 16/2/2021: “Is society too dependent on digital giants?”

In English

A Progressive Approach to Digital Tech

Julkaisut, Videot, In English

The State of Inequality in Finland in 2020

Eriarvoisuuden tila Suomessa, Eriarvoisuuden vähentäminen, Julkaisut, In English

Podcast: Social and political aspects of digital tech

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, Podcastit, In English

North Macedonia has come back on a right track

In English

Report: A Progressive Approach to Digital Tech

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Samuli Sinisalo & Aleksandar Spasov: Finnish EU Precidency and the Enlargement in the Western Balkans

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Economics, politics and the limits of consensus in economic thought: An interview with professor Sheila Dow

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Report: Work and Workers' Rights in the Platform Economy

Eriarvoisuuden vähentäminen, Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Event: Green New Deal in Finland

Oikeudenmukainen ekologinen siirtymä, In English

Book: Progressive Answers to Populism

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Platform work in Finland—Report launch

Eriarvoisuuden vähentäminen, Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Green New Deal—The New Wave in US Politics?

Oikeudenmukainen ekologinen siirtymä, In English

Seminar: Work in the Platform Economy

Eriarvoisuuden vähentäminen, Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Makedonia: Now it’s time to push

Demokratiatyö, In English

Seminar: Change of Work and Solutions to Societal Inequality

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, Tapahtumat, In English

The entrepreneurial state—a new framework for innovation policy

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Participatory Democracy

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Towards a more equal society

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Energy Revolution!? Lessons from German and Danish Energy Policy

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, Tapahtumat, In English

Changeing Consumerism

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Changes in Working Life in the 2010s

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

”Political and Intercultural dialogue—From Conflict to Common Interest” 2010–2012

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Towards Sustainable Growth

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Good Services project 2008–2011

Muu yhteiskuntatutkimus, In English

Kalevi Sorsa Foundation is a social democratic think tank based in Helsinki, Finland. The foundation’s objective is to promote public debate on just ecological transition and democracy and to produce research and publications. The foundation’s work proceeds from the ideas of social democracy; we ask how freedom, equality, and solidarity can be realised in public policy, today and tomorrow.

The think tank’s activities take place at the intersection of research, politics, and decision-making. The foundation publishes studies and reports, organises events, and participates in different ways in the public discussion.

The foundation is an international actor. We cooperate with centre-left and progressive think tanks bilaterally and through our membership in the umbrella organisation Foundation for European Progressive Studies.

The foundation was established in 2005 and it carries the name of Kalevi Sorsa, social democratic statesman and long-time prime minister of Finland.


Topics

Just Ecological Transition

How should our societies be developed in order to make them environmentally sustainable? How can the ecological transition be implemented fairly?

In terms of just ecological transition, Kalevi Sorsa Foundation works as a link between research, politics, the labor movement and non-governmental organizations. The goal is to create a dialogue between different actors in the field and to bring new openings and international ideas to the Finnish discussion.

Reducing Inequalities

When examining inequality, we emphasize the multiplicity of the phenomenon. We are particularly interested in the interlinking of these dimensions of inequality.

Climate change creates a big challenge for reducing inequality. How is the ecological transition implemented in a just manner? What kind of practical policy measures does it require?

Economic and Tax Policy

The economy is linked to all key issues in society, whether it’s about people’s well-being, sustainable business or the transition to a society that operates within the limits of the planet.

Kalevi Sorsa Foundation’s research on economic and tax policy examines how the economy should be organized so that it sustainably serves the well-being of people and nature.

Democracy Support

Kalevi Sorsa Foundation’s democracy support focuses on promoting multicultural and functioning democracy in the Western Balkans. Our project aims at strengthening the voice of young people by training politically active youth in North Macedonia, Albania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. We also facilitate cooperation between political think tanks in the Western Balkans across national and ethnic borders. The project is funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Our project promotes democracy and stability in the Western Balkans by strengthening civil society. The project has two elements: political academies for future leaders in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia, and a series of seminars for political think tanks in the target countries, which will strengthen the capacity of think tanks, increase interaction between them and improve social dialogue in the target countries.

Political academies are training programmes funded in collaboration with the Swedish Olof Palme International Center and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. The focus of the trainings is on strengthening the capacity of civil society, especially young people who are active in politics or CSOs. The training covers, among other things, multiculturalism and ethnicity, democracy, freedom of expression, and equality of women and minorities. At the same time, Finnish good practices are highlighted in the trainings. Local partner organisations – North Macedonian Progres Institute for Social Democracy, Bosnia-Herzegovinan Forum of Left Initiative and Albanian Qemal Stafa Foundation – are responsible for the practical implementation of the political academies.

In addition, the project strengthens cooperation and networking between political think tanks in the Western Balkans. By supporting the interaction between think tanks, we can promote the transfer of best practices from one country to another, for example in the fight against corruption, the inclusion of minorities, and EU integration. This component of the project is implemented in cooperation with the Progres Institute in North Macedonia.

The project is coordinated by Jelena Simić.

Staff

Emails: firstname.lastname@sorsafoundation.fi

Lauri Finér

Lauri Finér
Director
Tel. +358 41 501 2317

Lauri Finér has led Kalevi Sorsa Foundation since November 2022. He also takes part in research activities specifically related to economic and tax policy. In his previous career he has worked as a tax specialist at the Finnish Tax Administration and SDP parliamentary group, as a tax researcher as well as a special assistant at the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister’s Office. He works on a doctoral dissertation on changes in international taxation at the University of Helsinki Faculty of Law.

Anna Rajavuori
Project Manager
Tel. +358 50 556 2447

Anna Rajavuori is responsible for the project on Reducing Inequalities. She holds a doctorate in political history from University of Helsinki. Formerly Rajavuori has worked as a researcher and lecturer at the Department of political and economic studies in University of Helsinki.

Janne M. Korhonen
Project Manager
Tel. +358 41  501 8481

Janne M. Korhonen is responsible for the research theme on a just ecological transition. He graduated with a master’s degree in engineering from Helsinki University of Technology and finished his doctorate at Aalto University School of Business. He has been working as a researcher, teacher, non-fiction writer and partner in a design agency.

Heta Melartin
Researcher (economic policy)
Tel. +358 50 362 8592 

Heta Melartin will carry out a study on the financial and employment effects of care services in 2024. She has graduated with a master’s degree in economics from the Aalto University School of Economics. Melartin has previously worked in research  at VATT Institute for Economic Research and Helsinki GSE. 

Jelena Simić
Project Manager
Tel. +358 50 5529 665

Jelena Simić (Bachelor of Social Sciences) is responsible for the project “Supporting Democracy in Western Balkans – Progress and Bridges”. She has studied sociology and South Slavic languages and cultures at the University of Helsinki. Earlier, she has volunteered in non-governmental organizations and worked as a teacher.

Anna Kuokkanen
Communications Specialist
Tel. +358 50 553 3507

Anna Kuokkanen coordinates the foundation’s communication and is responsible for its development. She has a PhD in sociology and has previously worked extensively in communication and research at the University of Helsinki, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and non-governmental organizations. She also works as a documentary photographer.

Margolit Mihlin
Finance and Adminstration Assistant
Tel. +358 40 7703 640

Margolit Mihlin takes care of the day-to-day finances and administration of the foundation. During her career, she has accumulated diverse skills in the activities of companies, associations and foundations.