Hirn, Verneri

Introduction

Hey, everyone! I am Verneri Hirn from Ruskeasuo and I’m here to make Helsinki a better place. Modern-day Helsinki could do with some improvement. We need new traffic arrangements. Better planning. More urban space for young people. I would like to see Helsinki become a city where everyone is comfortable. Whether it requires improving mental health services or building a new youth centre. All Helsinki residents have their own needs and desires. I would like to represent all those who want to make Helsinki a city for the young people!

Hobbies: Current Youth Council representative

Meilahden Yläaste

 

Answers to the election machine

Schools should have more days during which they only serve vegetarian food.

Schools already have one vegetarian day. It’s a well-known fact that the pupils widely detest the vegetarian day. There are only a few vegetarian foods that pupils like. One vegetarian day a week is enough at schools, and all schools have a vegetarian option every day.

 

Schools should focus on grouping more extensively than now.

The current school system has surprisingly little grouping activities. Only a few days were reserved for grouping at the start of seventh grade. The more quieter pupils do not have the time to become part of the group, which may lead to them being excluded.

 

Distance learning needs to be established as a permanent learning method in addition to contact teaching.

There are two views on distance learning, bad and good. There are some pupils who enjoyed distance learning a great deal. They can wake up later and do not have to worry about their appearance. Some people prefer to avoid unnecessary contact with others. They should be provided with the chance to study just the way they prefer to. We all have our own ways of learning, and your own style works the best for you.

 

The competitiveness of young people’s sports activities should be reduced.

Competitiveness is one of the main points of sports. People aim for the top at sports, and it cannot be achieved if competitiveness is reduced. Competitiveness cannot be prohibited.

 

The City of Helsinki should primarily offer summer jobs to those young people who do not yet have work experience.

Helsinki could be a forerunner in this. Getting a job in Finland is difficult without any prior experience. All workers need work experience!

 

The public spaces in Helsinki should maintain the division between women’s and men’s toilets.

There could be versatile toilet facilities in Helsinki. ‘Unisex’ toilets work well in a smaller scale. Oodi library’s upstairs toilet is a great example of a unisex toilet. We still cannot put unisex toilets into large buildings, for example.

 

Helsinki should start offering free public transport to those under 18.

Helsinki is a large city. Young people shouldn’t have to cycle from Meilahti to Laajasalo. It is not healthy. The current ticket price is quite high (€1.40). Some disadvantaged people may not afford to buy a ticket to go to the services in the centre from their suburb. Free tickets would improve young people’s opportunities a great deal.

 

It would be better if there were no e-scooters in Helsinki.

E-scooters are a large part of traffic infrastructure in Helsinki. It used to be impossible to travel many kilometres in just a matter of minutes. E-scooters are the quickest way to move from A to B. Without e-scooters, Helsinki would become slower.

 

For a member of the Youth Council, pushing their own goals through is a more important quality than agreeing on compromises.

Youth Council representatives are allowed to have their own opinions, of course, but compromises are better for helping young people. If I am elected to the Youth Council, I promise to represent all young people in Helsinki in the decision-making!

 

On which topics would you like the Youth Council to focus, in particular? Select the three that are the most important to you.

Young people’s influencing opportunities; Urban environment and transport; Healthcare and mental health

The Youth Council should promote all matters important to young people. Unfortunately, you can only choose three options in this category. If I could have, I would have picked all the categories important to young people. The Youth Council’s main duty is to make the voice of all young people in Helsinki heard.