Editor Johanna Korhonen among names for Finnish PEN chairmanship

Johanna Korhonen

Tuulikki Ukkola

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Interest is growing towards the chairmanship of the Finnish branch of International PEN, the worldwide association of writers. One of the goals of the association is to fight for freedom of expression.
      One of the candidates for chairmanship is journalist Johanna Korhonen, who was sacked from the post of editor-in-chief of the Rovaniemi-based Lapin Kansa newspaper in October 2008.
      ”I accepted the offer to run for chairman, since as a journalist I regard freedom of expression as an important issue”, Korhonen says. She also believes that a candidate from outside the association could help to get rid of internal tensions.
      MP Tuulikki Ukkola (National Coalition Party) is interested in the membership of the PEN board.
      ”I am not familiar with PEN, but I am rather worried about the freedom of expression situation in Finland. I feel that PEN could do something about it”, she notes.
     
However, there is a major obstacle to achieving these goals, as all members of the board are chosen among the present members of the Finnish PEN, and neither Korhonen nor Ukkola belong to the association for the time being.
      According to the rules of PEN, all new members have to be admitted by the board, and as a consequence of the sore situation at the Finnish PEN, none of the meetings held by the present board of directors has constituted a quorum since last October. Neither was the board scheduled to meet until its annual meeting on Thursday next week.
     
The situation suddenly changed on Wednesday, when the present chairman Jukka Mallinen summoned a board meeting to be held one hour prior to the scheduled annual meeting.
      The items on the board agenda include the approval of the budget, the financial statements, the annual report, and the action plan.
      Potential member applications could be under the item ”other items”, but Mallinen is not enthusiastic about that possibility. He would rather hold a meeting on the basis of last October’s list of members.
      ”Is it worthy of the Finnish PEN to puff itself by marching in new members?” argues Mallinen with some surprise.
     
The PEN board can admit new members at the recommendation of two present members of the association. If the board fails to reach unanimity relating to a certain applicant, the decision will be transferred to the annual meeting.
      Other candidates running for the chairmanship of the Finnish PEN include Lauri Otonkoski and Rita Dahl, the present deputy chairman.
      Mallinen, who has acted as the chairman for one 3-year term, is no longer available for the position.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Editor Johanna Korhonen demands damages from Lapin Kansa (31.10.2008)
  Lapin Kansa journalists demand resignation of Alma Media CEO and paper´s editor (3.10.2008)

Links:
  International PEN

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