Organisational Support for the Finnish Refugee Council

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The Finnish Refugee Council is a specialist in international refugee work. Its mission is to improve the basic rights of refugees and returnees. As an associate of the UNHCR in Finland, the Council is a religiously and politically independent development cooperation organisation. Founded in 1965, the Finnish Refugee Council has been involved in development cooperation work globally, providing adult education and youth welfare services in refugee camps in a range of countries. The Council also supports returnee communities in societies recovering from crises. In Finland, the Council’s roles are mainly informational, educational and social. The Finnish Refugee Council’s information services offer background information on international refugees and raise awareness about refugees and their lives, both in global crisis areas and in Finland. The services also provide information on the work of the Finnish Refugee Council. Fundraising is also a fundamental aspect of the Council’s work. Donations are used for the organisation’s work and are channelled to address the world’s refugee crises through the UNHCR. In 2013, Finnish Refugee Council was selected a partner organisation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and thereby receives programme support to its development cooperation, including its development education and information work. In addition, the Council receives organisational support for its general activities.