Is produced by
World Village Festival will be opened by the Sound of Peace concert, featuring Elsi Sloan, Samuli Putro, Emma & Matilda, Nemat Battah, Ramy Essam and house band Vimma. The proceeds from the fundraising organised with the concert will be donated to peace organisations, which are under threat by the Finnish government’s extensive cuts. Elsi Sloan and Samuli Putro reflect on the theme and their own role in peace work:
– Don’t even all dictators claim to be for peace but is there peace without demanding it in a fair and solidary way for all? wonders Elsi Sloan, the musician-actor-activist who will host the concert.
– What peace work has meant to me: working for Sivari & Totaali magazine, civil disobedience, demonstrations, peace camps and the firm belief in the future of a young person. More recently it has been about being in touch with the environment through music, says musician Samuli Putro.
The concert will raise money to support the work of Finnish peace organisations. You can contribute to the fundraiser by using the Mobilepay collection number 60890 or by texting “10E RAUHA” to 16588 (you can change the message to 5, 20 or 40 euros) (RA/2020/1563, https://rauhanliitto.fi/kerayslupa).
The proceeds of the collection will be donated in full to the Peace Union of Finland for peace work in Finland. The Finnish government abolished state subsidies for peace organisations at the beginning of this year, and peace education, peace work and campaigning for disarmament by peace organisations is in danger of coming to a standstill. Read more in the press release published by Fingo on 12.12.2024 and on the website of the Peace Union of Finland.
The campaign includes The Peace Union of Finland, Finnish Peace Committee, The Committee of 100, Pand, The Peace Education Institute, The Union of Conscientious Objectors, KVT, Leo Mechelin foundation, Närpesnejdens fredsförening, Peace Invaders, Svenska Fredsvänner i Helsingfors, Suomen kristillinen rauhanliike, WILPF Finland, Technology for Life, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, ICBL – Finland, ICAN and Stop Killer Robots – Campaign to Ban Autonomous Weapons.
Performers
Elsi Sloan: Elsi Sloan, a queer musician who has also gained fame as an actor, is a passionate activist whose artpop-style music takes a bold stand.
Samuli Putro: The multi-award-winning Samuli Putro is remembered for his iconic Zen Café band of years past, as well as his successful solo career spanning more than 20 years.
Emma & Matilda: With over 10 million streams of their debut EP, Emma & Matilda are a duo who make beautiful music even about the painful things, describing their music as ‘bedroom folk’.
Vimma: Vimma is an energetic indie rock band with an activist background, who write songs about what it feels like to have the planet destroyed and how to stop it.
“At Vimma’s gigs, I can dance, scream, be moved and release all the anxiety, frustration and restlessness that I can’t put into words.”
Nemat Battah: Palestinian-Jordanian musician Nemat Battah is trained in traditional Arabic music, and her self-composed music explores her own experiences of intergenerational war trauma.
“Peace is understanding that our diversity as humans shouldn’t divide us.”
Ramy Essam: A courageous defender of human rights and equality around the world, Ramy Essam is a relentless singer who has won numerous awards for his uncompromising activism and music.
