Development cooperation plays a major role in our work to ensure a good life for everyone, especially in poor countries. The global trend of cutting development funds is therefore worrying. In the blog, Venla Lehtinen, the chair of KENKKU, discusses the current political atmosphere and the role of students in development cooperation.
In the past few years, we have taken a step backwards globally in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In many countries, the rights of women and minorities are at stake. According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, at the current rate, gender equality will not be achieved until 300 years from now. On top of it all, the rule-based world order is shaking, and international agreements have become pawns in geopolitics. With the rising reactionary atmosphere, we must also reflect on what will remain of the development aid system.
The United States is practically winding down its entire development cooperation system, which has been run by the development aid fund USAID. Like many other countries, Finland is also cutting back on development cooperation. The Finnish Government has not committed itself to the UN GNI target of 0.7% for development cooperation. Instead, cuts have been made to the funding granted to Finnish non-governmental organisations engaged in development cooperation as well as to central government’s own development cooperation projects.
When a huge gap emerges in development funding, long-term development cooperation becomes destabilised and a larger proportion of the aid is likely to be targeted at short-term projects or humanitarian aid. However, this is not just about cutting down on funding, but a wider development in which countries are turning inwards and self-centredness is becoming mainstream.
For decades, the National Union of University Students in Finland has carried out development cooperation projects that have supported students and education around the world. SYL’s development cooperation activities have a strong global education aspect and include raising awareness in Finnish higher education institutions. In other words, internationalisation, development cooperation and global solidarity are historically a strong part of SYL. The student movement has been at the forefront of launching development cooperation activities and setting an example for how taking responsibility for others than oneself can lead to many good things. It is clear that, now and in the future, students need to set an example for promoting global solidarity more than ever.
Because of their history, SYL and its volunteers involved in development cooperation have an important role in the field of Finland’s development cooperation. Not only do we play our part through our own development cooperation project, but we also have an opportunity to exert influence and involve others in understanding that responsibility for a sustainable future lies with everyone and particularly with us in the global north.
Students play a key role in driving societal and structural changes. Our message in the reactionary atmosphere must be clear. Without global solidarity and development cooperation, we will never solve today’s globally interconnected polycrises and achieve a viable, sustainable and peaceful world for all.
It is possible to build a genuinely fairer world. The only thing it requires is political will.
Venla Lehtinen
Chair of SYL’s Development Cooperation Advisory Board
Member of the Board of HYY in 2025
