Helsinki Welcomes the WIDF Council (1957)

=== [PDF page 1] === A view of the Council meeting. Helsinki Welcomes the W. I. D. F. Council from June 22nd to 27th I inland, land of lakes, forests and meadows, was celebrating midsummer with its delightful white nights. The Finnish women succeeded in creating a very friendly atmosphere favourable to the work of the Council as well as pleasant conditions for everyone. The meeting took place in the new Palace of Culture, which had only been open for a month. This building, designed by the great Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto, is very modern in style and equipment. With more than a hundred rooms and conference halls it is the pride of the people of Helsinki. Its history is very interesting and moving. Ordinary citizens, members of progressive organisations built it, thus realising a longcherished dream. They made a levy on their pay, they collected money, and over a period of eighteen months thousands of workers came day after day to work on it voluntarily in their spare time. 140,000 hours of voluntary labour were necessary; several enthusiastic workers gave from 1,000 to 3,000 hours. The participants in the Council meeting became the guests not only of the Democratic League of Finnish Women but also of all the democratic organisations of Finland. In the course of their stay in Helsinki they were invited to eight receptions. Madam Eugenie Cotton, the vice-presidents, and the Secretary-General, Madam Carmen Zanti, were received by the Prime Minister, Mr. V. J. Sukselainen; a group of ten was received by Madam Irma Karvikko, a Government Minister. Madam Hella Meltti, President of the Democratic League of Finnish Women, wife of the Governor of the County of Nyland, received at her home representatives of all the countries present at the Council meeting. All the participants were invited to a reception given at the Parliament Building by the women Members of Parliament of the Peoples’ Democratic Union. The active members of the Helsinki branch of the Democratic League of Finnish Women, who made it a very gay evening with their beautiful songs in which everybody joined, created an atmosphere of warm understanding in which language difficulties counted for nothing. The delegates noted with pleasure the lively interest which the people showed in the Council meeting. Several of them took part in seven public meetings at which they spoke. Others were invited by working men and women of different trades to their places of work for friendly meetings and conversations. A group of working women from various industries, sevéral of them wearing national costume, came to greet the Council meeting and gave presents to the delegates. That is the background against which the work of the Council was carried out. The meeting opened on the 22nd June in the beautiful conference hall decorated with the flags of the nations present, the emblem of the W.I.D.F., and flowers. Madam Hella Meltti, speaking in the name of the Finnish women, greeted the foreign guests very warmly. Delegates and guests from forty-six countries as well as a considerable group of Finnish guests were present. The report on the first point on the agenda, presented by Madam Eugenie Cotton, President of the W.I.D.F., dealt with the development of activity for disarmament and the activities of the W.I.D.F. in defence of youth, for equal rights for women and the well-being of families. Three other reports were presented to the Council; one on the new draft Constitution by Madam Branca Fialho, Vice-President, another on the convening of the Fourth Congress by Mrs. Molly Keith, Secretary, and lastly, the report on the press and other publications of the W.I.D.F. by Madam Elisa Uriz, Secretary. A very lively discussion on these questions took place in the plenary sessions and in the commissions. In addition to contributions made by delegates the Council was also addressed by guest speakers; Madam Henrietta Mathieu-Faraggi of France, Doctor of Science, pupil and collaborator of Irene Joliot-Curie, Doctor Aleksandra Djuranovic-Janda, an observer representing the Federation of Associations of the Peoples’ Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, Madam Dagmar Molkova representing the World Federation of Democratic Youth, and Madam Myriam Tuominen representing the World Council of Peace. The Council also received a telegram of congratulation from Madam Pak Den Ai, President of the Korean Democratic Women’s Union. The resolution adopted by the Council at the conclusion of its work indicates the problems around which the W.I.D.F. invites women and women’s organisations to act for peace, for the ending of nuclear weapon tests and the banning of these weapons (on this subjet the Council itself sent a letter to the U.N.O. Sub- Commission on Disarmament in London), for children, the education of youth, for the rights of women, days of study on the protection of motherhood, and problems of education and vocational training for women. It emphasised the need for co-operation with all forces interested in these questions, especially with the specialised agencies of U.N.O. It recommended that the contents and the distribution of the W.I.D.F.’s publications should be improved. In addition the Council adopted the Call for the Fourth Congress of the W.I.D.F. and agreed on a draft for a new Constitution for the organisation.