Nordic cooperation

Over the decades, our Soldiers’ Home organization has had varying connections with Sweden, Denmark, and to a lesser extent, Norway. The Nordic soldiers’ home organizations have long histories and traditions, with the primary purpose of providing diverse support and services to soldiers and their families.

International Cooperation Over the Years

As early as the 1960s, the significance of cooperation between soldiers’ home organizations as a valuable resource was recognized. At that time, representatives from the countries gathered for the first Nordic Soldiers’ Home conference, with the goal of introducing the soldiers’ home organizations of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway to each other and their respective work.

Inspired by positive experiences, the conferences continued to be held every three years, rotating among the Nordic countries. Many good ideas and reflections were exchanged among the participants on topics such as cooperation with conscripts and the defense forces, future perspectives, and the practical aspects of soldiers’ home work.

Finland has also successfully hosted Soldiers’ Home conferences over the years. For example, in 1987, a conference was held in Niinisalo, where the guests had the opportunity to participate in the national Soldiers’ Home days in Säkylä, alongside approximately 1,000 Finnish sisters. During these days, the guests were able to see, among other things, the operations of a mobile soldiers’ Home, which inspired the Swedes to acquire their first mobile unit.

Developing Cooperation as a Key Focus

In recent years, we have further strengthened the cooperation with other Nordic soldiers’ home organizations. In particular, the communication with the Swedish soldiers’ home association, Svenska Soldathemsförbundet, has been close, with the aim of shaping the cooperation into a goal-oriented, concrete activity over time. The cooperation is based on shared values, similar needs, and the desire to offer high-quality and diverse services to conscripts. Regular contact is also maintained with Denmark’s soldiers’ some organization, KFUM’s Soldatermission.

The Nordic organizations have understood that more can be achieved through cooperation, and that operations can be improved and made more efficient. Sharing best practices has led to improvements for all parties.

Svenska Soldathemsförbundet has a tradition of recognizing and rewarding individuals who have made significant contributions to soldiers’ home work and its development. This was the case in 2023 as well, when our Chair of the Board, Anne-May Asplund, became the first foreign recipient of the golden merit medal number 30.