Camilla Sonntag-Wilenius
Voting region: Varsinais-Suomi
"Let’s not cut the branch we’re nesting on. Let’s not hide our challenges, but solve them! Finland must achieve more with less. "
I am educated as a psychiatric healtcarer, social worker, sexual advisor and therapist, family mediator and occopational councilor. I was born in Salo, although I’ve also lived in other towns in Finland as well as abroad; as a child even four years in New York. At the beginning of the millenium I was active in local politics in Salo for several periods, both as a member of the city council and on different boards.
I’m a mother of two students at Åbo Akademi and married to a dilligent entrepeneur. I’m part of several minorities and eagerly advocate for diversity. My societal interests are apparent from my vocational and leisure engagements, and I also enjoy music and culture as well as house plants and greenery. I’m originally a cat person although at this point I’m training my second dog as a future assistant. I use public transport and feel strongly about ensuring well functioning health- and social services, which I’d like to develop from both service producers’ and clients’ perspectives. I love learning new things and implementing my skills and creativity broadly.
Important political topics
Healthcare and social services
Most everyone in Finland has used health- and social services during their lives, and will do so again. Child allowances, school nurses, primary health care, specialists’ services, elderly care and voluntary service providers are among regularly utilized services, which we can’t take for granted. I would like to see timely and efficient, proactive processes, which would not only benefit clients but the service providers as well. Personally having extensive experience from both sides at a service reception desk, I also understand both of those parties frustrations; having limited resources, lacking data programmes and opportunities for communication, often multiple simultaneous challenges. We have to get the health- and social service systems into the 21st century and save our human resources from constant and repetetive ailing and suffering to instead be empowered and enabled to enjoy an existence with less struggle.
Immigration and integration
Finland needs new participants and contributors. No-one can do everything, but everyone can do something. We should keep building bridges between individuals and communities to enable innovative co-operation. Isolation and loneliness is a serious threat to individuals as well as the whole nation; it takes a village to keep any one of us on the right track, not just as youngsters but for all our lives. I wish we could all feel sure that others will be ready to meet us half way, when we need a helping hand.
Research and innovation
Who, what, when, where and why has acces to which relevant data in the future? How can we ensire fairness and equality in any an all use of data resources, not only in personal use but in innovation, education, governance and services? Data accessibility and participation but also its security and protection are key for all citizens.
