1. How much does the membership cost?
2. What is SMA (SMY in Finnish), what IMP?
3. What sort of people are as members, of what age?
4. How many members do you have at this moment?
5. How many foreign members?
6. What languages are spoken?
7. How do the members participate in the organized programs?
8. How can you help people from other cultures fit in?
9. Where do you get membership forms?
You can join the Association by paying the membership fee of 10€ , students 5€. The fee can be paid into the bank account OP 570002-4124943 or in the Association's office. One can be exempted from paying the fee by approaching the Board of the Association. Only the SMY-members have the right to vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
SMY is the abbreviation of the Multicultural Association of Satakunta. SMY is an association founded by the immigrants and their Finnish friends in 1996. Throughout the history SMY has maintained the International Meeting Point (the abbreviation for this is IMP) in the very centre of the City of Pori. The International Meeting Point is open to all individuals!
The membership consists of people of all ages. Just over half of the members are immigrants living in Satakunta area and the rest of them mainly Finns living in Pori and the neighbouring counties.
Today SMY has 550 members representing 66 different nationalities, there are 48 mother tongues.
About 70% of the members are immigrants representing close to 70 nationalities, the Board of the Association is multicultural.
The main idea within the International Meeting point is to use Finnish as the common language and Finnish is also taught to the immigrants. Naturally English and Russian are frequently used. The members speak more than 50 languages among themselves.
The members are offered a chance to arrange their very own programme and come up with some new ideas; introduce their native culture and arrange get-togethers with different themes. Quite a few activities have been started with the help of voluntary individuals. The events are attended by a varying number of of members - happily new faces are often seen! the events normally gather some 40-100 people together.
In some parties even a hundred (100) people register within the first two days. The International Meeting Point is constantly short of room so at nights it is fairly difficult to organize various activities and big events. Due to the above events are arranged in other locations with the help of friendly cooperation partners. For instance when having some 200 participants the events are organized within the premises of Pori parish centre and Pori Art Museum.
One excellent way to concretely help the immigrants is to ´teach´ them Finnish language and culture personally. The newcomers have to start their studies in the very beginning; the alphabet and the basic vocabulary.
There is a long queue to the official language examinations so while waiting
the foreigners need lots of information on everyday things before having a chance
to study full-time ! Many immigrants are in desperate need of contacts with the
native residents - they want to speak Finnish and learn more; this means normal
conversations on everyday procedures. If you are interested in acting as a supervisor
for conversation lessons you need no special schooling - all you will have to do is
to be enthusiastic about telling things about Finnishness , your own traditions and
habits. Every country has its own procedures and new info is received on daily basis.
Those immigrating to Finland can not know everythingunless we tell them how
to live here.
We offer a place both for the immigrants and the native residents to fulfill themselves and to introduce their own cultures. The "new Finns" are taught Finnish language and geta chance to prepare themselves for the labour market, work practiseand are told about the Finnish working culture as well as the leisure activities.
The voluntary course supervisors and other voluntary workers / students from different educational establishments during their practise period are/have been of enormous help to us. A part of the immigrant members attend courses and events and even visit schools/kindergartens and other asociations introducing their own culture and traditions.
Membership application forms are available at Isolinnankatu 24. You can also fill in the application form online!
You are most welcome to join our activities. The International Meeting Point is open every weekday AT LEAST between 9 am - 6 pm!
International Meeting Point
Satakunta Multicultural Association
Isolinnankatu 24
FI-28100 PORI
Phone/Fax. (02) 621 2244
From abroad: +358 2 621 2244
Open as follows:
Mon, Wed-Fri at 9 am - 6 pm
Tue at 9 am - 7.15 pm
A look at the future
Read more
Ccoordinator Su Ran Kim is the person responsible for the multicultural affairs in Pori.
The City of Pori / Public Social and Health Services,
Antinkatu 16 B, 28100 PORI
Tel. 044 - 701 1268
e-mail: suran.kim(at)pori.fi
