Lapinlahti featured in a new global Citizen Network News newspaper
Press Release: CITIZEN NETWORK NEWS – A global newspaper about what’s happening in our communities
Lapinlahden Lähde and the activities of the Lapinlahti region are prominently featured in a new global newspaper on civic engagement. The articles are in Finnish and English. The newspaper includes the story of the birth of Lapinlahden Lähde, an article about the different spaces in Lapinlahti that support recovery, and a wide selection of works from the Save Lapinlahti with a Poster exhibition.
Vantaa, Los Angeles, Sheffield, Galway, Kisumu, Nairobi, Cape Town, Helsinki – Citizen Network News is a new global newspaper. The newspaper empowers the voices of everyday citizens and its first edition was published in April 2024. The theme of the first edition is “Spaces“, places where citizens meet and public spaces in different countries. The newspaper contains thirteen thought-provoking articles in English and Finnish, images and art from around the world and many compelling stories. The first edition of Citizen Network News have a mission to foster engagement and mutual understanding between citizens and community.
“In a world where commercial interests dominate public discourse and digital platforms creating division and polarization, this newspaper hopes to offer an alternative; a physical media created with ordinary people for ordinary people everywhere. We believe that a physical newspaper is a good medium to create appreciation for diverse perspectives and enable global conversation around the themes that are authentic and relevant to all citizens”, says one of the founders and chief editors of Citizen Network News, Markus Vähälä.
“The creation and distribution of a community centered newspaper creates new connections and opportunities for citizens to form stronger relationships. We need a newspaper like the one we have created more now than ever. After the Covid lockdowns people are now surrounded by more mistrust, isolation, fear, and violence. We need to counter this with more community connections.”
Citizen Network News offers an opportunity for the reader to learn about community issues from a worldwide network of citizen reporters. The newspaper highlights community and civic centers and activities around the world, showing how community public spaces serve as vital hubs for connection, collaboration and cultural enrichment. Non-commercial public spaces are under threat around the world for a variety of reasons.
“The articles in the first edition are not only important to their authors, but we believe they are relevant for readers across the globe. The articles are written in various languages as we appreciate people being able to express themselves in language they are most comfortable with. This first edition also contains artwork, posters and images relating to the public spaces theme.”
The first edition of Citizen Network News have a mission to foster engagement and mutual understanding between citizens and community.
Michael Bierman, Executive Director of The Strindberg Laboratory and one of the chief editors of Citizen Network News, hopes that Citizen Network News will provoke a lot of thought and understanding about why we need more public spaces worldwide.
“In America a prominent Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam has remarked that over half of all civic spaces have simply disappeared. We should preserve and expand public spaces globally to keep our communities strong as well as our democracies alive.”
The first edition of Citizen Network News features a diverse range of articles introducing the multifaced significance of non-commercial public spaces.
Titles of the articles from the first edition of Citizen Network News:
- A Clean well-Lighted Space – USA
- Creating a healing space – Finland
- Advocating for Community Recreation Free Spaces – Kenya
- Making space in Sheffield for emerging futures – Great Britain
- SAVE LAPINLAHTI with a poster – Finland
- Do It Yourself Arts in Community (part 1) – Ireland
- Lapinlahden Lähde syntyi tarpeesta vaalia poikkeuksellista kaupunkitilaa – Finland
- Tilat toipumisen tukena – Finland
- Public Spaces – USA
- What city? – Finland
- Ofafa hall – Celebrate Luo Cultural Performance – Kenya
- Helsinki – Meidän kaikkien tiellä! – Finland
- The Future is here but the past won’t let go – South Africa
How to get your copy of the newspaper?
With it’s compelling content and with commitment to grassroots citizen journalism, Citizen Network News invites readers to join the conversation and become an active participants in shaping the future of their own communities. The newspaper has a traditional broadsheet format and the text is written in plain language.
For more information about Citizen Network and to order your copy of Citizen Network News for €7 (incl. postage):
A copy of the newspaper can also be found at Kahvila Lähde, and the newspaper will soon be available for sale at Lähde. If you would like to take part in the reader feedback survey, which includes a photo of you with the newspaper, you can get it for free –> contact us: [email protected]
About Citizen Network News
The newspaper was founded by the international Citizen Network and The Strindberg Laboratory in Los Angeles, USA. The Citizen Network consists of more than 280 groups and organizations in 51 countries including 3,000 citizen activists working locally and internationally to build inclusive, justice, democracy and creating resilient communities and protecting our nature everywhere. The network is supported by an international cooperative registered in Finland.
The Strindberg Laboratory is an active, non-profit theater company based in Los Angeles that works with citizens and marginalised communities. The Strindberg Laboratory operates in public spaces, streets, and community centers around California. The founders of Citizen Network News have collaborated over the years producing international No Labels No Walls festivals. The festivals consisted of diverse NGOs, art providers and individuals from around the world. The No Labels No Walls festivals celebrate and promote diversity of people and life, equality, and community inclusion.
Citizen Network News was created from the need to inform the general public about important topics that affect communities worldwide. We want a wide range of voices to be heard, thoroughly and comprehensively. In addition, we decided to make the newspaper print only. This decision was based on numerous studies which indicate that the retention rate of people reading in print is much higher than reading in digital.
The printed newspaper also allows our readers to share articles with their friends, family and colleagues in person instead of from their computer screens. We also wanted to play our part in strengthening the newspaper culture in a context where newspapers across the globe are going out of business. To ensure there is enough news to connect communities around the world, Citizen Network News produces the news with you and brings the world’s news to you.
Contact details and interview requests:
Markus Vähälä & Michael Bierman, Chief editors
Citizen Network News
[email protected]
+358503461011
Photos: Matti Koskinen