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Privacy Policy for the John Nurminen Foundation Group’s customer and supporter register
Privacy Policy for the John Nurminen Foundation’s stakeholder register
Privacy Policy for the John Nurminen Foundation’s Recruitment and manuscript filing system 
Cookie policy of the John Nurminen Foundation

Privacy Policy for the John Nurminen Foundation Group’s customer and supporter register

This privacy policy (hereinafter the “Privacy Policy”) for the John Nurminen Foundation and its subsidiary Baltic Sea Services Oy’s (“JNS” or “we”) customer and supporter register was created on 24 May 2018 and was last updated on 10 May 2023. The updates are described in more detail in Section 12. Amendments to the Privacy Policy

In this Privacy Policy, we provide a detailed description of how JNS collects and processes the personal data of contact persons for our customers, donors and other supporters, and of employees working with our potential customers’ and partners’ sponsorship and sustainability issues. You can also find more information about your rights with regard to the processing of your personal data.

JNS respects your privacy and is committed to processing your personal data in an appropriate manner in compliance with both this Privacy Policy and the European Union’s (“EU”) General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) and other applicable legislation (together “Data Protection Legislation”).

1. Controller

The John Nurminen Foundation is the controller of any data processing described in this policy that is not related to book and product sales or e-commerce:

John Nurminen Foundation
Pasilankatu 2
00240 Helsinki, Finland

Baltic Sea Services Oy, a subsidiary of the John Nurminen Foundation, is the controller of data processing that relates to book and product sales and e-commerce:
Baltic Sea Services Oy
Pasilankatu 2
00240 Helsinki, Finland
myynti(a)balticseaservices.fi

2. Contact person

Anni Kujala
Pasilankatu 2
00240 Helsinki
rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi
+358 50 467 6740

3. Name of the register

John Nurminen Foundation and Baltic Sea Services Oy customer and supporter register

4. The purpose of and legal basis for processing your personal data

We process personal data for the purposes described below, such as managing and developing customer, donor or supporter relations, and for targeting our communications and marketing to both private persons and communities and their contact persons. We collect only the personal data that is necessary in relation to the purposes for which it is being processed.

The purpose of processing your personal data is:
– Carrying out and managing an agreement, for example, when you order products from JNS’s webstore
– Product delivery, invoicing and debt collection
– Customer service
– Managing monthly and other donations, and fulfilling accounting obligations
– Publishing the information you wish to appear in the donor register
– Sending supporter reports and other communications about the use of donation funds
– Sending information to collection organisers about the total amount collected and the donors who participated in commemorative and anniversary collections
– Developing our activities and customer experience
– Designing and developing our products and services
– Organising events
– Collecting feedback
– Sending information about JNS’s ongoing projects
– Organising promotional prize draws and competitions, and their associated communications
– Customer acquisition, direct marketing and marketing communications for the purpose of acquiring donations

Customer relationship management

The legal basis for processing personal data for customer relationship management, managing donor and supporter relations, and keeping in contact with partners is either JNS’s legitimate interest or to enable JNS to implement agreements.

In connection with customer relationship management, the primary purpose of processing personal data is to carry out business transactions between the customer and JNS, for example, when you make a donation or order products from the Foundation’s online store. Personal data can be processed for purposes such as invoicing, customer service, product delivery or collecting overdue invoices.

In connection with the management of donor and partner relations, we also process personal data for publishing the information specified by the donor in a public donor register or providing information about how donations have been used.

Competitions and prize draws

Within the framework of our activities, we organise a variety of competitions and prize draws on our website, in our communication channels (such as social media) and on our partners’ premises. In this case, the legal basis for the processing of your personal data is JNS’s legitimate interest in running promotional prize draws and/or competitions, and sending associated communications or carrying out other related activities after you have entered a competition or prize draw arranged by us, or when you have given us your permission to publish content submitted at exhibitions, on our website, or in another of our communication channels (including social media). When you enter a prize draw, we may ask for your consent to direct digital marketing.

Direct marketing

We may process your personal data for direct marketing purposes and to target marketing, in which case the legal basis for processing data is JNS’s legitimate interest. In this case, we may contact you by phone or letter in order to market things such as fundraisers or activities. You have the right to prohibit the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes at any time.

Direct digital marketing

We process your personal data for direct digital marketing with your consent. In this case, we may contact you by email in order to market things such as fundraisers or activities. Our direct digital marketing also includes our newsletter, which contains information about progress on JNS’s projects and other current topics that we believe will be of interest to you.

We may also send direct digital marketing on the basis of an earlier customer relationship or an authorisation based on your position. In this case, the legal basis for processing your personal data is JNS’s legitimate interest.

Based on our legitimate interest, your personal data may also be used for profiling, for example, for marketing purposes. JNS does not make any automated decisions that would have legal implications.

At any time, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for the purposes of direct marketing or profiling for direct marketing.

We also use cookies and other similar technologies on our website and in our newsletters, to ensure the functionality of our website, to develop and improve our user experience, and to target relevant marketing. You can read more about the cookies we use, their purpose and retention periods in our Cookie Policy.

5. What personal data do we collect and from where?

We collect the following personal data in our customer and supporter register:
– person’s name
– age/year of birth
– position and company/organisation
– contact details (such as address, email address and telephone number)
– the start and end time of the customer relationship and/or other contact, and the contact method
– invoicing details and payments
– customer history, notes about the customer relationship and notes about meetings
– donation information and information required to process bequests
– school and grade in connection with our Taksvärkki collection
– information about subscription to the newsletter mailing list
– information about consent to/prohibition of direct marketing
– other information necessary for organising and developing events, such as dietary requirements and restrictions
– other information necessary for a competition or prize draw, such as a photo submitted by a competition or prize draw entrant and the name of the photographer
– any other information necessary for accepting donations, customer account management and partnerships.

As a rule, we mainly collect data for the customer and supporter register from you yourself, for example, when you give us information via online forms or social media services, by email or telephone, in agreements, via event registrations and payment information, when entering a competition or prize draw, and at customer meetings or other events at which you disclose your information.

Personal data may also be collected from public sources or from companies that provide services for updating and obtaining personal data. These include Posti’s consumer register update service, Suomen Asiakastieto Oy’s decision-maker register and Profinder’s corporate and consumer information registers.

In addition, we collect personal information using cookies and other similar technologies on our website and in our newsletters.

6. Will your personal data be disclosed or transferred to third parties?

We only transfer your personal data when it is necessary to carry out one of the aforementioned purposes. JNS may transfer your personal data to parties involved in the provision, maintenance and development of JNS’s services, communications and marketing, or to its other partners, and these parties may process your personal data for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Our partners for customer service and marketing include Sanoma Media Finland Oy, Barona Oy, Gainer Oy and LiveRing Oy. Your data may also be transferred to other subcontractors and service providers that are responsible for IT, software, accounting and other similar services. JNS will enter into the necessary contractual arrangements with third parties to ensure that your personal data is processed in accordance with Data Protection Legislation.

If you make a donation to a commemorative or anniversary collection, we will send your name to the collection organiser. Your personal data may also be disclosed to third parties in certain situations, such as those in which its disclosure is required by law or official regulations.

Please note that third parties may process the information collected via cookies and social media plugins on our website.

JNS or its service providers may use companies located outside the EU or European Economic Area (“EEA”) to process personal data or provide services. Personal data will only be transferred out of the EU or EEA when there are justified grounds for doing so and in compliance with Data Protection Legislation.

7. Joint controllers

When JNS administers pages on Facebook and Instagram, JNS and Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd (“Facebook”) are the joint controllers of JNS’s Facebook and Instagram pages, as applicable. Your personal data will be used for purposes such as keeping you informed about JNS’s work/events and how donations have been used; running competitions and prize draws; marketing and collecting feedback; purchasing and measuring the performance of Facebook advertisements; and better targeting communications. The legal basis for processing your personal data is JNS’s legitimate interest.

JNS collects data through its Facebook and Instagram pages in the form of, for example, likes and other reactions, comments, visits, post visibility, and personal data submitted in connection with competitions. The information that JNS receives from Facebook is the person’s user name, public profile picture, and any other data that has been marked as public. Data subjects may provide other personal data in comments on social media pages or via messaging services.

Where applicable, we are also joint controllers with Facebook with respect to the cookies used in Facebook’s social media plugins and certain services relating to Facebook’s advertising networks. You can read more about cookies and social media plugins in our Cookie Policy.

In Facebook’s privacy policy, you can read how and on what legal basis Facebook processes your data, and how you can exercise your rights under data protection legislation. We have signed a joint controller agreement with Facebook that describes JNS’s and Facebook’s responsibilities with respect to the data we collect. Please note that if you wish to exercise your rights under data protection legislation with respect to data processed by Facebook, you should contact Facebook.

You can restrict the processing of your personal data by unliking and/or unfollowing a page. You can also request a conversation to be deleted from a messaging service. You can also choose not to accept non-essential cookies when you visit our website, or withdraw your previously given consent.

8. How is your personal data processed and protected?

JNS processes your personal data only for the aforementioned purposes and only for the purposes for which the data was originally collected. The protection of your personal data is important to us, and we comply with both good data management practices and the due diligence and obligations laid down in Data Protection Legislation. We adhere to generally accepted technical and organisational measures to prevent any unauthorised or unlawful processing or misuse of personal data, and to protect personal data from loss, alteration or deletion. The electronically processed personal data contained in the register is protected by means of firewalls, passwords and other technical means that are generally used and accepted in the information security industry. Workstations and IT systems are protected using personal usernames and passwords. Our workstations also utilise two-factor authentication. Manually maintained material is located in facilities to which unauthorised access is prevented. Access to the personal data contained in the register is granted only to designated employees of the Foundation or of an enterprise acting for or on behalf of the Foundation, and only to the extent that is required to carry out the task at hand. Our employees have signed a non-disclosure agreement.

9. For how long will your personal data be retained?

We comply with statutory retention periods, and will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary, and to the extent that is required, to carry out the purposes for which the personal data is being processed as defined in this Privacy Policy (for example, for the duration of a contractual term).

10. What are your rights as a data subject?

As a data subject, you have the following rights with regard to your personal data in the customer and supporter register:

– The right to access and verify your data: You have the right to receive confirmation from us about whether or not your personal data is being processed; and if your personal data is being processed, you have the right to access and verify all of the personal data being held about you in the customer and supporter register.
– The right to correct, delete and restrict the processing of your data: You have the right to require us to correct any inaccurate, unnecessary, incomplete or outdated personal data without undue delay. You have the right to request us to delete any of your personal data that is no longer required for the purpose for which it was originally collected or processed, or if you suspect that your personal data is being processed illegally, or if your personal data must be deleted to comply with a legal obligation (that applies to the controller). You also have the right to request a restriction on the processing of your data. Please note that deleting or restricting the use of your personal data may, for instance, result in a deterioration in your customer service experience, that you can no longer be a monthly donor, or that you no longer receive our newsletters or information on our project progress.
– The right to object to the processing of your data: When the basis for processing personal data is JNS’s legitimate interest, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data with respect to a specific personal situation. The exception to this is when JNS can demonstrate that there is a very important and justified reason that overrides the data subject’s interests, or if processing is necessary for the preparation, presentation or defence of a legal claim. However, you always have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes (including profiling) without any justification. Please note that objecting to the processing of your personal data may, for instance, result in a deterioration in your customer service experience, that you can no longer be a monthly donor, or that you no longer receive our newsletters or information on our project progress.
– The right to transfer data from one system to another: You have the right to transfer the personal data you supplied to JNS to another controller. This transfer right covers automatically processed personal data whose processing is based on your consent or an agreement to which you are a party. JNS will send the data in a machine-readable and commonly used format to you, and will also send the data directly to the other controller if this is technically possible.
– The right to withdraw consent: If your personal data is being processed on the basis of your consent, you may withdraw your consent to such processing at any time by contacting us.

If you would like to exercise any of the rights described above, would like to receive more information about the processing of your personal data, or have any comments on its processing, you can contact us at any time by sending an email to rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi.

11. Lodging a complaint with the supervisory authority

JNS always aims to resolve any disputes regarding the processing of your personal data directly with you. If you believe that JNS has not processed your personal data in accordance with applicable Data Protection Legislation, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The contact details for the supervisory authority are:

Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
P.O. Box 800
00531 HELSINKI
Visiting address: Lintulahdenkuja 4, 00530 Helsinki
email: tietosuoja@om.fi
telephone exchange: +358 (0)29 56 66700
www.tietosuoja.fi.

12. Amendments to the Privacy Policy

We continuously strive to develop our services and privacy protection, and therefore reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy by placing a notification of change on this page. The Privacy Policy may also be updated in order to reflect changes in legislation. We recommend that you revisit this Privacy Policy on a regular basis.

The following updates have been made to this Privacy Policy:

– Update 30 November 2021 We revised and clarified the purposes of processing personal data, and added that we may also collect personal data from public sources.
– Update 31 January 2023 We added that personal data may also be collected from companies that provide services for updating and obtaining personal data.
– Update 10 May 2023 We combined the privacy policies for our customer and supporter register and our competitions and prize draws register, and the name of the document was changed to the “Privacy policy for the John Nurminen Foundation Group’s customer and supporter register”. We clarified from which public sources personal data is obtained, and to whom our customer service and marketing partners may disclose personal data.

Privacy Policy for the John Nurminen Foundation’s stakeholder register

This privacy policy (hereinafter the “Privacy Policy”) for the John Nurminen Foundation’s (“JNS” or “we”) stakeholder register was created on 29 May 2018 and updated on 30 November 2021. In this Privacy Policy, we provide a detailed description of how JNS collects and processes the personal data of representatives of our various stakeholders. You can also find more information about your rights with regard to the processing of your personal data.

JNS respects your privacy and is committed to processing your personal data in an appropriate manner in compliance with both this Privacy Policy and the European Union’s (“EU”) General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) and other applicable legislation (together “Data Protection Legislation”).

1. Controller

John Nurminen Foundation
Pasilankatu 2
00240 Helsinki, Finland
info(a)jnfoundation.fi

2. Contact person for the privacy policy and person responsible for data protection

Anni Kujala
Pasilankatu 2
00240 Helsinki
rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi
+358 50 467 6740

3. Name of the register

John Nurminen Foundation stakeholder register

4. The purpose of and legal basis for processing your personal data

We process personal data in order to manage and develop communications and collaborative partnerships with, for example, the contact persons for our project partners, government ministries, authorities and service providers, media representatives, Baltic Sea Action Day partners, as well as members of steering groups appointed to our projects. In order to acquire new partners for sustainability projects, JNS may also reach out to employees of potential partner companies whose responsibilities include stakeholder engagement, sponsorship, or sustainability issues. We collect only the personal data that is necessary in relation to the purposes for which it is being processed. The purpose of processing your personal data is:

– Sending information about JNS’s ongoing projects
– Keeping you informed about JNS’s activities
– Sending out press releases and media invitations
– Convening steering group meetings
– Sending invitations to JNS’s events and meetings
– Managing other collaborator and stakeholder relations
– Managing Baltic Sea Action Day events, activities and other contacts
– Contacting new and potential partners and partner companies.

The legal basis for processing stakeholders’ personal data is JNS’s legitimate interest and to enable JNS to implement agreements. JNS does not make any automated decisions that would have legal implications.

We may also process data about employees of our stakeholder organisations for direct marketing purposes. Our direct marketing mainly covers our newsletter, which is sent either by email or post, and contains information about progress on JNS’s projects and other current topics that we believe will be of interest to our stakeholders and their employees. The Foundation’s newsletter is only sent to those people who have subscribed to it. Consent is the basis for processing personal data in this context. You have the right to prohibit the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes at any time.

We also use cookies and other similar technologies on our website and in our newsletters, to ensure the functionality of our website, to develop and improve our user experience, and to target relevant marketing. You can read more about the cookies we use, their purpose and retention periods in our Cookie Policy.

5. What personal data do we collect and from where?

We collect the following personal data in our stakeholder register:

– person’s name
– position and company/organisation
– contact details (such as address, email address and telephone number)
– information about consent to/prohibition of direct marketing
– information about subscription to the newsletter mailing list
– the start and end time of the contact, and the contact method
– notes about the stakeholder relationship and notes about meetings
– any other necessary information relating to cooperation
– any other information necessary for organising and developing events, such as dietary requirements and restrictions.

As a rule, we mainly collect data for the stakeholder register from you yourself, for example, when you give us information via online forms or social media services, by email or telephone, in agreements, or during meetings and other events at which stakeholders disclose information. We may also collect personal data from public sources and, for non-commercial purposes, from third parties on the basis of, for instance, recommendations.

In addition, we collect personal information using cookies and other similar technologies on our website and in our newsletters.

6. Will your personal data be disclosed or transferred to third parties?

We only transfer your personal data when it is necessary to carry out one of the aforementioned purposes.

JNS may transfer your personal data to parties involved in the provision, maintenance and development of JNS’s services and communications, or to its other partners, and these parties may process your personal data for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. Your data may also be transferred to other subcontractors and service providers that are responsible for IT and other similar services. JNS will enter into the necessary contractual arrangements with third parties to ensure that your personal data is processed in accordance with Data Protection Legislation.

In principle, your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties without your consent. However, your personal data may be disclosed to third parties without your consent in some situations, such as situations in which its disclosure is required by law or official regulations. If necessary, we may also provide funding organisations, such as the European Union, with lists of event participants, so that the funders can confirm that a project’s objectives have been realised and fulfil their legal obligations.
Please note that third parties may process the information collected via cookies and social media plugins on our website.

JNS or its service providers may use companies located outside the EU or European Economic Area (“EEA”) to process personal data or provide services. Personal data will only be transferred out of the EU or EEA when there are justified grounds for doing so and in compliance with Data Protection Legislation.

7. Joint controllers

When JNS administers pages on Facebook and Instagram, JNS and Facebook Ireland Ltd (“Facebook”) are the joint controllers of JNS’s Facebook and Instagram pages, as applicable. Your personal data will be used for purposes such as keeping you informed about JNS’s work/events and how donations have been used; running competitions and prize draws; marketing and collecting feedback; purchasing and measuring the performance of Facebook advertisements; and better targeting communications. The legal basis for processing your personal data is JNS’s legitimate interest. Data used in competitions will be processed in accordance with a separate privacy policy that will be issued for each competition.
JNS collects data through its Facebook and Instagram pages in the form of, for example, likes and other reactions, comments, visits, post visibility, and personal data submitted in connection with competitions. The information that JNS receives from Facebook is the person’s user name, public profile picture, and any other data that has been marked as public. Data subjects may provide other personal data in comments on social media pages or via messaging services. This information will not be combined with other data held in personal data registers without informing the data subject or without the data subject’s consent.

Where applicable, we are also joint controllers with Facebook with respect to the cookies used in Facebook’s social media plugins and certain services relating to Facebook’s advertising networks. You can read more about cookies and social media plugins in our Cookie Policy.

In Facebook’s privacy policy, you can read how and on what legal basis Facebook processes your data, and how you can exercise your rights under data protection legislation. We have signed a joint controller agreement with Facebook that describes JNS’s and Facebook’s responsibilities with respect to the data we collect. Please note that if you wish to exercise your rights under data protection legislation with respect to data processed by Facebook, you should contact Facebook. You can restrict the processing of your personal data by unliking and/or unfollowing a page. You can also request a conversation to be deleted from a messaging service. You can also choose not to accept non-essential cookies when you visit our website, or withdraw your previously given consent.

8. How is your personal data processed and protected?

JNS processes your personal data only for the aforementioned purposes and only for the purposes for which the data was originally collected. The protection of your personal data is important to us, and we comply with both good data management practices and the due diligence and obligations laid down in Data Protection Legislation. We adhere to generally accepted technical and organisational measures to prevent any unauthorised or unlawful processing or misuse of personal data, and to protect personal data from loss, alteration or deletion. The electronically processed personal data contained in the register is protected by means of firewalls, passwords and other technical means that are generally used and accepted in the information security industry. Workstations and IT systems are protected using personal usernames and passwords. Our workstations also utilise two-factor authentication. Manually maintained material is located in facilities to which unauthorised access is prevented. Access to the personal data contained in the register is granted only to designated employees of the Foundation or of an enterprise acting for or on behalf of the Foundation, and only to the extent that is required to carry out the task at hand.

9. For how long will your personal data be retained?

We comply with statutory retention periods, and will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary, and to the extent that is required, to carry out the purposes for which the personal data is being processed as defined in this Privacy Policy (for example, for the duration of a contractual term).

10. What are your rights as a data subject?

As a data subject, you have the following rights with regard to your personal data in the stakeholder register:

– The right to access and verify your data: You have the right to receive confirmation from us about whether or not your personal data is being processed; and if your personal data is being processed, you have the right to access and verify all of the personal data being held about you in the stakeholder register.
– The right to correct, delete and restrict the processing of your data: You have the right to require us to correct any inaccurate, unnecessary, incomplete or outdated personal data without undue delay. You have the right to request us to delete any of your personal data that is no longer required for the purpose for which it was originally collected or processed, or if you suspect that your personal data is being processed illegally, or if your personal data must be deleted to comply with a legal obligation (that applies to the controller). You also have the right to request a restriction on the processing of your data. Please note that deleting or restricting the use of your personal data may, for instance, result in you no longer receiving our newsletters or invitations to our events.
– The right to object to the processing of your data: When the basis for processing personal data is JNS’s legitimate interest, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data with respect to a specific personal situation. The exception to this is when JNS can demonstrate that there is a very important and justified reason that overrides the data subject’s interests, or if processing is necessary for the preparation, presentation or defence of a legal claim. However, you always have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes without any justification. Please note that an objection to the processing of your personal data may, for instance, result in you no longer receiving our newsletters or invitations to our events.
– The right to transfer data from one system to another: You have the right to transfer the personal data you supplied to JNS to another controller. This transfer right covers automatically processed personal data whose processing is based on your consent or an agreement to which you are a party. JNS will send the data in a machine-readable and commonly used format to you, and will also send the data directly to the other controller if this is technically possible.
– The right to withdraw consent: If your personal data is being processed on the basis of your consent, you may withdraw your consent to such processing at any time by contacting us.

If you would like to exercise any of the rights described above, would like to receive more information about the processing of your personal data, or have any comments on its processing, you can contact us at any time by sending an email to rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi.

11. Lodging a complaint with the supervisory authority

JNS always aims to resolve any disputes regarding the processing of your personal data directly with you. If you believe that JNS has not processed your personal data in accordance with applicable Data Protection Legislation, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The contact details for the supervisory authority are:

Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
P.O. Box 800
00531 HELSINKI
Visiting address: Lintulahdenkuja 4, 00530 Helsinki
email: tietosuoja@om.fi
telephone exchange: +358 (0)29 56 66700
www.tietosuoja.fi

12. Amendments to the Privacy Policy

We continuously strive to develop our services and privacy protection, and therefore reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy by placing a notification of change on this page. The Privacy Policy may also be updated in order to reflect changes in legislation. We recommend that you revisit this Privacy Policy on a regular basis.

John Nurminen Foundation Recruitment and manuscript filing system 

Following its entry into force on 25 May 2018 the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation are applied to all organisations processing and holding personal data. The key aim of the new Regulation is to strengthen the rights and the conditions for consent of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data. In this Privacy Statement issued by the John Nurminen Foundation (hereinafter also the Foundation), we describe in detail what personal data we collect and for what purposes personal data are used. The Privacy Statement also provides further information on the rights of data subjects. 

1. Controller

John Nurminen Foundation 
Pasilankatu 2 
00240 Helsinki 
rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi 

2. Contact person for the Privacy Statement

Anni Kujala 
Pasilankatu 2 
00240 Helsinki 
rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi 
+358 50 467 6740 

3. Name of filing system

John Nurminen Foundation Recruitment and manuscript filing system 

4. For what purposes and on what legal grounds we can use your personal data

We process personal data for the purpose of managing the application process of persons who apply for a position with the John Nurminen Foundation or submit a manuscript for publishing. Furthermore, we can process personal data in connection with diverse statistical purposes in which case personal data is, as a rule, pseudonymised in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject. 
The collecting of personal data of data subjects is always limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed.  

Applications for positions 
Personal data is processed for purposes of carrying out and managing recruitment activities, processing applications, assessing the applicant’s suitability, and carrying out communications related to the application and recruitment. The legal basis for the processing of personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation is the legitimate interest pursued by the controller. 

Manuscript submissions 
Personal data is processed for purposes of evaluating and managing the publishing project, reviewing the manuscript and carrying out communications. The legal basis for the processing of personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation is the legitimate interest pursued by the controller.

5. What data are recorded

We may store the following personal data of applicants: Identifiable information such as name, personal identity code, home address, email address, and telephone number.

• Recruitment: Other information, such as education (e.g. name of degree and institution), work experience (e.g. previous employers, position held, duration of employment), language proficiency, possible information pertaining to suitability assessments, position applied for, and other information provided by the applicant.

• Manuscript: Other information, such as education, previous published works, and the manuscript.

6. How long data are retained

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the processing purposes specified in this Privacy Statement. The retention period may be longer due to the provisions of the Accounting Act or other statutory requirements binding upon us. 

We store open applications for a maximum of 12 months and applications submitted in response to an announced vacancy for a maximum of 6 months. 

7. From what sources personal data are collected

We collect personal data primarily from data subjects themselves by means of the application and a possible interview. We may also obtain information from other sources to the extent permitted by law. In the case of recruitment, this may include data from a third party performing the suitability assessment. In such cases, we will always ask for your consent before collecting your data.

8. Regular destinations of disclosed data and transfer of data outside the EU or EEA

We can transfer personal data to our own filing systems to be processed for the purposes specified in section 4.   

Apart from our own filing systems, personal data are not disclosed or transferred to entities other than those contracted by the Foundation for the production, development or maintenance of services and communications, except in accordance with an agreement, separate explicit consent and/or specific statutory requirements. We can transfer personal data outside the EU or EEA in compliance with the conditions laid down in the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation. 

9. How your personal data are secured

Protection of privacy is paramount for us, and we exercise great care in the processing operations of personal data contained in the filing system. We adhere to generally accepted standards of technology and operational security in order to prevent any unauthorised or unlawful processing or misuse and to protect personal data from loss, alteration or destruction. 

The electronically processed data contained in the filing system are protected by means of firewalls, passwords and other technical means generally accepted in the information security industry. Manually maintained material is located in facilities to which unauthorised access is prevented. Access to the data contained in the filing system is granted only to designated employees of the Foundation or of an enterprise acting for or on behalf of the Foundation. 

10. Your rights as a data subject

In comparison to the provisions of the repealed Data Protection Directive, the rights of data subjects are specified in more detail in the EU General Data Protection Regulation. The Regulation also confers a number of new rights on data subjects. As a data subject, you have the following rights to your personal data held by the Foundation:

a) Right of access to your personal data. You have the right to know whether we are processing your personal data and to review your personal data we may have collected, if any.

b) Right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data. If the data are inaccurate, incomplete or imprecise, you have the right to request your personal data to be rectified, e.g. by means of providing a supplementary statement.

c) Right to erasure, i.e. right to be forgotten. You may request your personal data to be erased under the following conditions:

• The personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the retention of your personal data.

• You withdraw your consent on which the processing is based and there is no other legal ground for the processing.

• You object to the processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing.

• The personal data have been unlawfully processed.

• The personal data of a minor have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services directly to a child.

d) Right to restriction of processing. You have the right to obtain from the controller restriction of processing if you contest the accuracy of the personal data or the lawfulness of processing, or you have objected to processing.

You have the right to object to processing on the grounds of your legitimate interests or fundamental rights and freedoms. You have the right at any time to object to the processing of your personal data for the purposes of direct marketing or profiling associated with direct marketing.

e) Right to data portability. If the processing of personal data is based on consent or on a contract and the processing is carried out only by automated means, you have the right to receive the personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit those data to another controller.

If you choose to exercise any of the data subject rights referred to above, every request submitted by a data subject is considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that in certain cases the retention and processing of personal data may be necessary for the purposes of statutory compliance, resolution of disputes or performance of contractual obligations.

The request for exercising data subject rights must be submitted in writing to the contact person for the Privacy Statement (Section 2 of this Privacy Statement). Where necessary, we may ask you to specify the request in more detail and to provide additional information necessary to confirm your identity before further consideration of the request. We will inform you of action taken on the request without undue delay and in any event within the time limit set in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (i.e. usually within one month).

Communication and contact with the Foundation or the supervisory authority

If you have any queries about the Privacy Statement, do not hesitate to contact via email (rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi) or by post (Pasilankatu 2, 00240 Helsinki) our contact person for the Privacy Statement.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority, should you consider that we have processed your personal data in violation of any of the applicable statutory data protection requirements. In Finland, the competent supervisory authority is the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman (www.tietosuoja.fi).

11. Changing the Privacy Statement

We continuously strive to develop our services and privacy policies, and, therefore, reserve the right to change this Privacy Statement by placing a notification of change on this page. The Privacy Statement can also be updated in order to reflect changes in legislation. We recommend that you revisit this Privacy Statement on a regular basis.

Cookie policy of the John Nurminen Foundation

This cookie policy of the John Nurminen Foundation sr and its subsidiary Baltic Sea Services Oy (hereinafter “JNF” or “we”) was created on 4 December 2020 and last updated on 5 March 2024. In this cookie policy, we describe the cookies and similar technologies that we use on our websites johnnurmisensaatio.fi, puhdasmeri.fi, itameripaiva.fi, oursea.fi, seabasedmeasures.eu, sustainablebiogas.eu, nutritradebaltic.eu and kauppa.johnnurmisensaatio.fi (hereinafter collectively “the websites”). In this cookie policy, we provide you with the information you need to decide whether or not you want to store cookies on your device. We use cookies on our websites to improve and develop our user experience and to target relevant marketing to website visitors.

This cookie policy forms an integral part of our privacy policy. You can find more information about this and your legal rights in our privacy policy, which you can read here.

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that your internet browser stores on your computer, mobile device or any other device that you use to view websites. In accordance with privacy protection legislation, cookies may only be stored on your device with your consent, with the exception of certain essential cookies that are specified below.

2. What kinds of cookies are used on JNF’s websites and for what purpose?

We use cookies on JNF’s websites for different purposes. You can find information about the purpose of use of each group of cookies, as well as detailed information about cookies and their purposes, in our cookie banner. Unless necessary to provide the functionality of the website or other service, we will only process cookies based on your consent.

Persistent and session cookies

JNF’s websites use both persistent and session cookies. A persistent cookie will remain on your device after you close the browser and will remain valid until its expiry date (unless the user removes it before the expiry date). A session cookie will cease to be valid as soon as the session ends, that is, when you close the browser.

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The cookies used on our websites may be divided into essential and non-essential/marketing cookies.

– Essential cookies: JNF’s websites use cookies that are essential for the website to function properly. On our websites, these cookies are used in functions such as managing shopping baskets and remembering language settings. If you do not accept essential cookies, you will not be able to use all of the features of our websites.
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JNF’s websites use both first and third-party cookies.

– First-party cookies: First-party cookies refer to cookies that are stored by the website that you visit.
– Third-party cookies JNF’s websites also have third-party cookies that have been installed by a third party of some kind. Third-party cookies are used in connection with activities such as analytics and marketing.

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On JNF’s websites, we also use third-party cookies that are not maintained by JNF as well as other technologies similar to cookies that are used to collect your data. Web beacons and other technologies follow the same principles as cookies, meaning they are only used with your consent (with the exception of essential features) and based on your request. What is described elsewhere in this policy about cookies also applies to web beacons and other technologies, as applicable.

Third-party cookies

When it comes to the third-party cookies used on our websites, you should check the privacy policy and cookie policy of the third party in question to see how they use their cookies. For more information, see:

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– Appnexus’ privacy policy here.
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The services provided by plugin service providers are subject to the practices, terms and conditions of use and other terms and conditions that are specified in each service provider’s own privacy policy. The following links will take you to the privacy policies of those service providers whose plugins we use on our websites:

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JNF may also use other technology that performs similar functions to cookies, such as a variety of web beacons. A web beacon may, for example, be an invisible file the size of one pixel that can be included on a website or in an email.

The delivery system for our digital newsletter is one area in which we utilise web beacons. The web beacon lets us know whether you have opened the newsletter, what news items you have opened from the newsletter, the number of newsletters that you have opened, your IP address, and the time when you opened a newsletter or news item. We use this information in our marketing, so that we can develop the content of our newsletter and better reach those who are interested in our activities. Subscribing to the newsletter is voluntary, and you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Please note that the information collected via third-party cookies, social media plugins and web beacons may be surrendered to third parties for their use, and may also be sent to and stored on servers outside the European Economic Area, such as the United States.

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You can consent to the processing of cookies and withdraw your consent at any time from the cookie banner. You can also influence how cookies are processed in your browser settings.

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For more information about cookies, visit:
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6. Contacting us and exercising your rights

If you have any questions about cookies or this cookie policy, you can always contact us by email at rekisteri(a)jnfoundation.fi.

To learn more about how we process personal data collected through cookies or to exercise your rights under applicable data protection laws, please see the instructions and contact information in our Privacy Statement.

Goal

To reduce biogasproduction’s effects on the Baltic Sea.

Schedule

2018–2020

Status

The assesment is completed and will be utilised in the Sustainable biogas project.

Project partners

Tyrsky Consulting, Aalto-yliopisto, Pöyry Finland, Latviasta Riga Technical University, Gdańsk University of Technology, International Biogas and Bioenergy Competence Centre Germany, Århus University and Monus Minek Ltd. Estonia.

Location

Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark

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HELCOM: The State of the Baltic Sea Remains Worrying – the Sea Needs Our Help

How is the Baltic Sea doing, and what is to be expected in the future? HELCOM (the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission) published its third holistic assessment of the Baltic Sea, called HOLAS, in October 2023. The assessment examines the state of the ecosystem health of the Baltic Sea between 2016-2021.  

As the name suggests, HOLAS is a comprehensive, holistic assessment of the state of the Baltic Sea. It assesses the total impacts on the sea focusing on five thematic areas: biodiversity, eutrophication, hazardous substances, economic and social analyses, as well as spatial analyses of pressures and impacts.    

The message of the assessment does not give us much to celebrate: the assessment shows only little or no improvement in the state of the sea. The assessment is done using almost 60 different indicators that show the pressures on the sea and the state of its biodiversity. All three assessed categories of pressures on the sea – eutrophication, hazardous substances, and commercial fishing – are on an unsustainable level or have not decreased enough. 

The major challenge of eutrophication

Eutrophication remains a major problem for the ecosystems and the services they provide in the Baltic Sea region.  

Lotta Ruokanen, Professional Secretary at HELCOM, notes that although the nutrient inputs have decreased significantly, the status of the sea is mostly below the good environmental status threshold. However, noteworthy and somewhat positive is that only 1,3 percent of the sea area is in the worst category, bad status. 

Ruokanen also points out that in terms of water transparency, oxygen debt, shallow water oxygen, and state of the soft-bottom macrofauna community, the status is good in the Bothnian Sea, Bothnian Bay and Kattegat.  

There are multiple reasons why good status in different categories has not been achieved: i.e. changes in ecosystems may happen with a time lag, “new” challenges such as climate change arise, and some measures have yet to be implemented while some might be insufficient. 

The importance of assessing the state of the Baltic Sea

HOLAS provides necessary information for those protecting the sea. For example, John Nurminen Foundation bases its work on the best available scientific information to save the Baltic Sea most effectively. Thus, information on how different measures and actions are working is critical. 

Ulla Rosenström, the Director of Marine Environment at John Nurminen Foundation, says that HOLAS3 shows both that where agreed protection measures were implemented they have in fact been effective and that the work needs to be continued. We can also identify the areas that need special attention. 

Rosenström notes that along with assessing the state of the environment, following the past and future trends is important. Solely knowing the present state does not tell us whether protection measures are optimal.  

The high cost of inaction

The sea knows no boundaries, so concerted action is needed between Baltic Sea states as well as the European Union. It is key to consider societal, economic, and ecological connections as the three are in fact interconnected.  

Rüdiger Strempel, the Executive Secretary of HELCOM, points out a striking figure in the assessment: “The poor environmental status of the Baltic Sea has been shown to impact a wide range of ecosystem services on which we depend. The cost of inaction is therefore high.” 

The estimated yearly worth of achieving good environmental status (GES) in national marine waters by 2040 is 5.6 billion euros for the people around the Baltic Sea. 

To reach a good environmental status, transformative change is needed in all marine-related societal and economic sectors. Well-informed public decision making is crucial en route to change.  

The change requires a shared knowledge and understanding of the status of the sea and the objectives of actions to improve the status. According to Strempel, only a shared understanding can lead to targeted and effective measures as duplication of efforts can be avoided and efficiency maximized. 

The necessary but challenging indicators 

According to Rosenström, it is vital to look at the multiple pressures that can affect the same ecosystem. If they are viewed separately, the combined effects might go unnoticed.  

While using different indicators of the effects is important in assessing the environmental status, combining them into an index can be challenging, as the combined indicators might change in opposite directions. When publishing results, it is crucial to explain how the different indicators work – particularly to support well-informed decision making. 

“For example, the heaviness of nutrient load might not go hand in hand with the state of some species”, Rosenström specifies. 

Ruokanen likewise explains that the HOLAS assessment is done on the most integrated level: e.g. it combines all eutrophication indicators. Considered separately, the indicators of nutrient levels, direct effects and indirect effects show more variety in their results.  

Climate change requires attention

According to Ruokanen, climate change is something that needs a lot of attention. What’s notable is that climate change mitigation and marine protection often support each other. 

“There are signs of combined efforts and synergies in policies on e.g. simultaneous climate change mitigation, adaptation and improving the biodiversity status”, says Ruokanen. 

So, as the new year progresses, further work on saving the Baltic Sea is needed. While “new” pressures, such as climate change, make the protection work as pressing as always, it is not too late to save the sea.  

What is HOLAS?

The Baltic Sea countries have agreed on a strategic programme called Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) – adopted first in 2007 and updated in 2021. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the aim of the BSAP is to achieve a good environmental status of the Baltic Sea. The progress is followed up with HOLAS to review how the taken measures and actions are working.  

Hundreds of experts from various fields contribute to the assessments done roughly every six years. The HOLAS 3 report was published in its totality in October 2023.

Go to HOLAS 3 website

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DEEP DIVE: The Alerting State of The Ocean – Inspiring Action and Searching for Solutions (Webinar)

Organised on 6 June 2024, find the recording below

Online Webinar

How is the ocean both a buffer against and a victim to climate change? How can a sense of connection to the ocean aid environmental action? What does concrete conservation look like?

Some of the world’s most passionate ocean professionals discuss the ocean crisis, advocacy work, conservation efforts, and the value of a personal connection to the ocean midst marine environmental changes.

Programme

We hear inspiring talks from our speakers, aquanaut Fabien Cousteau, marine biologist Lucy Woodall, ocean advocate Arya Yurdacan and ocean and wildlife photographer Greg Lecoeur.

Cousteau opens the floor by sharing his insights on ocean advocacy and showing some miraculous underwater footage.

Woodall helps us to better understand the ocean-climate nexus and the pressing changes happening in the ocean ecosystems.

Yurdacan shares with us the experiences of inspiring people to advocate for the ocean and sustainability.

Lecoeur will show us some wonderful underwater photography and share his experiences on how changes in marine environments can be noticed underwater.

In the second half of the webinar, we delve into the marine conservation work being put into practice in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean regions. Discussing the practical solutions to critical issues such as nature loss and eutrophication, are Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, CEO of the John Nurminen Foundation, Alessio Satta, founder of the MEDSEA Foundation, and Sabine Roux de Bézieux, president of the Fondation de la Mer.

The event is hosted by journalist Katri Makkonen.

Speakers

Fabien Cousteau – Ocean advocacy: engaging people and empowering local communities

An Aquanaut, Oceanographic Explorer, Environmental Advocate and Founder of Proteus Ocean Group, Fabien Cousteau, the first grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, is known for his versatile work on the ocean. He has famously studied sharks, been a member of multiple cause-driven and charitable boards and worked with local communities and children worldwide to help restore local water ecosystems. He currently dedicates much of his time to his non-profit Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center (“FCOLC”) and PROTEUS™, the International Space Station of the Ocean. Fabien has received several awards such as Travel & Leisure’s 2022 Global Vision Award, the United Nations NEXUS Global Goals Award for Excellence and Leadership and David Attenborough Excellence in Filmmaking Award.

Lucy Woodall – How is climate change causing changes in the ocean?

Doctor, Lucy Woodall is an Associate Professor in Marine Conservation Biology and Policy at the University of Exeter and is the Principal Scientist at Nekton. She is a marine biologist with a passion for sharing the delights and importance of the aquatic world with global citizens. Using principles of transdisciplinary practice and co-production, Lucy endeavours to conduct marine research that informs contemporary ecological challenges globally. Her work broadly focuses on the processes that drive biodiversity in the ocean and she is interested in understanding the impacts of human activities on these patterns. She provides expert opinion on marine conservation and sustainable marine management, and is a member of many applied working groups such as the High Level Panel Expert Group for the UN on Sustainable Ocean Economy, IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group and the DOSI Pollution and Debris Working Group and gives talks at public events throughout the year.

Arya Yurdacan – Inspiring and advocating for ocean conservation 

Arya Yurdacan is a dedicated ocean conservationist and young entrepreneur. She is an alumna of the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council, a UPG Sustainability Leader, and recognized as one of the “20 Under 20” most inspiring entrepreneurs by Wise in 2020. As a member of the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council, Arya actively contributes to the development and implementation of initiatives aimed at promoting ocean conservation and sustainability. She collaborates with fellow council members to organize educational events, advocate for policy change, and engage with communities worldwide to inspire action for the protection of our oceans. As the co-founder of Entella, she and her team are focused on cleaning up the sea surface with innovative technology. Arya is passionate about protecting our oceans, raising awareness, and driving positive change.

Greg Lecoeur – The underwater world and its changes through the camera lens

Ocean and wildlife photographer Greg Lecoeur has been interested in marine biology and diving since a young age. His insights and unique perspective have been featured in many French and international publications. Deeply committed to the preservation of the oceans, his documentation and expeditions contribute to an in-depth knowledge of underwater biodiversity and the enhancement of our planet’s environmental heritage. Lecour was National Geographic’s Photographer of the Year in 2016 and has been honored with many other international awards. He is also the author of two books (REQUINS: guide de l’interaction, 2017; and ANTARCTICA, 2020). Lecoeur tells the oceans’ stories in order to touch people and raise awareness about the preservation of underwater ecosystems.

Discussion – In quest for solutions: Lessons learnt from the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean

Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt
CEO, John Nurminen Foundation

The John Nurminen Foundation’s mission is to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage for future generations. The Foundation improves the status of the Baltic Sea by reducing the nutrient load and other environmental problems as well as safeguards the cultural heritage of the Sea.

Alessio Satta
Founder, MEDSEA Foundation

The MEDSEA Foundation, based in Cagliari, Sardinia, works for the protection and restoration of coastal marine ecosystems with the goal of accelerating the ecological transition process to halt biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean and adapt to climate change.

Sabine Roux de Bézieux
President, Fondation de la Mer

The Fondation de la Mer supports ocean actors, protects marine biodiversity, combats pollution at sea, supports research, encourages innovation and raises awareness among the public. Because we all have an impact, the Fondation de la Mer invites everyone to become a stakeholder in the preservation of the ocean, essential to the planet’s balance and to life itself.

The webinar was organised by the John Nurminen Foundation, the MEDSEA Foundation and the Fondation de la Mer.

Questions?

World Ocean Day

World Ocean Day provides a unique opportunity for a wide array of organizations and communities to come together on or around 8 June to honor and celebrate our one ocean that connects us all!  Whether you live on the coast or far inland, we all need a healthy ocean and a stable climate to survive and thrive. The ocean generates most of the oxygen we breathe, helps feed us, cleans the water we drink, and regulates our climate. By protecting our ocean, we also protect our climate, and our future. Together, through thousands of events in 150+ countries, we can increase awareness and action in our communities and also generate the political will – at both the government and the corporate levels – to create a healthier blue planet and a better future for all.

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Baltic Sea Day, 29 August

29.8.2024

The Day is celebrated around the sea, in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Denmark

Events on the Baltic Sea Day

Baltic Sea Day website

Let’s celebrate the Baltic Sea! Are you going to take action to help the sea or is your plan to take part in the Baltic Sea Day plunge?

Baltic Sea Day offers a deep dive into our home sea for both seasoned Baltic Sea enthusiasts and those for whom the sea feels distant and unfamiliar. On Baltic Sea Day, you will learn more about the sea’s diverse nature, culture, and history—not forgetting its significance as a source of joy, inspiration, and relaxation!

Initiated by the John Nurminen Foundation, Baltic Sea Day is celebrated annually on the last Thursday of August with various events and activities around the sea.

Would you like to visit a Baltic Sea-themed exhibition? Or perhaps enjoy a delicious meal

Would you like to see what a marine research vessel looks like? Would you visit a Baltic Sea-themed exhibition? Or perhaps you’d like to enjoy a delicious Baltic Sea meal by the summer shore? You can find all Baltic Sea Day events and ideas at balticseaday.fi.

The events of John Nurminen Foundation

Baltic Sea Fest

at 12:00-19:00
Pakkahuoneenlaituri, Helsinki

Itämerifest is a free maritime event for the whole family in Helsinki at Pakkahuoneenlaituri, on Baltic Sea Day 29 August 2024 12 am – 7 pm. Get to know the marine research vessel Aranda, its equipment and the research carried out on board. The tents in the pier area give information about Baltic Sea wrecks, the protection of waterways, and environmentally friendly boating and diet, among other things. For children there are fun quizzes with prizes.

See the entire program

The crowd plunge at Hietsu beach

at 17:00-18:30
Hiekkarannantie 11, Helsinki

Join us at Hietsu for Finland’s biggest plunge to celebrate the Baltic Sea! At 6 p.m. we will dip into the water together! Everyone is welcome to join in their own style. You can simply wade in the water or go for a longer swim lap. More experienced open-water swimmers can take a longer swim guided by the Swimming Association.

See the entire program

Digital Exhibitions

at Digimuseo.fi

On the Baltic Sea Day, we will be offering tours of our exhibitions. The tours will be conducted in Finnish.

You can however explore our other digital exhibitions in English from the comfort of your own sofa! The photo above is of a common ringed plover, taken by Raimo Sundelin, whose photos can be seen at our digital exhibition ‘Birds in the Baltic Sea‘.

Enjoy also:
The Baltic Sea’s Heritage
A Journey to the Land of the Sea
Fog of War (brand new as of July 2024!)

Visit Digital Museum

New Book Reveals: Damages of the War Are Still Visible in the Baltic Sea

Requests for interviews and review copies

Oona Piiroinen Communications Specialist

oona.piiroinen@jnfoundation.fi +358 50 434 4879

Russia’s attack in Ukraine reminds us of the events that led to World Wars, and highlights the strategic importance the Baltic Sea continues to have even today. The Fog of War, a new book by Juha Flinkman and Jouni Polkko, explores events during WWI, the strategic position of the Baltic Sea, and the stories of ships that ended their journeys at the bottom of the Sea.

“It is, in a sad way, good timing to release this book now. Russia’s attack in Ukraine brings to mind the times and events that led to the two World Wars”, says author Juha Flinkman.  

Recent tensions between Russia and the West have highlighted the Baltic Sea’s importance for security policy. The marine area had major strategic importance also in WWI.

“Russia wanted to protect the Gulf of Finland so that the Germans would not be able to execute landings on the Finnish coastline. Even though the Russian navy was effective in protecting the Gulfs of Riga and Finland, its naval warfare leadership was passive and avoided taking risks. The Germans, on the other hand, attacked actively, resulting in greater losses”, explains Flinkman.

The most important role of Russia’s Baltic Sea fleet was to confine Germany’s naval units to the Baltic Sea, thus preventing their use against Great Britain in the North Sea.

 “Few know what happened in the Gulf of Finland during the battles of WWI. Our goal is to make the general public aware of what took place at sea in 1914 – 1918”, says Flinkman.

Wrecks can remain in the Baltic Sea for centuries

The narrative in The Fog of War advances on multiple levels, moving ahead in parallel with events that are approximately one hundred years apart. The authors, who have conducted thorough archival and literature research for several years, shed light on the dramatic turns of events during the war. A second narrative features the underwater expeditions of Flinkman, Polkko, and the Badewanne diving team, spanning 30 years and reaching the shipwrecks that await in the depths, almost 100 metres from the surface.

The stories of the shipwrecks are illuminated with underwater photography, which, together with archival photos of ships, submarines and personnel dating back to WWI, bring historical moments to life.

An estimated 10,000 shipwrecks lie in the Baltic Sea, and many of the vessels have rested at the bottom of the Sea for centuries. The low salinity and oxygen levels of the Baltic Sea slow down decay, such as rust build-up, in the shipwrecks. Due to the conditions in the Baltic Sea, there are no organisms like shipworms that are common in oceans, consuming wood and other materials.

“The enormous number of the wrecks is also explained by the fact that the Gulf of Finland is shallow throughout, and is easy to lay mines in. During both World Wars, it has been the most densely mined marine area on our planet. Many vessels found their final resting place after hitting a mine in the Baltic Sea”, says Flinkman.

Rebuilding after the war does not reach the depths of the Sea: the battlefield, with its wrecks, is frozen in time at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The book gives the reader an opportunity to peek into this underwater museum.

---

Further information

Juha ”Roope” Flinkman, PhD, is a marine biologist, mixed gas diver and scientific diver. Previously a zooplankton researcher at the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, he has worked for the past 15 years as a development manager at the Finnish Environment Institute’s (Syke) Marine Research Centre, with the main task of managing and developing marine research methodology and technology related to research vessels. He has been responsible for scientific diving and related development projects at the University of Helsinki’s Tvärminne Zoological Station, the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, and the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke). He has been diving for about 40 years.

Jouni Polkko has worked for over 30 years as a senior researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute in planetary and space research projects, participating in space instrument design, construction, testing, and scientific use in international research projects. He has been active in diving and shipwreck research for over 35 years.

Badewanne is a non-profit organisation whose volunteer divers have documented shipwrecks in the Gulf of Finland for more than 20 years.

The Fog of War – The First World War in the Gulf of Finland
Text: Juha Flinkman, Jouni Polkko
Images: Jouni Polkko
Publisher: John Nurmisen Säätiö, 2024
Pages: 320 pages, approximately 200 images
Published: 20 August 2024
RRP: €49.90 (including 10% VAT)
The book can be purchased from the John Nurminen Foundation online store.
The English translation of the book was made possible by the support of the Weisell Foundation. On 20 August 2024, the book is published also in Finnish with the title Sodan sumua – ensimmäinen maailmansota Suomenlahdella.

Purchase the book online

The Fog of War exhibition
On 20 August, the John Nurminen Foundation will launch an online exhibition, based on the book The Fog of War, in the Digimuseo service. This free exhibition is available in English and Finnish.

To Digimuseo

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Aalto Summer School Explores Water and Creating Change through Art

Writer

Helmi Pörhölä Communications Planner

helmi.porhola@jnfoundation.fi +358 50 471 1078

The 2024 theme of Aalto ARTS summer school was Embodied Water. The John Nurminen Foundation took part in the school’s symposium in June by presenting and discussing ocean related challenges and conservation work in the Baltic Sea. The interdisciplinary approach of the summer school combines art, technology, and design to tell stories about a globally relevant theme, varying each year. In 2024, by merging scientific knowledge and artistic expression, the students from around the world dived into water-related questions of sustainable development.

“The emotional bond to water is important if we want to drive change. What can be created when we combine approaches from different disciplines?” asks Rauno Ronkainen, Associate Professor of Cinematography at Aalto University.

Why water? Water issues are global, regional, and local, ranging from the challenges of clean water and sanitation to ocean conservation. The summer school addresses themes that have worldwide relevance and can be approached from various perspectives. Previous themes have focused on forests and the circular economy.

Before the actual “concept development,” meaning the work on final projects in Espoo, the students familiarized themselves with the theme, conducted background research, and discussed the topics in their groups.

Shifting Perspectives on Water

The final projects that the groups created vary vastly regarding the used technologies and tools from different design disciplines, such as film, data visualization, and game design.

One of the concepts, Rippled Reflections, aims to explore the connection between humans and water. When a person speaks into a microphone, a ripple effect is created in the water in front of them. The inspiration comes from water as a constantly moving entity that responds to external stimuli, such as sound.

“The idea is that as you share your memories into the microphone, you can see them reflected in the water. We aimed to shift the perspective on how we view water”, explains Utpala Jadhav, a member of the group behind Rippled Reflections.

Observing the students speaking into the microphone – one softly and the other raising their voice – shows how captivating and fun the water’s movement is to the people gathered around the small pool of the installation.

Stories that Resonate and Create Change

Perhaps it is art than can help us better grasp water-related issues and the meaning of water, from its environmental to cultural and societal significance.

“We can create movements through art. This can lead to changes in policies if people push for it enough. Art and creativity can really hit you emotionally: the messages resonate”, says Eloïse Jenninger.

Jenninger was a part of a group that created an installation, The Aqueous Oracle, on how generative artificial intelligence (AI) uses water. The growing use of AI products have increased the need for water in cooling data centers.

Realizing that one conversation with ChatGPT uses about a half a liter of water, the group created an interactive installation that uses mythology to tell a story. On the screen you can see AI embodied by water spirits. As the user asks the AI a question, they need to add 500 ml of water for it to function.

“We knew we wanted to tell a story because stories are a way to learn and retain information. We used AI to create the animations. It was also important to include the physicality of water so that people would understand the effects of having a conversation with ChatGPT”, explains Jenninger.

Information Without Losing Hope – A Delicate Line

Should advocacy aim to bring about change by presenting hard-hitting facts and alarming scenarios, or should it focus on creating hope?

Cathy Ellington was part of a group project delving into the subject of fast fashion and its drain on freshwater resources. The aim of the concept Draped in Water was to create an emotional experience where the user connects with water yet is confronted with the damages our clothing choices have on natural landscapes.

According to Ellington, giving information without creating hopelessness is a delicate line. Yet in general making people emotionally connected through art has a huge impact.

After moving through a narrow corridor and experiencing an abstract film about water and the clothing industry, the audience is given leaflets filled with numbers. The eye-capturing designs on the other side aim to subliminally convey the installation’s message by using common warning signs and a large number that intrigues one to ponder its meaning. The other side of the leaflet is filled with statistics that become clearer after experiencing the film; the numbers take on an emotional meaning that they wouldn’t have otherwise.

“How do we marry the leaflet and the film? There are so many numbers in the leaflet. Only watching them your mind would just switch off. My mind would switch off. My brain needs something more than numbers – we are emotional creatures”, reflects Ellington.

Experiences from Around the World

Not only did the summer school bring together tools from multiple disciplines, but the attendees also came from around the globe. Echoing in the conversations with the students and tutors was the impact of bringing together the views of people from different backgrounds and experiences. 

According to Savyasachi, one of the tutors, the different experiences brought up diverse ways of approaching the theme. Does one connect water to drought or flooding? Are swimming and water games the first things that come to mind?

The different perspectives highlight just how present water is in our lives, albeit in vastly different ways. Yet all of us humans rely on it.

“Many of us take water for granted. We need water to live – we are literally made of it”, Jenninger points out.

Living by the Baltic Sea, we are surrounded by water in many forms. We go to a steaming hot sauna, enjoy a refreshing cold plunge, and scrape off the ice covering our windscreen on a frosty morning. Do we truly understand the ever-present role of it?

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Experience the Projects

Embodied Water exhibition in Otaniemi, 6 September – 3 October

As part of the Helsinki Design Week you can experience an installation based on the documentation produced by the summer school participants. It is produced by Heidi Ulappa, a designer and coordinator of the summer school. Paasivuorenkatu 3, Helsinki, free entry.

Further Reading

Blog Post

The Baltic Sea is Crying for Help – Does Anyone Hear? 

29.8.2024

Press release

New Book Reveals: Damages of the War Are Still Visible in the Baltic Sea

20.8.2024

Blog Post

From Baltic Sea to Arctic Ice: Sailing the Northwest Passage

14.6.2024

From Baltic Sea to Arctic Ice: Sailing the Northwest Passage

Author / Arctic Correspondent

Sohvi Kangasluoma
Postdoctoral Researcher at Arctic Centre,
University of Lapland

When you look at the world from a boat, the conceptual difference between terrestrial and oceanic blurs and becomes messy. The world map seems very different when, instead of the green part, the blue part is your home. With a train, when walking, or with a car one focuses on the roads, paths, cities, mountains, and rivers of the map. From a boat, the blue parts, shallows, rocks, bays, and the vast oceans are the features that mean everything.

Our journey to become ocean creatures began from the shores of the Baltic Sea, our home. It has taken us to the Barents Sea in northern Norway, to Svalbard, to North Atlantic in the Faroes and Iceland, and now finally to the northern Pacific and the cold waters of Alaska. We live in our sailboat, Lumi. This summer, we will attempt to return to the Atlantic via the notorious Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage is a waterway connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic, stretching from the Bering Strait to Baffin Bay, traversing above North America. From Seward, Alaska where we are now to the coast of Greenland is about 5000 miles. The route is situated in the Inuit Nunangat, homeland of the Inuit. Most of the year the route is completely frozen.

We are not the first Finns to enter this demanding region with a sailboat; before us, there have been at least two brave sailboats traversing this icy route. However, the passage belongs to the kingdom of ice, and ice alone decides whether the passage is possible in a given year.

Ice, or the melting of it, is one of the reasons the Arctic is under a lot of international attention. Ice also connects our dear home, the Baltic Sea, and the seas we will be traversing. While the role of ice in the Baltic Sea is not discussed as extensively in the media as the ice cover of the north, the melting of the sea ice is a tragedy both for the Arctic Ocean and for the Baltic Sea. Ice is not static: it moves, melts, freezes, changes – ice acts. Sea ice helps to cool the polar regions by reflecting sunlight into space; it provides a home for mammals such as walruses and seals; sea ice protects the coast from erosion; sea ice releases nutrients into the water and stimulates the growth of phytoplankton; it contributes to the ocean circulation. In addition, sea ice has important meanings for the local, human communities.

In my research at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, I am focusing on the role and agency of ice in the changing Arctic landscapes. During our passage, I will be conducting observations and interviews about the power and meaning of ice in these northern sea routes. Juho Karhu, my partner, will be documenting our voyage visually. In the next months, we will be posting greetings also to the John Nurminen Foundation webpage and social media.

A sailor, Adam Nicholson once wrote: “If you hope the world is alive, then you should cast off and open the oceanic door” (Nicolson, 2004: 111). For the world to be alive, in all of its meanings, the oceans need to be healthy. As humans, sailors, and ocean creatures, enhancing the well-being of the environment is our responsibility. We are happy to join John Nurminen Foundation in their quest to protect the oceans.

Text: Sohvi Kangasluoma
Photos: Juho Karhu

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Arctic Correspondents

The arctic correspondents for John Nurminen Foundation bring insights and information of the northern waters from their journey through the Arctic landscapes.

Sohvi Kangasluoma is a postdoctoral researcher at Arctic Centre, University of Lapland.

Juho Karhu is an Arctic sailor and filmmaker, Alluring Arctic Sailing

Related Topics:

Blog Post

Water, Technology, Art and Design

13.9.2024

Blog Post

The Baltic Sea is Crying for Help – Does Anyone Hear? 

29.8.2024

Blog Post

The EU is bringing its wastewater targets into the 21st century

3.11.2022

Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2024 and John Nurminen Foundation in Collaboration: “Protecting the Baltic Sea is One of the Most Important Goals of the Event”

Lisätietoja

Johanna Suni Communications Manager

johanna.suni@jnfoundation.fi +358 40 515 4216

Marianna Saukkonen
Project Manager
The Tall Ships Races Helsinki
marianne.saukkonen@eventshelsinki.fi 
+358 40 334 7148 

The annual competition for large sailing ships, The Tall Ships Races, will be held in the Baltic Sea in the summer of 2024. The event lands in Helsinki on 4-7 July, 2024. The John Nurminen Foundation is the charity partner of the event. In addition, the Foundation cooperates in the event with The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Purjelaivakonttori and Perinnepurjehtijat ry.

The John Nurminen Foundation is the charity partner of the Tall Ships Races Helsinki event. The goal of the collaboration is to strengthen people’s knowledge on the state of the Baltic Sea and the conservation work as well as to offer event-goers and partner companies an opportunity to participate in the Baltic Sea conservation work by donating to the Foundation. 500,000 visitors are expected to the event in Helsinki.

“We are committed to responsibility, and the collaboration with the John Nurminen Foundation is one of our ways to communicate about the state of the Baltic Sea and the conservation work. We are also providing information to the youth sailors and ship crews and want to communicate the importance of protecting the Baltic Sea”, says Marianne Saukkonen, Project Manager of the event.

“The Baltic Sea is suffering from eutrophication, and the consequences are visible to those of us near the sea in summer as blue-green algae rafts. With the help of donations, our foundation can continue its work to reduce eutrophication and prevent nature loss. It is great that young people act as messengers of the welfare of the Baltic Sea and the importance of the sea during The Tall Ships Races”, says Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, CEO of the John Nurminen Foundation.

Strengthning the Youth’s Awareness of the Baltic Sea

Along with the event, the Foundation cooperates with Purjelaivakonttori and Perinnepurjehtijat ry. The ships of Purjelaivakonttori participate in the Tall Ships Races competition, and the Helsinki Perinnepurjehtijat ry acts as the voice of the youth and the preserver of traditional sailing culture. The John Nurminen Foundation is the patron in the collaboration and strengthens the sailors’ awareness of the Baltic Sea and the importance of protecting the sea. The goal is also to hear about the youth’s connection to the Baltic Sea, and their thoughts on protecting the marine environment.

Speeches and Information about the state of the Baltic Sea for the Visitors of the Event

In the event area of The Tall Ships Races, information about the Baltic Sea is shared by the Nature Association and the John Nurminen Foundation. On the program stages of The Tall Ships Races in Katajanokka and the City Hall, speeches will be heard about ways to save the Baltic Sea and about Baltic Sea identities.

Information about the Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2024 event

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The annual Tall Ships Races is a joint sailing event with a purpose of promoting the education and cooperation of young people, regardless of nationality, cultural background, religion and social background. More than 50 spectacular sailing ships and their crews will arrive at the Tall Ships Races Helsinki in July, in the area of ​​Eteläsatama, Kauppatori, Katajanokka, Kanavaranta and Pohjoisranta. The event offers a versatile program with live music, discussions and a program aimed at families with children.

Lue seuraavaksi

News

Tommi Juusela Becomes the New Chair of the Board of the John Nurminen Foundation

22.3.2024

News

Unique Virtual Experience Showcases the Work of the John Nurminen Foundation

15.3.2024

News

Tallink Silja Line Continues Its Work to Protect the Baltic Sea

21.2.2024