This may come as a surprise to some. Article content

After all, Finland ranks high in global well-being indices, and Helsinki is held up as a model city. Article content

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As I learned during our Healthy Cities study tour, even the most functional societies still grapple with hardship. The difference is how they respond.

In Finland, food insecurity exists – but people do not go hungry. That is because where official government reach ends, community action begins. Gaps are not ignored. They are filled by networks of mutual aid: local volunteers, faith-rooted service groups, and food rescue organizations working side-by-side with the city. The city does not hinder beyond its own work. The city facilitates and sometimes co-ordinates.

In earlier articl

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