Aland Islands
Fanette Goehl
AIED is a very rare disease originally reported in a family from Aland islands in the Bothnia sea. Some other cases from the Baltic area and other origins have been reported but the clinical features of these cases overlap with X-linked incomplete congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB2; see this term).
This venue, if plans come to pass, will act as a central point tying the whole experience/experiment together, and serve as a venue both to large scale tournaments as well as a meeting point for players from far and abroad to set out on various wild adventures on the thousands of little islands and islets that dot the horizon as far as the spotter can see.
Amid myriad little islands that set the scene with stunning backdrops hewn out of wood-lined fairways, greens that fall into the shining sea, and smooth boulder faces that skip your disc into the heart of the chains or out into the briny maw of the ocean, the Åland islands, led by entrepreneur extraordinaire Mats Adamczak, have executed something truly remarkable in a short amount of time: an archipelago spanning resort fully dedicated to disc golf that caters to every level and preference of play.
But first, just some basic information. The Åland Islands are an archipelago of 6500 islands, of which only 60 are inhabited, located halfway between Sweden and Finland in the Baltic Sea. Due to its location and past, Åland is an autonomous province with its own government, and interestingly enough Swedish is the only official language. These are just a few of some cool facts about the Aland Islands.
The physical situation of Åland also played a part. "'Islandness' has its own specificity," said Åkermark. Islanders have to accept the duality of needing a measure of self-sufficiency while also being dependent on the lands surrounding them, which perhaps makes them more ready to accept compromise. "This is probably one explanation why many territorial autonomies are islands," said Åkermark. "In the particular Åland case, the islands "are a bridge between the Swedish speaking cultural world to the west [Sweden] and the east [Swedish-speaking Finland]. So, this bridging function is rather characteristic to Åland, I believe."
Since the early 1990s, as the end of the Cold War brought hopes for long-lasting peace and security, Åland has been known as the "islands of peace". It's "a way to market the Åland Islands," said Roger Nordlund, who is a member of the Åland Parliament, on its Autonomy Committee and chair of the AIPI board. But, "it's not for our own sake that we're using [the term], we use it because we want other regions to have this good situation that we have now."
There's certainly been interest. Åland's unique situation has been examined as a potential solution to conflict by politicians and researchers everywhere from Israel/Palestine and Aceh/Indonesia to Zanzibar/Tanzania and beyond. As well as providing inspiration, Åland also provides a neutral setting for opposing parties to meet. In the early 1990s, for example, the AIPI brought young people from Northern Ireland to the islands, which, said Åkermark, allowed "different sides to meet each other, which had not been possible in Northern Ireland". The AIPI facilitated discussions ahead of what then became the Good Friday Agreement. One of the key figures in the agreement, former Finnish prime minister Harri Holkeri, later spoke of how important the Åland example had been to his efforts in the negotiations.
"There is a spirit of caring and support among people," Laurell said of the islands and villages of Åland. That the Åland section of the St Olav Waterway was built by volunteers is not unusual: islanders are often busy with volunteer work. With a population of just 30,000, Åland is home to more than 370 registered associations, from sporting to cultural and environmental associations.
Besides the feeling of pride it instills in most Ålanders, celebrating 100 years of the Åland Example is a reminder that it can still be relevant to the islands today. Locally, there's an energy around finding solutions to tackle the climate crisis, which, as an archipelago, is a major concern for Åland, according to Åkermark. One prominent example is the Åland Index, created by the Bank of Åland to calculate the individual carbon footprint of every credit card transaction.
She believes that finding solutions to the climate crisis may be a fitting focus for channelling the energy of the Åland Example: "We need to find the next step of where to concentrate the willfulness, so to speak, of the islands. You don't discard the old part; you just add another layer."
In August, Laura and I met in Helsinki and traveled west to explore the Åland Islands. These islands are autonomous, demilitarized, and technically belong to Finland, but almost all the local residents speak Swedish.
von Willebrand's disease (VWD) is probably the most common bleeding disorder, with some studies indicating that up to 1% of the population may have the condition. Over recent years interest in VWD has fallen compared to that of haemophilia, partly the result of focus on blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Now the time has come to revisit VWD, and in view of this some 60 international physicians with clinical and scientific interest in VWD met over 4 days in 2010 in the Åland islands to discuss state-of-the-art issues in the disease. The Åland islands are where Erik von Willebrand had first observed a bleeding disorder in a number of members of a family from Föglö, and 2010 was also the 140th anniversary of his birth. This report summarizes the main papers presented at the symposium; topics ranged from genetics and biochemistry through to classification of VWD, pharmacokinetics and laboratory assays used in the diagnosis of the disease, inhibitors, treatment guidelines in different age groups including the elderly who often have comorbid conditions that present challenges, and prophylaxis. Other topics included managing surgeries in patients with VWD and the role of FVIII in VWF replacement, a controversial subject.
When Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917, the Åland islanders feared for their Swedish language and culture and mobilized for a reunion with Sweden. In the Middle Ages the Åland archipelago was a province of Sweden. Ecclesiastically the islands belonged to the diocese of Abo (Turku) in Finland, and so the province was lost to Russia in 1809. The issue was finally settled by the League of Nations in 1921. The islands were to be a part of Finland, but they were to enjoy autonomy.
The revised autonomy act (1991) for the Åland Islands gave the autonomy authorities increased powers to pass legislation concerning the use of the Åland flag, especially as concerns its use at sea. Making use of these powers, the legislative assembly of Aland passed a flag law, approved by the president of Finland on 3. August 1992 and published in Mariehamn 13. August 1992, that made the Aland flag into a civil ensign. The flag act took effect on 1. January 1993. The use of the Åland civil ensign is optional, and thus only an alternative to the Finnish civil ensign for vessels belonging in the islands.
A small region in Finland that is primarily Swedish speaking, Aland is made up of over 6500 islands, with the largest island Fasta Aland being home to 90% of the population. Located in the Baltic Sea, Aland is the perfect place to visit to see a rich coastal and mountainous area, as well as a rich culture, and with its perfect location right between Sweden and Finland, getting to and from Aland has never been easier. With up to 182 ferries running per week across 10 different routes, provided by 4 separate operators, there are plenty of ferries to Aland to choose from, running from Sweden, Finland, and Estonia, so book now with Direct Ferries, to find the best ferry at the best price for you.
Tallink Silja cruise ferries from Helsinki, Turku, Stockholm and Tallinn make a stop at Åland Islands. Choose a departure which suits you the best and combine an eventful cruise with visiting unique and picturesque Åland islands.
Planning the trail is a little trickier than in the Finnish archipelago, as there are fewer accommodation options, especially out in the far ends of the Åland Islands. We were a bit limited in time, so we decided to spend a bit more time out in the further islands of Kökar and Sottunga, and explore as much as we could in those days. A lot of the journey is done with the ferries, which takes quite a bit of time, but secretly was kinda my favourite part of the trip.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP, Denmark), through Copenhagen Energy Islands, Lhyfe (Nantes, France) and Flexens (Helsinki, Filand), have jointly launched the Åland Energy Island project. This project will integrate large-scale offshore wind generation and hydrogen production. The ambition is to develop large-scale hydrogen production on Åland integrated with gigawatt-scale offshore wind in Åland waters for use in this on these islands and in the wider European region, supporting energy security and decarbonization.
A few months ago, I left Stockholm, Sweden. There, again, the ship awaited me. This time, it would lead me to Mariehamn, the largest city in the Åland islands. When I disembarked on the Finnish islands, my long-awaited return to the Baltic Sea would finally be realized. I left almost fifteen years ago, and since then I have never forgotten it.
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