HYY’s speech at the reception of May Day 2024

Petra Pulli, Vice Chair of HYY’s Board, gave the traditional May Day speech at Ullanlinnanmäki on 1 May 2024. The photo is from 2022.

Hyvät kuulijat, bästa lyssnare, dear listeners

May Day is a time for joy and celebration. Some of us celebrate the arrival of spring. Others celebrate the labour movement whose actions have provided us with financial stability and sufficient free time for things like joy and celebration. Yet others celebrate the student movement, which has fought to ensure that we students have the right to joy even during our studies. We students also celebrate the student community!

Whatever you are celebrating today, I hope that all of us are able to take a moment for joy during the day.

In the current global situation, however, even amid this joyful celebration, my thoughts go out to those who have no room for joy in their lives and to those whose lives are filled with hurry, sorrow or worry over the safety, health or livelihood of themselves or their loved ones. When worries take over your mind, there is no room left for joy. It is difficult for people to celebrate when they are worried about something.

I wish that all of us had the right to joy.

We want to thank Finnish decision-makers for worrying about the future of our country. Hope for the future is important to us. In the future, we hope that our society guarantees that every one of us has the right to joy. We hope for a future in which joy is not just a privilege of the few. However, we also hope that this society of the future is not built at the expense of our rights, the rights of future generations.

The Student Union of the University of Helsinki wishes all of you a May Day filled with joy!

Glada vappen!

Happy mayday!

Petra Pulli
Vice chair of HYY’s board