The CBC’s Emma Godmere travelled to Finland to find out what Canada can learn about security and defence from one of its newest NATO allies. Her reporting was supported by the R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship.

Helsinki

Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, has heightened its focus on national security since joining NATO. The Finnish approach, known as comprehensive security, involves not only military readiness but also widespread civilian participation in preparedness measures. Citizens are encouraged to be ready for various emergencies, from power outages to potential military threats, and are familiar with local bomb shelters and emergency supplies. This mindset is deeply rooted in Finnish society, shaped by historical conflicts with Russia and reinforced by government policy. The Finnish model emphasizes that every individual has a role in national defense, a concept that may offer lessons for other countries.

The threat next door: How Finns prepare for a Russian attack

We keep hearing about how tensions around the world are ratcheting up. There's war in Europe, and superpowers are flexing their military muscle. One place where people are very aware of this? Here in Finland. Finland shares a 1,300-kilometer-long border with Russia, NATO's longest with Russia since Finland joined the military alliance two years ago. Now, two years later, Finns are more straightforward than ever about the threat that they see just beyond that fence. We have to take it very, very seriously, this threat that Russia is posing, and simply, I think we owe it to our children and our grandchildren that we step up now significantly. But in this country, defense and security go far beyond the army and the border. There's a concept here called comprehensive security. The very foundations of our security are resting on the fact that the individual citizens are keenly aware of the need for security and defense and are prepared to do their share. One is for water. Every level in this society works with preparedness. We talk about situation, disturbances in the society. We don't talk about necessarily the war at all. We talk about power outage, water outage, normal situations that can happen any day. Finns know where their nearest bomb shelters are. They have enough food and water to survive at home for 72 hours on their own, and many have iodine pills ready to go in case of a nuclear attack. And when we get the message from the government or the military, like, we really need to seriously start preparing, then we just change the message, like, now you really need to have the crap back and be ready that you know where your shelter is. Comprehensive security is baked into government legislation, but also deeply embedded in the Finnish mindset, thanks to history and geography. Only a couple of generations ago, next-door neighbor Russia waged war on Finland. But it's that sense that everyone has a role to play, that everyone has a stake in the security of their country that could be worthwhile for allies like Canada to pay attention to.

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Breakdown