People

University of Turku, Finland
Contacts: Pekka Räsenen, Professor of Economic Sociology: pekras@utu.fi, and Atte Oksanen, Docent of Sociology: atjook@utu.fi. 

Atte Oksanen has studied the wellbeing of young people in changing cultural and societal situations. His doctoral dissertation in social psychology (2006, University of Tampere, Finland) explored violent and vulnerable identities in contemporary culture. Oksanen’s research interests and projects have centered on the fields of social psychology, sociology and cultural studies. He has published in a variety of areas including youth studies, drugs and alcohol use, mass shootings, and cultural studies. Oksanen is is currently working as senior researcher at the National Research Institute of Legal Policy. He has received docentships at the Universities of Tampere (2008), Turku (2011) and Helsinki (2011). He recently led the Emil Aaltonen funded research project Everyday Life and Insecurity, together with Professor Pekka Räsänen. Currently Oksanen and Räsänen are leading a Kone Foundation Project Hate Communities: An International Comparison.

Pekka Räsänen is a professor of economic sociology in the Department of Social Research at the University of Turku, Finland. He has studied consumer behavior, mass violence and media, and attitudes towards various welfare issues for more than ten years. Räsänen has experience in comparative research methods and in analyzing large-scale quantitative data. He has published widely in international scholarly journals. He recently completed a project analyzing the social responses to mass violence in two Finnish towns that experienced school shootings.  His current research focuses on how new information technology influences modern life, including how online hate groups operate and influence youth.  He has also conducted extensive research on ICT use, new media, and ageing.

Voice for Community Organization (VCO/Rwanda)
Contact: Innocent Masore: vcorwanda@gmail.com, musorebita@gmail.com
Head Office: Remera/ Gisimenti, Rwanda -- Tel: 0788436774, 0728436774

VCO /Rwanda is a Non-Governmental Organization legally registered to operate in Rwanda since 2008. VCO operates in different districts countrywide and seeks to make positive behavioral and attitudinal changes. Their mission is to end and prevent gender-based oppression and promote peacebuilding through advocacy and transformational development programs. Tolerance and acceptance are taught through community dialogue. Men and women participate equally in these processes; however, VCO especially seeks to engage men and boys to promote positive change in their communities, opposing gender-based violence, as well as teaching HIV prevention, nutrition, and Community Health. VCO also advocates for the rights of two of the most vulnerable populations: children and sex workers. Project activities include educational workshops with men and women, young boys and girls, and local authorities and stakeholders to address some of the biggest societal factors driving gender inequalities and community conflicts through active and non-discriminatory engagement.

The Springhouse Community School  -- http://springhousecommunityschool.org/
Contact: Jenny Finn: jenny@springhousecommunityschool.org  (540) 745-4673
188A EcoVillage Trail NE,  Floyd, VA  240starting point to learn concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and other subjects. With an emphasis on hands-on, real-world learning experiences, this approach increases achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their community, enhances students' appreciation for the natural world, and creates a heightened commitment to serving as active citizens."