Committee of Young Advocates

The Committee of Young Advocates is an advisory body that coordinates the activities of the Network of Young Advocates and participates in the organisation’s development work to increase the influence of young people. 

The committee is tasked with:

• coordinating and developing the activities of the Network of Young Advocates;
• advocating for the members and volunteers of the organisation under the age of 29, e.g. by distributing proposals and opinions by the Network of Young Advocates and commenting on matters that are important to young people;
• organising the Youth Meeting and Youth Assembly; and
• representing the young people of the Finnish Red Cross.

Because the committee is appointed by the Finnish Red Cross, the Board may assign other tasks to the committee.

The selection of the Committee of Young Advocates and its tasks are defined in the Work Instructions for the Finnish Red Cross Network of Young Advocates (2026), approved by the organisation's Board. 

Application for the Committee of Young Advocates for the 2027–2029

The term of office of the Committee of Young Advocates is three years. The committee to be appointed in autumn 2026 will support the implementation of the Finnish Red Cross Strategic Priorities 2027–2029. Young people selected to the committee are expected to commit to active participation throughout the entire strategic period.

Applications for the committee are open from 7 to 20 September 2026. Applications can be submitted through this Lyyti form.

The Board of the Finnish Red Cross is expected to decide on the establishment and mandate of the committee at its November 2026 meeting. Applicants will be informed about the progress of the selection process by email during the autumn. The appointed committee will be published on this page by the end of 2026.

Selection Criteria

The committee is particularly looking for individuals who are enthusiastic about developing innovative and impactful solutions for carrying out the committee’s tasks and who have the ability to implement ideas developed within the committee and the Network of Young Advocates. The aim is to build a committee whose members’ expertise and areas of interest complement one another.

A person selected to the committee must:

• be a member of the Finnish Red Cross under the age of 29 and fulfil the eligibility requirements for elected representatives defined in our statutes (Section 20),
• be familiar with Red Cross activities and have experience in responsible volunteer roles,
• have the interest and ability to carry out the committee’s mandate in cooperation with the other committee members,
• commit to serving as an active committee member throughout the Strategic Priorities period 2027–2029,
• be able to work in Finnish, and
• be a member of the Network of Young Advocates.

Committee Work

In accordance with the Work Instructions for the Network of Young Advocates, the Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross decides on the proposed composition and tasks of the committee and presents them to the Board for approval. Following the Board’s decision, the committee will organize itself by electing a Vice-Chair from among its members and assigning suitable areas of responsibility to its members. The Board Vice-Chair under the age of 29 serves as Chair of the committee.

Meeting dates and meeting practices are agreed jointly by the committee members. The committee works both face-to-face and remotely. Membership of the committee requires participation in committee meetings as well as independent small-group work between meetings. The working language of the committee is Finnish.

Participation in the committee’s work is free of charge. Travel and accommodation expenses incurred through participation in committee activities are reimbursed in accordance with the Finnish Red Cross guidelines on volunteer expense reimbursements. No meeting fees or daily allowances are paid for participation in committee activities.

Committee members have the opportunity to take on a challenging but rewarding role in influencing and promoting youth participation within the Finnish Red Cross. Service on the committee provides experience in organisational advocacy and democracy, teamwork and networking. Membership of the committee also supports opportunities to apply for local, regional and national positions of trust within the Red Cross and other organisations.

 

The selection process is prepared by a youth working group elected by the 2026 Youth General Assembly, together with Taika Vaulo, the Finnish Red Cross Board Vice-Chair under the age of 29, who will serve as Chair of the committee.

Further Information

• Taika Vaulo, Chair of the Committee of Young Advocates, taika.vaulo@redcross.fi  
• Kirsi Lehtola, Youth Activities Coordinator, kirsi.lehtola@redcross.fi