Strength and solidarity in the face of global change
Insights|June 26, 2025
The Agnes Lundell Society, founded to honor Finland’s first female lawyer, recently hosted its traditional summer event. With a focus on mentorship, democracy, and global power dynamics, the gathering brought together professionals from law, diplomacy, and civil society to explore the role of individuals in shaping a resilient future.
The event opened with a stirring performance by Ukrainian artist Iryna Bilyk, who sang I Will Survive – a song she arranged in Kyiv during an air raid. Her message to Roschier underscored the urgency of Europe’s strength in the face of global uncertainty and conflict.
Welcoming participants, Johanna Lilja introduced a new pilot mentoring program by the Agnes Lundell Society aimed at supporting women’s professional development. She set the stage for the day’s themes: shifting geopolitics, democracy in decline, and the importance of international engagement.
The first keynote speaker, Kristiina Helenius – former head of AmCham Finland and a former Finnish diplomat to the U.S. – shared insights from her diplomatic career and her current work in Washington. She reflected on how her posting to the U.S. began just six days before 9/11, a moment that reshaped her understanding of global affairs. Today, she said, geopolitics has once again become the defining issue of our time.
Kristiina described a sobering reality: democracy is weaker than it has been in decades. More people now live under autocratic rule than democratic governance. Freedom is shrinking, and polarization, disinformation, and authoritarianism are on the rise. Yet she also noted the resilience of democratic systems – through peaceful power transitions and civil society’s tireless defense of fundamental rights.
She talked about the concern over the authoritarian trends emerging in the U.S. itself. The diversity that once gave the country its strength is now being challenged. At the same time, China is rapidly advancing its global ambitions – militarily, technologically, and ideologically. Kristiina argued that China’s long-term strategy to become the world’s dominant power is more developed than most realize. While the U.S. retreats from global leadership, China expands its influence. These themes are explored in depth in the book Kiinan maailma she co-authored with her husband Mika Hentunen, which examines how China’s strategic rise is reshaping the global order and how the West is inadvertently enabling it.
Finally, she pointed to five indicators worth watching:
- Who leads in technology
- Control of raw materials
- The role of the U.S. dollar
- Alignment of the Global South
- Leadership in the green economy
The second keynote came from Kirsi Komi – a respected board professional and legal expert – who shared her experience with Caravan to Ukraine, an initiative that delivers aid directly to areas affected by the war. After the first invasion, Kirsi began following the news closely and donating to charity, but soon felt compelled to do more. She joined the Caravan after a neighbor mentioned it and has since completed three trips, the most recent to Lviv.
She explained how the initiative works. Caravan accepts donations – large or small – and uses the funds to purchase a used vehicle, which is then serviced and filled with supplies specifically requested by the Ukrainian recipient organization. Caravan volunteers drive the vehicle to the city of Lviv, Ukraine, where it is handed over to the Ukrainian organization. You can also sponsor and create your own fundraising project under the Caravan umbrella. Sponsoring one vehicle with supplies typically costs around €25,000. So far, the initiative has raised over €2 million. Her story served as a powerful reminder that personal action can make a lasting difference.
The event closed as it began, with music from Iryna. Her final song, Helsinki, offered a tribute to the host city and left the audience with a resonant sense of shared purpose, resilience, and hope.