Ritva Kara / Portti

Necklace: Silver, enamel, jasper, aventurine, carnelian, and silver beads

The design process and interpretation of Fardoos’ life story began by exploring the significance of Syrian history, culture, and her journey of becoming part of Finnish society. Her love for her culture and her life in Finland are both deeply important to her. I created nine different designs, and Fardoos chose the Portti necklace. She wanted a piece that would support her identity. The aesthetic of the design reflects, through symbolism, her life, dreams, and values. I didn’t fully explain all the messages in the design during the sketch phase, but I believe she intuitively understood them when she selected this concept.

Fardoos has passed through many gates toward change. Damascus is a beloved place for her, which is reflected in the necklace's design. She wanted the materials to include metal, glass, and stone, and the piece to be quite large, bold, diverse, ornate, colorful, and shiny. When I asked what kind of necklace would represent her, she answered that it should be inspiring, bright, beautiful, colorful, and reflective of her values.

Syria was once part of the Babylonian Empire, and brown and blue are the colors of Babylon's Ishtar Gate. Blue symbolizes harmony, trust, and sympathy, while brown represents peace and security. Numerology has influenced architecture for thousands of years, and the upper arch of the necklace features 11 dots, symbolizing intuition, insight, and enlightenment. Surrounding the main gate are 21 stone beads, representing achievements, decisions, and success. The symbolic meanings of the numbers and colors align with Fardoos’ values, thoughts, and aspirations for an equal and balanced life. Behind the enamel of the blue gate, two rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, can be seen flowing through Syria. The background also includes musical notes, symbolizing the path to music, one of Fardoos' cherished hobbies. The drop on top of the blue gate represents joy, sorrow, and enlightenment.

The necklace is supported by aventurine, carnelian, and silver beads, forming a circle of continuity. The blue aventurine beads represent Finnishness, while the orange carnelians symbolize Syrian cultural heritage, vitality, courage, determination, joy, passion, and motivation. The strand of 10 silver beads adds shine, and the number 10 symbolizes a new beginning, independence, achievements, and leadership. My creative process flowed intuitively toward strong symbolism after discussing Fardoos’ story.

Fardoos Helal

I am originally from Syria. In 2006, I married my husband, who has lived in Finland for over 35 years. In 2008, I received a visa to Finland. At that time, I thought I would visit Finland, do some shopping, and then return to Syria, where my family, friends, and relatives lived.

In Syria, I worked for 14 years as a health inspector at the Ministry of Health. Alongside this, I ran my own hairdressing business for seven years, employing four people. In January 2009, I decided to move to Finland. However, when I was planning to return to Syria, the war started, and I had to stay in Finland.

Equality means treating all people fairly and offering them the same opportunities, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristics.

Experiences of equality can be positive when I feel I have been treated fairly and without discrimination or prejudice. This can create a safe and supportive environment where everyone can reach their potential.

On the other hand, a lack of equality can lead to negative experiences such as discrimination, insults, and unfair treatment. A person might feel undervalued or unrecognized in their community, which can impact self-esteem and well-being. I strive to influence societal issues through politics and improve the status of immigrant women in Finland.

Unfortunately, I have faced some insults and injustices during my life in Finland, but this hasn’t stopped me from moving forward. These experiences haven’t weakened my principles and values, which guide both my work and my personal life. Although I cannot change the world alone, it’s important to me that my values remain steadfast.

My background, including my culture, family relationships, financial situation, and life experiences, significantly influences how I live my daily life. I’ve adopted certain norms and values that reflect in my daily actions and decisions. My lifestyle, including my eating habits and leisure activities, has been shaped by my background. My socio-economic background affects the resources available to me and how I meet my daily needs. It also plays a role in shaping my social relationships and the support networks I have.

Here are some essential steps toward a better Finland, and each of us can contribute to these goals as part of the community:

- Strive for equal treatment and justice for all.

- Improve the quality and accessibility of education.

- Actively combat climate change and promote sustainable development.

- Strengthen social security and provide quality healthcare.

- Promote cultural diversity and tolerance.

- Encourage innovation and technology use to drive economic growth and create new jobs.

I am the mother of three school-aged children. Currently, I work at Vamos Diakonissalaitos, where I support young foreign-speaking individuals aged 16–29 in moving forward in life. In recent years, I have worked in various social service roles with clients from immigrant backgrounds. I am also studying to become an interpreter at Diak University of Applied Sciences.

I am currently a deputy city councilor in Helsinki and a member of the city's Cultural and Leisure Committee's culture and library subcommittee.

I volunteered as an ambassador for the Ecumenical Responsibility Week in fall 2021. That year, the campaign's theme was human rights defenders. The Ecumenical Responsibility Week is a thematic human rights campaign by the churches, coordinated by the Finnish Ecumenical Council. Each year, the campaign reaches around 1.5 million Finns.

In my free time, I lead Shaam ry, an organization I founded, and the Haneen Suomi choir. I have been singing since I was a child. Shaam ry aims to support the cultural and recreational activities of immigrants, particularly from Arab countries, and to improve their well-being and participation in Finland.

"Haneen" means nostalgia and longing in Finnish. I founded the choir because I want to promote women's right to express themselves in their own way. The choir sings traditional songs from Arab countries, mainly from Syria, but it has other purposes beyond singing: it strengthens the friendships among its members, provides psychological support, and eases the tension caused by life crises. The choir helps Arabic-speaking women integrate into society. We believe in the power of the group, so we are part of the Haneen Choir Network, which sings worldwide.

It is important to me to be actively involved in my new environment:

- Learning the language: My proficiency in Finnish helps me communicate and adapt.

- Work and education: Employment and education open up new opportunities for me.

- Social networks: Meeting new people provides me with support and a sense of community.

- Cultural understanding: The encounter between Finnish and my own cultures helps me adapt.

- Self-worth: Valuing my identity and strengths is important to me.

- Understanding rights and responsibilities: Knowing my role and duties helps me participate in society.

As an immigrant, I have multiple identities shaped by factors such as my original culture, nationality, language, religion, profession, and personal experiences. My identity is individual and multifaceted, and it can evolve with life situations and over time. It may include different perspectives, contradictions, and connections to both my original and new homelands. It influences how I see myself and how I want to be understood and accepted in my community.

The values that are most important to me are those elements of life that I consider meaningful and valuable:

- Honesty: I emphasize truthfulness, openness, and sincerity in all interactions.

- Respect: I value respecting and appreciating other people and their perspectives.

- Fairness: I prioritize equality and fairness in all situations and aim to treat others justly.

- Responsibility: I am aware of the consequences of my actions and take responsibility for my life and behavior.

- Compassion: I emphasize my ability to understand and empathize with others and my willingness to help and support them when needed.

- Fairness: I emphasize honesty and justice in all interactions and aim to treat others equally.

- Love: I emphasize warmth, care, and kindness towards others and strive to promote positive relationships.

Links to things important to Fardoos:

- Haneen Network

- [Person of the Year 2022, Arab Community in Finland](https://suapress.com/archives/81227?fbclid=IwAR3K4nF9GtuFbajMey7XRx9uJOUBT2kXaQ4EJq8nahgP6zX7vq7_3muWTQ)

- [Mother's Day Honor 2023](https://youtu.be/Z5ayuSZDZb8?si=IJJqLAc1g0XejmOT) (video translated into Finnish)

- Choir News