The peak of the woke phenomenon has already passed, for example, in the United States. As evidence of this, many companies have begun removing the peculiar features inspired by the movement from their operations.
In Finland, however, woke activism continues, as demonstrated by a recent debate concerning daycare centers in Turku. It so happened that Turku’s Deputy Mayor, Piia Elo (Social Democrats), expressed her opinion that a popular board game from the 1950s, The Star of Africa ("Afrikan Tähti" in Finnish), should be removed from daycare centers.
The game is set in colonial-era Africa, where players search for a mythical diamond while traveling across the continent’s map on foot, by boat, and by airplane. Along the way, they discover treasures of monetary value but occasionally fall victim to white bandits.
Deputy Mayor Elo made her suggestion after the issue was raised by Paco Diop, an alternate council member representing the far-left (Left Alliance) in Turku. He pointed out that the game’s cover illustration depicts a stereotypical African figure characteristic of the colonial era.
Fortunately, not all Turku residents are as misguided as Elo or Diop. The Mayor of Turku, Minna Arve, correctly noted that The Star of Africa is a game developed in the 1950s. She explained that "It is a product of its time, and its illustrations and themes reflect the worldview of that era. Some of the imagery does not align with today’s values, and it’s worthwhile to discuss how to address such matters when teaching children how to play."
However, she added, "I consider it excessive to suddenly start removing games. I understand Deputy Mayor Piia Elo’s perspective, but I think the reaction was hasty, and I do not support political directives to daycare centers regarding individual games—for me, that is not the right approach."
Time will tell whether the words of Turku’s woke-inspired Deputy Mayor carry more weight than those of the pragmatic Mayor. For my part, I would like to say that the game is enjoyable to play with children—most of whom enjoy it—and provides educators with an opportunity for the kind of social interaction with kids that digital platforms cannot offer. At the same time, educators can, if they wish, teach children about the dark history of the imperialist era.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Three Islamists Arrested in Finland on Suspicion of Belonging to a Terrorist Group
Eurovision Song Contest Funding Faces Pushback Due to Woke Ideology
Finland’s Minister of Finance Believes Not All Cultures Are Equally Good
If an African says to a Finnish politician :"Jump", the Finnish politician asks only:"How high?"
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