OUR LIFE
IN A MENTAL CRISIS.
A crisisthe root causes are in a society that feeds insecurity. The performance society based on continuous enhancement, consumption and competition is exhausting more and more of us. In addition to humans, it is consuming our home planet. We must both offer better help and get rid of structures that produce nausea. We need a policy that creates hope and security.
Get to know the election themes by clicking on the titles below:
MENTAL HEALTH
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Our social and health services are collapsing due to long-term under-resourcing. Mental health and substance abuse problems have increased exponentially, but it is almost impossible to get help. We humanize mental health and substance abuse policy and save social and health services.
MENTAL HEALTH TOUCHES EVERYONE
Almost every Finn faces mental health problems at some point in his life. Good mental health is not just the absence of problems, but the basis of everyone's well-being. Mental health disorders are by far the biggest health threat among young people: already one in three students experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. Mental health and coping problems are indeed a new national disease. Still, getting help is often made impossible.
Only 5% of healthcare spending is spent on mental health, even though mental health disorders are already the most common cause of disability pensions and long sick leaves. People getting sick to the point of being unable to function ruins the economy, which is illustrated by the 11 billion annual costs caused by mental health problems. Good mental health is created in relation to the environment and society, and therefore all politics are mental health politics. Mental health problems must be prevented at all levels of society. At the same time, we have to reform the system that produces mental health services.
Ways to improve mental health services:
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The Therapy Guarantee is implemented: free short-term therapy must be accessed within one month of establishing the need. The availability of long rehabilitation psychotherapies will also be secured.
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Let's make psychotherapy training free of charge and two-tiered (qualification for short and long rehabilitative psychotherapies separately).
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Statutory student support (psychological and curatorial services) will be expanded to early childhood education and higher education institutions.
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Ensuring the smooth availability of school psychologists and curators and transition to welfare areas.
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A preliminary assessment of the mental health effects of decisions will be introduced.
DRUG PROBLEMS CANNOT BE PUNISHED
Increasing mental health problems are also manifested as increasing substance abuse problems. Drugs are often easier to get than mental health treatment: for many, using substances is an attempt to self-medicate one's own bad feelings. The harshest result is that Finland has relatively the highest number of drug-related deaths among young people in Europe. These deaths are preventable with a more humane mental health and substance abuse policy. That's why it's time for politics to change.
Means for a humane and science-based substance abuse policy:
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Drug-related deaths to decrease with a long-term substance abuse policy: the goal is 0 drug-related deaths
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Drug use or a substance abuse problem must not be an obstacle to receiving mental health services
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Let's give up the criminalization of drug use: help is offered, not punishments
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Enabling drug use rooms to help the most vulnerable.
SAVE SOTE
Under-resourcing and policies leading to unfavorable outcomes can be seen not only in the lack of mental health services, but more broadly in the partial collapse of the entire social and healthcare system. This has been seen, for example, in the fact that even ambulances have not been able to get to the emergency room. A particularly weak tola has basic health care, which increases inequality and the impact of income differences on health. Health and well-being should be everyone's right, but a poor man lives an average of 10 years shorter in Finland than a well-off man. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the recession and cut services. On the contrary: we need to invest in them and stop the US trend where access to care depends on wealth and employment status. A strong investment in primary health care, low-threshold services and prevention also saves the need for more expensive specialized medical care.
Ways to save social and health care:
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We improve the availability and well-being of personnel by investing in better working conditions, pay and management.
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Let's secure the resources of the welfare areas by giving the welfare areas the right to tax. In this way, not only the funding of the welfare regions is secured, but also their right to self-determination.
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Let's introduce a personal physician model, which enables the permanence and continuity of care relationships.
ONLY 5% OF HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE IS USED FOR MENTAL HEALTH,
ALTHOUGH ITS DISRUPTIONS ARE ALREADY MOST COMMON IN UNEMPLOYMENT PENSIONS
AND THE REASON FOR LONG SICK LEAVES.
FINANCIAL
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The basis of a sustainable economy is well-being and able-bodied people.
That is why well-being at work is at the heart of economic and employment policy. We create conditions where everyone can work, study and be an entrepreneur without burning out. At the same time, we support those in need and secure everyone's livelihood with a basic income.
SHORT-SIGHTED CUTS TO SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION CAUSE COSTS
Cutting from the future is not the right way to balance the state budget deficit. Investments in health and education should be seen as investments instead of spending items, because they are fundamental prerequisites for doing work. Cutting back on these causes social malaise and incompetence, which is reflected in increased costs elsewhere, such as in specialized medical care for chronic ailments, disability pensions, and the services of the police, social care, judiciary and the Criminal Sanctions Office. It is particularly important to invest in the well-being of children and young people, because the feeling of basic security at the beginning of life is a significant predictor of future well-being.
BEING UNEMPLOYABLE WILL NOT FULFILL EMPLOYMENT GOALS
The aging of the population further increases the pressure on the contribution of the working-age population - an increasingly smaller group should survive in working life even longer. That is why well-being at work is the core of economic and employment policy. Our brains have not changed since the Stone Age, but the pace of life and the demands of work are constantly accelerating. This can be seen in the fact that mental health problems have become the biggest cause of incapacity for work. According to studies, a large number of young people fear that working life is too difficult for them. However, meaningful work basically supports mental health and therefore everyone should have the opportunity to work according to their own resources.
Ways to reduce unemployment:
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The Occupational Safety and Health Act will be revised so that it takes into account changes in working life, such as psychosocial stress and digitalization.
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We will improve the opportunities for people with partial work ability to work.
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We will bring more flexibility to working life by enabling working with reduced working hours and by promoting multi-location working.
SOLVING THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND STRENGTHENING SOCIAL PARTICIPATION WITH BASIC INCOME
Everyone should be able to work, study and act as an entrepreneur without burnout. The main cause of the burden is financial uncertainty, which is why mental health and inclusion must be strengthened with financial security. Basic income is a key solution to the mental health crisis, as it brings financial security and strengthens the experience of basic security. This was also seen in Finland's basic income experiment, which clearly strengthened the participants' mental health.
At the same time, we must support everyone who needs it, regardless of ability to work, guarantee everyone's livelihood and fight poverty. According to the 2018 OECD report, the difference in the prevalence of depression between different income groups in Finland is the largest in Europe. Compared to people with high incomes, the risk of developing depression is four times higher for low-income men and three times higher for low-income women. Mental health is therefore fundamentally an economic issue, and fighting poverty is protecting mental health.
Ways to better mental health with basic income:
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As a step towards a basic income, a participation income will be introduced, where the condition is self-selected participation in community activities.
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Let's introduce a basic income free of charge, which guarantees a constant basic income for everyone. It makes it easier to transition to becoming an entrepreneur or to try your wings in another field, at least in the form of sideline entrepreneurship or part-time work.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS THE CORNERSTONE OF DEVELOPMENT AND IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE WHO WILLS IT
When basic income and services belong to everyone, more and more people can create something new. Small and medium-sized companies with less than 250 employees form the cornerstone of the Finnish economy, as their share of the value creation of the gross domestic product is more than 40%. In the 21st century, the net increase in jobs has accumulated entirely in small and medium-sized enterprises, and among them especially in micro-enterprises employing 1-9 people. Although SMEs, micro-enterprises and sole proprietors are essential for the Finnish economy and jobs, the interests of large companies dominate the economic debate. The bottlenecks limiting the growth of the Finnish economy and employment actually lie in the risks of becoming an entrepreneur and hiring the first employees, which are best facilitated by social security that does not punish entrepreneurship, and by supporting the hiring of the first employees with, for example, temporarily reduced employer contributions.
Ways to facilitate entrepreneurship:
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We support micro-entrepreneurship, e.g. with flexible YEL payments.
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When hiring the first employee, the employer must exempt them from employer contributions for the first year of the employment relationship. The money left on hand can be used by the company for activities that are central to its growth and success.
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We offer free business advice, especially at the beginning and end of the company's life cycle, and make the entrepreneur's financial advice part of it. Entrepreneurs are offered support and help in life change.
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It is possible to experiment with entrepreneurship during studies for young people who are interested in it.
INVESTMENTS IN THE GREEN TRANSITION ENABLE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ECONOMY
Finland has good conditions for creating a center of competence for the green transition, and these conditions must be further strengthened by streamlining investment permit processes, guaranteeing the availability of affordable and reliable electricity, and dismantling the sector integration between industry, transport and heating in order to reduce emissions and costs. In order to improve the availability of skills, work-based immigration must also be made significantly easier and international students must stay in Finland after graduation.
Means for a sustainable economy in terms of the environment and people:
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Funding for research, development and innovation activities will be increased.
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Let's streamline green transition permit processes by introducing a centralized permit model with only one transaction channel, one application and one appeal option.
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Let's balance the state's finances, for example, by giving up subsidies that are harmful to the environment, by taxing activities and consumption that are harmful to the environment, and by reforming the dividend tax relief for unlisted companies to target micro-entrepreneurs.
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We measure the success of the economy with other indicators than the gross national product, such as the genuine development index, which measures the development of the well-being of people and the environment.
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We will remove the needs assessment from work-based immigration.
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Let's make it easier for international students to stay in Finland by granting them a permanent residence permit after completing their degree.
BASIC INCOME IS THE KEY SOLUTION TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS,BECAUSE IT BRINGS FINANCIAL SECURITY AND STRENGTHENS THE EXPERIENCE OF FOUNDATION.
EDUCATION
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Science, art and education are the core of the meaning of life, but also key factors for Finland's future success. By investing in them, we reduce inequality, strongwe increase competence and increase opportunities for a meaningful life.
In a prosperous Finland, science, art, education and culture flourish. Civilization and everyone's opportunity to realize themselves are valuable in themselves and they don't have to serve only the needs of working life. Restoring the honor of education requires investments in education at all levels, basic scientific research and culture. When balancing the state's economy, it should be remembered that investments in education and culture produce human and economic well-being, but cuts weaken Finland's conditions for succeeding in international competition and generate costs for the state elsewhere. Education, science and art are not expenses, but investments.
EDUCATION SUPPORTS THE WELFARE STATE
Education that increases equality has been the pride of Finland, which has also made Finland a modern welfare state. Weakened learning results manifest the results of short-sighted educational cuts as well as educational policy decisions contrary to research data, where children and young people have been given more responsibility than their still developing brains are capable of. The weakening of learning results is focused on those children whose families are already having a hard time. This reinforces inequality and leads to a narrowing of young people's life opportunities. In addition, the prevalence of mental health problems among young people is connected to impaired learning results. You can't learn when you're exhausted.
GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE THE PEACE TO GROW AND TEACHERS ENOUGH RESOURCES TO DO THEIR JOB WELL
Schools should not be turned into performance-oriented degree factories, but schools should be safe places for children and young people to grow and try new things. Unrealistic demands placed on teachers in relation to resources and curricula that change along with commercial-political interests have weakened teachers' opportunities to focus on teaching. The purpose of schools is, above all, to educate and civilize. It requires space and growth peace.
Investing in education also means investing in students. Increasing education places does not increase the level of education if students are not supported to complete their studies. Currently, every third student experiences symptoms of mental health problems and especially suffers from financial insecurity. Students are entitled to just as good social security as the rest of the population. Study psychologist services in higher education institutions must be regulated by law, just like in elementary schools.
Ways to secure education:
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Let's rationalize the workload of teachers and secure small enough group sizes for learning by writing teacher sizing into the Basic Education Act.
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Regional and between-school inequality will be prevented by supporting the operation of kindergartens and schools in areas with low levels of education, high unemployment, foreign-language and low-income families with sufficient equality money.
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Vocational education resources will be increased in order to secure the quality of teaching.
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Let's increase the proportion of young people with higher education to 60% of the age group by increasing the starting places, but at the same time increasing the resources of the higher education institutions in order to secure the quality of teaching and student support services.
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We will improve students' livelihoods by abandoning the two-tiered system of study support, by increasing the share of the study grant and by increasing the income limits of study support. Let's adjust the interest rate cap on the student loan.
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Let's make it easier to update one's skills without a new university degree by also investing in short training courses that meet the demands of working life.
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The effects of previous education cuts will be corrected with additional investments in all education.
SCIENCE AS A BASIS FOR DECISION-MAKING, CREATOR OF WELL-BEING AND SELF-VALUE
Politics should not be a separate profession, but politics needs representatives from different disciplines. I myself am an expert in psychology and have also done research. This is why it is especially important to me that political decisions are based on researched information.
Finland is internationally known for its top scientific research in many fields. It is important to keep universities broad-based and to invest in even small fields, because they carry out particularly important educational work.
Ways to protect sciencefor:
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Basic funding for science will be secured and universities' autonomy will be restored.
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We support basic research, which is the basis of all research.
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In addition to research that produces innovations, humanistic and social science research is supported, because the understanding of human activity is particularly important in this time.
CULTURE IS ALSO KEY TO PEOPLE'S WELL-BEING AND COMMUNITY
Libraries, even small ones, are important. It is not the state's job to determine what is good art, but it is up to the art community to decide: art essentially includes freedom. Also for subcultures and minorities, culture is an important tool for community and making one's own voice heard. Art and culture belong to everyone and should be accessible to everyone, for example by supporting hobby opportunities.
Ways to protect culture:
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Let's increase the funding of culture to above one percent of the state budget.
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Let's support culture, for example, with state grants, ensuring a living (basic income), strengthening the position of freelancers.
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We strengthen the equality of culture by enabling cultural hobbies for, for example, children, minorities and prisoners.
THE RESTORE OF EDUCATION REQUIRES INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS,FOR BASIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND CULTURE.
NATURE AND CLIMATE
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The accelerating loss of nature and the climate crisis are the biggest challenges of our time, which are also reflected in hopelessness and anxiety. Solving them should be the priority of all decision-making. Hope is born through action, and climate anxiety is treated with an effective climate policy. All life must be protected.
The evolution of intelligent life requires a planet that is continuously viable for 3-4 billion years. That such a planet has evolved, our home earth, is an incredible miracle. A lifestyle based on materialistic consumption and growth has alienated us from the fact that this life on earth is not self-evident.
In the last 50 years, we humans have exterminated 70% of the world's wild animals. Only 4% of the world's mammals are wild animals: the remaining 96% are humans and our domestic and farm animals. Animals and natural resources are not consumer goods for us. Biodiversity is like a wobbly house of cards, when it collapses we collapse too. In Finland, every second habitat type and every ninth species are endangered, and the trend is still deteriorating. We need a comprehensive change in mindset, where we see humans as an equal part of nature and life.
Ways to protect biodiversity:
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We invest in nature conservation and restoration. We will protect 30% of land and sea areas by the year 30 and encourage voluntary protection. All the state's old and natural forests are protected. Let's increase funding for nature conservation by tying it to correspond to 0.5-1.5% of gross domestic product.
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Let's take care of soil health and pollinators. We combat harmful alien species, prevent their spread and establishment.
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Animals are sentient beings, not property. Let's revise the Animal Protection Act to take it into account. Ban fur farming and increase the protection of endangered species.
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Ecosystem accounting is developed and introduced. Nature must be valued if its overexploitation is to be tackled.
CARBON SINKS IN CONDITION AND THE DIFFERENCEIS ABOUT FOSSIL DEPENDENCE
Our production is based on over-consumption of non-renewable natural resources. Instead, investments must be made in domestic and sustainable forms of energy production, energy saving and energy efficiency must be accelerated. This is also key in terms of security policy and to ensure Finland's self-sufficiency.
For the first time, the land use sector has become a source of emissions instead of a carbon sink, which has collapsed Finland's carbon sinks. Not only is this a significant threat to Finland's goal of carbon neutrality by 2035, it also creates massive costs for the economy.
According to the UN, 90% of the world's agricultural subsidies are harmful to the climate and people. In Finland, too, the meat and dairy industry is subsidized with billions so that the price of meat can be artificially kept low. At the same time, abundant meat consumption has been studied to be harmful to people's health. This is absurd, so subsidies harmful to the environment should be abandoned: let's support sustainable development instead.
Taxation plays a key role in guiding people towards greener choices: instead of work and entrepreneurship, we tax more what we want to reduce, i.e. emissions. Nuisance taxes should be specifically targeted at consumption that pollutes the environment in particular, such as flying and eating meat.
Ways to protect the climate:
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Let's replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
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A rescue program for carbon sinks will be created.
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A regulated and transparent market for voluntary emission compensation will be developed to create a financial incentive for landowners to maintain carbon sinks.
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Companies want to be part of solutions to environmental crises: let's support them. Obliging the financial sector and companies to regularly monitor and report their risks to biodiversity and the climate. Repairs are supported and rewarded.
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Let's give up subsidies that are harmful to the environment and direct business subsidies to support the green transition.
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We tax more what we want less of: emissions. Let's set a nuisance tax for flying, for example.
THE NECESSARY CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES MUST BE IMPLEMENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW
I'm committed to Just Transition now! -campaign principles. While we curb climate change and stop the loss of nature, we must reduce inequality and share the costs of the green transition fairly. We must take into account groups of people who are already in a vulnerable position and those who work in transition sectors, such as agricultural entrepreneurs._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_
THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS A CRISIS CAUSED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES - THAT'S WHY SOLUTIONS ALSO NEED PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERTISE
We already know the key ways to solve the climate crisis: we just need to motivate and support people to choose sustainable solutions. I have familiarized myself with the subject from the perspective of Behavioral Sciences and my goal is to bring my expertise to politics as well. For example, with the help of climate change, people can be guided to more sustainable solutions by means of behavioral science. In tupping, a person can choose for himself, but a sustainable choice is made easier: for example by offering primarily vegetarian food.
The climate crisis is also a health crisis, because the environment is the lifeblood of both physical and mental health. The climate crisis creates health risks, for example by increasing extreme weather events. Accelerating loss of nature and using animals for food also increase the risk of pandemics.
According to the UN, 90% of the world's agricultural subsidies are harmful to the climate and people. In Finland, too, the meat and dairy industry is subsidized with billions so that the price of meat can be artificially kept low. At the same time, abundant meat consumption has been studied to be harmful to people's health. This is absurd, so subsidies harmful to the environment should be abandoned: let's support sustainable development instead.
There is also strong research evidence that living near diverse natural environments promotes health in numerous ways: increases physical activity, improves mood, concentration and recovery, and reduces morbidity from, for example, cardiovascular diseases, mental health disorders and type 2 diabetes._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_
According to research, environmentally friendly actions and a sustainable lifestyle improve people's perceived well-being, experience of meaning and mood. The green transition is not a mistreatment, but a healthy nature is an inexpensive and easy way to promote people's well-being as well.
Ways to protect health and the environment:
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Let's enable everyone an equal right to nearby nature, regardless of their own wealth.
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We support, for example, the development of plant proteins instead of the cheap price of meat and the reduction of food waste and overconsumption.
TAXATION HAS A KEY ROLE IN GOVERNING PEOPLETOWARDS GREENER CHOICES.