Prometheus camps are politically and religiously unaffiliated
coming-of-age camps originally arranged in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. They were conceived as an alternative to religious
confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
camps. The camps are named after the Greek myth of the
titan
Titan most often refers to:
* Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn
* Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology
Titan or Titans may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Fictional entities
Fictional locations
* Titan in fiction, fictiona ...
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
who stole fire from the
gods
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...
and gave it to the people. The objective of the camps is to encourage young people to reflect on and develop their own
philosophy of life
(; meaning 'philosophy of life') was a dominant philosophical movement of German-speaking countries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which had developed out of German Romanticism. emphasised the meaning, value and purpose of life a ...
, to respect oneself and others, as well as taking responsibility for oneself and the world. The concept of Prometheus camps was acknowledged as a
social innovation
Social innovations are new social practices that aim to meet social needs in a better way than the existing solutions,Howaldt, J./ Schwarz, M"Social Innovation: Concepts, research fields and international trends" IMO international monitoring, 2010 ...
in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
in 2006.
Background
The first Prometheus camp was held in 1989 when the students of a
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
ethics class developed the idea for an alternative to the
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
confirmation camps usually attended by 15-year-olds in Finland. The first camp was arranged by (Teachers of Philosophy and Ethics) and a year later the (Protu) was founded. In 2009 the Prometheus camp movement spread to Sweden where a sister organization to Protu, , was formed. In 2012 The Prometheus Camp Association was one of the largest youth organisations in Finland along with
Finnish Scouts and the youth organisation of the
National Coalition Party
sv, Samlingspartiet
, leader1_title = Chairman
, leader1_name = Petteri Orpo
, leader2_title = Deputy chairs
, leader2_name = Antti Häkkänen Elina ValtonenAnna-Kaisa Ikonen
, merger = Finnish Party, Young Finnis ...
.
Participation in Prometheus camps and other Prometheus activities does not require a commitment to any values, politics, or religion. In summer 2006, a questionnaire given to Prometheus campers revealed that approximately 20% of campers had also attended another coming-of-age camp, usually the confirmation camps arranged by the
Evangelical Lutheran church. Roughly the same percentage of people attending Prometheus camps were also members of a church. In 2009 about a third of the campers also participated in the confirmation camp.
Approximately 9740 young people attended Prometheus camps in Finland between 1989 and 2008. In 2008, 67 camps were organized in different parts of Finland, and about 1000 young people (1.5% of that age-group) attended those camps. The attendance was fairly steady for a number of years. In 2012 there were 69 camps with about 900 participants. In 2010 the Prometheus Camp Association organised a total of 67 Prometheus camps and had a budget of EUR 464,553. State grants accounted for EUR 82,000 of the budget. Direct expenses from the camps totalled EUR 178,599, and counsellor training cost EUR 76,013. A distinct feature of the camps is that the staff do their work as volunteers.
The Prometheus Camp Association is a collaborative partner of the
International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organisation
Young Humanists International, known as the International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organisation or IHEYO from 2002–2019, is the youth wing of Humanists International (known as the International Humanist and Ethical Union from 1952–2019), ...
(IHEYO).
Camp structure
Camps are attended after the 8th or 9th grade or between the ages of 14 and 16. For young people who have passed this age Prometheus organizes so called senior camps. Typically, the camps are attended by 7-15 campers. Prometheus camps are led by a team consisting of two adult leaders and five co-leaders. Co-leaders are between the ages of 15 and 19 and participants of earlier summers camps, whereas adult leaders are older. At Prometheus camps, both the leaders and the co-leaders participate in the processing, developing, preparation, planning and implementation of the themes throughout the camp. Adult leaders hold juridical responsibility of the camp.
Prometheus camps last eight days, typically from Sunday to Sunday. All camps deal with the following themes: differences and discrimination, intoxicants and addiction, the environment, society and participation, human relationships and sexuality, the future, worldviews and beliefs.
![Prometheus-koru](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Prometheus-koru.jpg)
Campers are encouraged to share their own views and perceptions and discuss them, as well as take into account the often-different opinions of others. There are no lessons, only topics that are processed mostly through group discussions. Other methods of processing include debates, games, drama, group work, and other interactive methods. Prometheus camps may also invite guest speakers.
A Prometheus celebration is arranged on the last day of the Prometheus camp, with the families of the campers invited to participate. At the celebration the campers receive a wreath made out of fresh branches or flowers, and a silver Prometheus medallion. The camper’s name, camp location and date of the end of camp are engraved on the back of the medallion.
The Prometheus Camp Association also arranges special camps where the program emphasis or location differs from typical Prometheus camps. In 2009, two theater camps, two visual arts camps and a hiking camp were organized. Adult campers are also accommodated, and adult camps (for campers past the age of 20) are organized every year.
Prometheus camps in literature
In popular literature, the events of the novel ''Kipinä'' (2006), or ''Spark'' by Salla Simukka, take place at a Prometheus camp.
[Salla Simukk]
Kipinä
(in Finnish) WSOY, 2006.
See also
*
Camp Quest
Camp Quest is an organisation providing humanist residential summer camps for children in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Switzerland and Norway. It was first held in 1996 in Kentucky to provide an alternative to the traditional religiousl ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Prometheus Camp Association in Finlandofficial website
Prometheus Camp Association in Swedenofficial website
Finnish culture