Ulla-Maija "Uma" Aaltonen (28 August 1940,
Vihti – 13 July 2009,
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
) was a
Finnish author, journalist, and
Green League
The Green League (VIHR, fi, Vihreä liitto , sv, Gröna förbundet), shortened to the Greens ( fi, Vihreät, sv, De Gröna), is a green political party in Finland.
Ideologically, the Green League is positioned on the centre-left of the polit ...
politician.
Early life and education
Aaltonen was raised on a farm and learned to love animals at a very young age. She studied journalism, sociology and psychology at the
University of Tampere.
As a journalist, she was particularly interested in issues of cruelty towards children and animals. She later owned her own farm.
Aaltonen spent many years advocating for a statue in
Seinajoki celebrating war horses. The monument was unveiled in 1996.
Aaltonen was diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
in 1993.
Career
Aaltonen worked as a journalist at
YLE
Yleisradio Oy (Finnish, literally "General Radio Ltd." or "General Broadcast Ltd."; abbr. Yle ; sv, Rundradion Ab, italics=no), translated to English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founde ...
and contributed to ''
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221)
...
'' magazine. She wrote a number of books for young people about sex education and animal cruelty.
In 1994 she served as manager for
Elisabeth Rehn’s presidential campaign.
Aaltonen served in the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
between 2003 and 2004 representing the
Greens-EFA party,
after fellow Green Party politician
Heidi Hautala
Heidi Anneli Hautala (born 14 November 1955) is a Finnish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. She is a member of the Green League, part of the European Green Party.
She is currently a Member of the European Parl ...
returned to the
Finnish Parliament
The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the unicameral and supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that power is vested in the Parliament. The ...
.
During her term, Aaltonen was an outspoken advocate for European patients with MS. In December 2003 she addressed the European Parliament about concerns regarding discrimination against people with MS in the European Union.
In the fall of 2008 of Aaltonen was elected to
Vihti Municipal Council.
Death
Aaltonen complained of pain in early July 2009 and was admitted to
Töölö Hospital
The Töölö Hospital is a hospital in Taka-Töölö, Helsinki, Finland, belonging to the Helsinki University Central Hospital. It has special departments for plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery and traumatology, hand surgery and neurosurgery. ...
in Helsinki.
She died suddenly on July 13, 2009
and is buried at the
Hietaniemi Cemetery
The Hietaniemi cemetery ( fi, Hietaniemen hautausmaa, sv, Sandudds begravningsplats) is located mainly in the Lapinlahti quarter and partly in the Etu-Töölö district of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. It is the location for Finnish state ...
in Helsinki.
External links
Uma Aaltonen's profile on the European Parliament's public information website
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aaltonen, Uma
1940 births
2009 deaths
21st-century Finnish journalists
People from Vihti
Green League MEPs
MEPs for Finland 1999–2004
20th-century women MEPs for Finland
21st-century women MEPs for Finland
Finnish women journalists
University of Tampere alumni
20th-century Finnish journalists