Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions that might also concern your attendance and travelling to the conference.
For what age group is the conference intended for?
The participants are usually aged from 15 to 29 years. This year the minimum age limit for participation is set to those who were born in 1993. If you were born in 1994 or later you are warmly welcome to future conferences. Keep up the enthusiasm until then! Note that if you are under 18 years old, you will be sent a parental consent form after registration that you will have to fill out with your parents and bring with you to the conference.
What level of English do I need to understand?
As the lectures, workshops and evening programs are all in English and even though there might be some translation available, it is highly desirable that you understand basic English. Of course, your English doesn't have to be anywhere near perfect.
How many youth are you expecting to participate in this year's Vikings Conference?
We are expecting approximately 150-180 youths.
Why is the conference in Oulu, a remote city in Northern Finland?
Heh. The Nordic Bahá'í Youth Conference is held in one of the four Nordic countries in turns. Last time we saw the Vikings maraud in Finland was in the year 2004. After that it has been in Sweden (2005), Denmark (2006) and Norway (2007), so this year we're back in Finland. There are a bunch of reasons why the conference is held in a smaller city, rather than in the capital.
First of all, as we try to keep the conference expenses at their minimum we use a public school, not a hotel. It was impossible to find a public school in the capital area, let alone a public school with a reasonable rent. The Finnish Bahá'í Community has very positive experiences from this same school we've rented for the conference. True, for some of you the travelling expenses might be a bit high but think about all the youth living in the northern part of Fennoscandia who have had to travel extremely long distances for the last three conferences!
Why on earth would I want to sleep on an air matress in a classroom in a school building???
Because you want to pay only 60 euros for the whole conference, including participation and food.
So what's the whole business with the conference fee and pre-payment?
If you register early, your conference fee will be 60 euros altogether. Of this 60 euros you have to pay 30 euros before the conference. This is because we need to get some money for food and other expenses before the conference. After you've sent the registration form online you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to pay the pre-payment sum. If you want to, you can pay the whole conference fee before the conference, which would help us a lot.
Those who register after March 9th have a conference fee of 70 euros, so remember to register early!
I accidentally lost the confirmation email you sent me after I registered.
Write about it to the organizers and remember to add your full name and address to the message and we will send it to you again.
Can I bring my friend to the conference?
Sure you can. We believe that your friend's interest will be better satisfied if they have some basic information or experiences of the Bahá'í Faith. Please, let your friend also know what this conference is for and what's in the program.
