Finnish diplomats have used saunas for years as a relaxed place to discuss international politics and solve problems.
Now there’s one in the UK, but what’s the appeal of going to the sauna?
BBC journalist James Landale teamed up with the new sauna society at the Finnish embassy in London to find out how it works – in this case, the men’s sauna.
Diplomacy can take many forms: international summits, high-level negotiations, and elegant receptions where champagne is sipped and fancy chocolates are eaten. But Finnish diplomats have a secret weapon, a unique way of relating to people, as long as they are willing to take their clothes off.
A Diplomatic Sauna Society has existed for years at the Finnish embassy in Washington, as well as others around the world. And now there is one in the basement of the embassy in London, too, since it opened last year.
The format of “sauna diplomacy” is simple. Finnish diplomats invite their contacts to the UK embassy. They introduce themselves, have a drink and change. The women head alone to the sauna. When they finish, it’s the men’s turn. In the end, everyone gets together for another drink and a bite to eat.
It is what is known as naked networking. And it seems to be working.
“You can get to the bottom of things”
“The sauna is an old Finnish tradition, an integral part of the Finnish way of life,” says Heli Suominen, press officer at the Finnish embassy in the UK. According to her, sauna diplomacy is about building trust and forging friendships.
“It creates a good environment for frank conversations. Not being fully clothed helps, because everyone is the same, it’s easier to forget roles and titles. That way you can get to the bottom of things.” It’s a way of saying it.
The idea is that warming up and sweating relaxes all parties, builds trust and reduces tension, which makes relationships easier. And that was exactly how it was when I took part in an afternoon of men’s sauna diplomacy in London.
There are clear rules. First you shower, wear a swimsuit or a towel, and the men sweat with the men and the women with the women. They are not mixed. Upon entering, they give you what is called a “butt towel” to protect yourself from the heat and sit on it. The sauna thermometer marks a temperature of about 80 degrees. And so you sweat and chat and barriers are quickly broken.
Sauna diplomacy doesn’t work in every country—some cultures are less accustomed to near-nudity in public—and there’s something very intimate about being crammed into a small, dimly lit space with five other men. But when asked if anyone is uncomfortable, no one says yes.
Federico Bianchi, a diplomat currently working for the European Union in London, says he liked it because it’s so different. Diplomacy without his usual tools of the trade: a fancy suit and a cell phone.
“It’s quite peculiar not to be dressed and not also be able to trust your appearance and the perception that you think your counterpart may have of you,” explains Bianchi. “You only have the naked words and what you say.”
There have been times when the Finnish leadership has used the sauna for more direct diplomacy.
In the 1960s, Urho Kekkonen, Finland’s Cold War leader, took then-Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev into an all-night sauna and convinced him to allow Finland to integrate into the West.
In 2005, when Vladimir Putin visited Helsinki, he took a sauna with the husband of the Finnish president, Tarja Halonen, describing it as “a wonderful experience.”
“You want to be part of that club”
But today sauna diplomacy has more to do with cultural engagement.
Sanna Kangasharju, a Finnish diplomat currently working in the European Parliament, ran the sauna society in Washington DC.
“It was very popular,” he says. “It became some kind of underground thing and everyone wanted entry into the sauna society. Every country has an embassy in Washington: we were all fighting for the attention of journalists and congressmen. And once that you created something that was a little difficult to access – we could only invite 25 people once a month on a Friday night – you wanted to have that input.”
Sanna believes she would not have developed such a strong network in the US capital without the sauna.
“They want a special experience,” he says. “When you go to a reception and meet other people, you can say, ‘Oh, I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.’ You want to be part of that club.”
The problem with the sauna for many may be thinking that it may have some relationship with sex. In some cultures, both things go together. But not in Finland, says Heli.
“The Finnish sauna is decidedly a non-sexual space, even more so than other places where you meet people,” he explains. “It’s almost sacred to us that it’s a safe space for everyone. The goal of the sauna is for everyone to feel comfortable and respected.”
Some diplomacy may involve eating and drinking too much. It can also involve long hours of work. But after an afternoon of diplomacy in the sauna we feel good, the stresses of the day sweated out into the night.
We left with a certificate that accredited us as members of the Diplomatic Society of the Sauna. His motto: “All people are equal, but nowhere are they more so than in a sauna.”
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BBC-NEWS-SRC: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-64331034, IMPORTING DATE: 2023-01-20 10:20:07
James Landale
BBCNews
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