Barbro Carol Sundback (born 22 December 1945) is an Ă…landic psychologist, politician and former member of the
Parliament of Ă…land
The Parliament of Ă…land (''Ă…lands lagting'') is the unicameral legislature of Ă…land, an autonomous, Swedish-speaking region of Finland. The Lagting has 30 members who make laws for Ă…land and oversee its government.
Committees
Most parli ...
, the regional
legislature
A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...
of Ă…land, an
autonomous
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be defi ...
region of
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. A
social democrat
Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
, she was a member of the legislature from November 1979 to October 2015. She was also First Deputy Speaker from November 2003 and October 2005 and Speaker from November 2005 and October 2007.
Early life and education
Sundback was born on 22 December 1945 in
Vaasa
Vaasa (; , ), formerly (1855-1917) known as Nikolaistad (; ), She is the daughter of Holger and Isabel Sundback. She moved to
Mariehamn
Mariehamn ( , ; ; ) is the capital of Ă…land, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Ă…land, and 40% of the population of Ă…land live in the city. It is mostly surrounded b ...
in 1958. She has a
Master of Science
A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...
degree in political science specialising in psychology (1972).
Career
Sundback founded the
Ă…land Islands Peace Institute
The Ă…land Islands Peace Institute in Mariehamn, Finland, conducts projects and research into peace and conflict issues in a broadly defined sense from the vantage-point of Ă…land and the special status that Ă…land enjoys under international law. ...
in 1992 and served as its director/chairman of the board of directors 1992 to 2017. She is currently honorary chair of the institute.
Sundback was chairman of the
Ă…land Social Democrats
The Ă…land Social Democrats () is a social-democratic political party on the Ă…land Islands. In the 2023 parliamentary election, the party won 12.82% of the popular vote and 4 out of 30 seats, a gain of one.
The current organisation was found ...
. She has been a member of the
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
in
Mariehamn
Mariehamn ( , ; ; ) is the capital of Ă…land, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Ă…land, and 40% of the population of Ă…land live in the city. It is mostly surrounded b ...
since 1979. She is involved in numerous
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
groups including the Ă…land branch of
Emmaus
Emmaus ( ; ; ; ) is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before two of his disciples while they were walking on the road to Emmaus.
Although its geograp ...
, Cultural Association Katrina, Kvinnfolk
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
group and Feminist Academy in Ă…land. She took part in the Nordic women's peace marches in 1981, 1982 and 1983.