From a WhatsApp Group to a Multi-Twinning formally signed in Málaga

Karlsruhe, Seinäjoki, Kokkola, Málaga (lama, Niina)

One sunny afternoon in June 2025, a new chat group popped up on our phones: „JCI Seinäjoki & JCI Karlsruhe.“ It was created by JCI Karlsruhe’s International Officer, Sebastian. At the time, none of us quite realized the incredible international journey we were about to embark on.

Quickly, the group swelled to 28 eager Jaycees – 6 from Karlsruhe and 22 from Finland. During our very first online meetings, we did a bit of historical digging and uncovered a surprising plot twist: this wasn’t the first encounter of our Local Organizations: Back in the 1990s, Seinäjoki and Karlsruhe were part of a 9-chapter network across nine European countries known as the „Euro-Multi-Twinning.“ We had accidentally stumbled upon a rich, beautifully forgotten history of cross-border collaboration and chapter visits.

Fast-forward to autumn 2025. In September, JCI Seinäjoki’s Jukka Mattila reached out with an exciting proposition: why not make our group a little bigger? Their close neighbors, JCI Kokkola, were eager to formally join the alliance, transforming our partnership into an official multi-twinning.

As fate would have it, Karlsruhe’s Tugce and Lama had just spent time with Pia Holm (then Deputy Local President of JCI Kokkola) at the JCI European Academy in August 2025. Knowing we already clicked, the decision on our end was a no-brainer: “Hell yeah, let’s go!”

What followed was a winter of energetic online meetups. We shared our chapters‘ respective histories, pitched local projects, and step-by-step turned vague ideas of international cooperation into concrete plans.

By March and April 2026, things got official. Our very own Daniel took the lead on drafting a formal twinning agreement, incorporating ideas and feedback from across the entire group to shape what our future collaborations would look like.

A few weeks before the JCI European Conference (EC) in Málaga, Spain, the agreement was officially submitted to JCI World Headquarters. Shortly after, our upcoming Finnish-German multi-twinning was formally added to the EC Twinning Ceremony agenda, and word spread fast as both national delegations briefed their members ahead of the conference.

From the Finnish perspective, this multi-twinning is a massive win-win-win that operates on multiple levels. Strengthening our roots regionally, while opening up also incredible horizons abroad.

For JCI Seinäjoki and JCI Kokkola, this partnership provides the perfect spark to deepen our local and regional collaboration. As close geographic neighbors, working hand-in-hand on this international journey naturally tightens the regional bond between our two chapters. Furthermore, this alliance sets a brilliant example of how chapters can team up to create something truly remarkable. One could say, an international success!

At the same time, we are absolutely thrilled to see what JCI Karlsruhe is all about. This multi-twinning provides a prime opportunity to dive into the unique chapter cultures, explore the local projects, and see firsthand how different activities are brought to life. Exchanging best practices between all 3 chapters, will undoubtedly bring fresh inspiration for all of us.

Most importantly and beyond the official paperwork, this journey is about building real, long lasting friendships. Strengthening our bond with Karlsruhe creates a direct bridge between our members and the heart of Europe and setting us up for some exciting shared activities in the future.

We aren’t wasting any time waiting for future conferences to see each other again. We already have major milestones on the horizon outside of our standard project work streams:

• Winter 2026: Our Finnish friends will be making their first official visit to Karlsruhe in early December to experience the magic, lights, and Glühwein of a traditional German Christmas Market (among other things, of course).
• JCI Karlsruhe delegation to visit Finland (Kokkola and Seinäjoki)
• JCI Germany National Congress 2028 (BuKo): JCI Karlsruhe is proud to host the German National Congress in 2028. We’ve already extended an open invitation to JCI Seinäjoki and JCI Kokkola to join us for an intense, unforgettable 4-day conference experience on our home turf.

Here’s to reviving old ties, building new friendships, and showing the JCI network exactly what true international collaboration looks like!

For those new to the network, the JCI Twinning Program is a dynamic, voluntary partnership between JCI Local or National Organizations across different regions or countries. It’s a formal declaration of friendship—but with a heavy focus on joint work, shared leadership insight, and impactful collaborative projects.

As the official JCI Twinning Toolkit notes: “The JCI Twinning Program offers a significant opportunity to forge international connections, strengthen the JCI network, and achieve impactful collaboration… It aims to enhance cultural understanding, promote collaborative initiatives, and foster organizational growth in line with JCI’s mission to develop young leaders and increase global interconnectedness.”

While a standard twinning links two chapters, a Multi-Twinning allows multiple chapters to pool resources, cultural perspectives, and networks simultaneously.

Want to dive deeper into the rules of engagement? Check out the official JCI Twinning Program Guidelines.