This post was updated Oct 12 at 10:51 p.m.

The UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations hosted former Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin on Oct. 4 to discuss the war in Ukraine, Finnish policymaking and the conditions necessary for international peace.

The Bernard Brodie Distinguished Lecture on the Conditions of Peace is an annual series of lectures and seminars featuring politicians, diplomats and warfare experts who discuss scholarly topics and research. Marin, former parliament member and the world’s youngest prime minister, spoke to students and audience members at the UCLA School of Law about the country’s recent accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and how global powers can unite to establish world peace. She also discussed the war in Ukraine and her thoughts on what needs to be done in order to remove Russia’s stronghold on both Ukraine and the rest of the world.

After Marin was introduced, she said she believes secure and consistent safety for individual citizens is essential to preserving international peace.

“The most important thing for every citizen is to make sure we are safe in our country, we are independent, we will secure our society and make sure that we are safe,” Marin said.

Finland joined NATO in April to officially ratify its political allyship with 30 other countries, including the United States, France and Germany.

Marin said the reason Finland joined NATO so quickly is because she believes the rights and safety of Finnish citizens were being threatened. Russia’s advancement and utilization of force on neighboring countries led to this pivotal decision, she added.

“We have to ask ourselves what is the line that Russia wouldn’t cross, and the only line that Russia wouldn’t cross is the NATO one,” Marin said. “Finland joining NATO was an act of peace.”

Enabling Ukraine with the necessary resources and tools is essential not only to win the war, but also for world peace, Marin said.

Later in the lecture, Marin covered the intricacies of Finnish policy and preparedness. Kal Raustiala, moderator of the event and director of the Burkle Center, asked Marin what the rest of the world could learn from Finland.

She said the main thing that keeps Finland prepared is guaranteeing trust in government among their citizens.

“You need to have that level of basic trust in your society so that when something happens people listen to your authority,” Marin said. “It doesn’t happen overnight, you need all the structures from rule of law to democracy to freedom of the press and speech and all the civil rights.”

She added that the core foundation for preparedness lies in education, attributing Finland’s free access to education at all levels. While Marin talked about the components of peace and security, she said she believes fear and weakness stunt national change and added that many conflicts occurring today can be attributed to these factors.

Marin also said in an interview that it is not just foreign leaders and government officials who make an impact on world peace, but also students and universities such as UCLA.

Marin added that when she was a student, she worked in student politics to make programs and consider several facets of political and legal reform. Marin said that while everyone can make a difference, it does not happen overnight.

“It’s not only one post on social media or one like, it takes work,” she said. “For example, many reforms we did in our government … began a long time ago when I was still very young.”

Cooperation is the biggest key moving forward with how global leaders are trying to secure a peaceful society, said Marin. She said students and others trying to make an international impact are the future of these movements and changes.

“You have all the power,” Marin said. “You can do anything, but you need each other as well.”