Anti-racism work
Racism is a serious human rights issue that must be tackled systematically. Racism perpetuates inequality, harming not only its targets but society as a whole. Anti-racism is one way to combat racism.
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What is racism?
Racism pervades all aspects of society. There is widespread racism in education, in the labour market and in public spaces. As a concept, racism refers to treating individuals or groups of people as inferior on the basis of, for example, their skin colour or presumed ethnic background. Racism perpetuates inequality, harming not only its targets but society as a whole.
Racism manifests both as individual racist acts and as discrimination and social exclusion in everyday life. Overt racism can involve, for example, verbal abuse, name-calling, ostracism and violent aggression. Structural racism refers to systemic racial discrimination that is embedded in the fabric of society, in institutions, organisations and services.
Structural racism is often unconscious. It can involve seemingly neutral practices that nevertheless effectively put people who are perceived as different from the majority population at a disadvantage. Structural racism reverberates through many aspects of life. It affects educational attainment, employment prospects, housing and social inclusion.
Background
Racism is not a new phenomenon in Finland. Linguistic and cultural minorities, such as the Roma, the Tatars and indigenous Sámi people, have faced widespread racism and discrimination throughout history.
No to generalisations
Seemingly positive prejudices can also be harmful. Generalised beliefs breed unequal treatment. A good rule of thumb is to avoid making assumptions about people’s character, abilities or interests based on their skin colour, nationality or ethnicity, and to treat everyone as an individual instead.