STOP - Finland forward without discrimination

In Finland, a series of awareness-raising campaigns have been organised since 2001 by four government ministries acting together, in cooperation with Equality Bodies and NGOs. Each of them has involved groups vulnerable to discrimination in their design and implementation.

Two campaigns are running at the moment.

The STOP III campaign includes both high-profile activities – such as the first national Diversity Day in December 2003 with a large conference in Helsinki as one of the main events – and longer-term activities aimed at changing basic attitudes and behaviour. These involve, for example, designing and testing training modules for teachers, police, trade unions and employers. Other activities include the organisation of training sessions for trainers and a database with details of experts on discrimination on the campaign Internet site.

The STOP Extra campaign is aimed at deepening understanding of anti-discrimination policy. The campaign is focused on employment, education and the media. In the first half of 2004, the campaign included a joint training programme for staff working in TV and for other media professionals and seminars on ‘Racism and discrimination on the Internet’ for public prosecutors, police and Internet operators, in particular. It also included training programmes for employers on diversity policy organised jointly with the Finnish Employers’ Management Institute and an international meeting of organisers of national awareness-raising campaigns from various countries.

All of the campaigns lay stress on the importance of producing easy-to-read material and of making it widely available. A brochure explaining the rights and obligations of people under the new Finnish anti-discrimination legislation is, therefore, published in a number of minority languages as well as in Braille.

For information, contact Sinikka Keskinen at sinikka.keskinen@mol.fi