Good ethnic relations can be promoted through cooperation

Under the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration, the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for the coordination, assessment and monitoring of good ethnic relations at national level. The government-appointed Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations comes under the Ministry of the Interior.

Under the Act, the centres for economic development, transport and the environment are responsible for the promotion of good ethnic relations and dialogue between cultures in the areas coming under them. Under the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration, municipal integration programmes must contain measures for promoting ethnic equality and good ethnic relations and for preventing discrimination.

The purpose of the Non-Discrimination Act is to promote and safeguard equality and to enhance the legal protection provided to those who have been discriminated against. Under the Act, each authority must draw up an equality plan. The plan should contain concrete measures for combating racism and discrimination and for promoting equality in a proactive and systematic manner. When an integration programmes are prepared and implemented, any agreements reached as part of the equality plan should also be considered.

The authorities can help to promote good ethnic relations and positive interaction by

• developing urban and service structures which are characterised by diversity;
• providing facilities for meetings between different population groups;
• organising dialogue structures;
• educating immigrants on how to participate in society;
• actively working to change attitudes;
• disseminating information about immigration and different cultures;
• taking measures to support equality and to combat racism and discrimination.

Civil society actors play a central role in the promotion of positive interaction. Helping immigrants to build their own organisations and encouraging immigrants to participate in the activities of well-established Finnish organisations are important factors promoting integration. Cooperation between the mainstream population and immigrants in residential areas, associations and leisure activities contributes significantly to better interaction. Activities such as culture, sports and youth work play an important role in integration.

With their networks and language and cultural expertise, immigrants’ own organisations also support people settling in Finland in their integration process. In addition, they act to preserve and develop the native languages and cultures of the new communities. The organisations receive funding from such sources as ministries, EU funds and Finland’s Slot Machine Association, as well as from municipalities, which support the organisations financially and provide them with facilities free of charge.

The role of interaction between the authorities and immigrant communities has increased in recent years. The aim of interaction is to promote the right of immigrants to be heard, to encourage them to participate in decision-making on matters concerning them and to prevent and solve conflicts. The task of the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations, which comes under the Ministry of the Interior, is to promote interaction and cooperation and to provide expert assistance in the development of various aspects of immigration policy.