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Uniarts Helsinki supports the I Am an Anti-Racist campaign – the aim is to integrate equality in all university operations

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Uniarts Helsinki is one of the partner organisations in the I Am an Anti-racist campaign launched by the Ministry of Justice and Non-Discrimination Ombudsman between 4 January and 6 February 2022. The goal is to increase awareness on anti-racism and give people tools for tackling racism.

The Ministry of Justice and the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman have launched a campaign aimed at young adults with the aim of encouraging people to take anti-racist action in their everyday lives and to reflect on the wider impact of racism in society. Uniarts Helsinki is one of the about 140 contributing partners in the campaign. You can read more about the campaign on the campaign website.

Anyone can participate in the campaign by sharing social media posts made by Uniarts Helsinki or other institutions or individuals and by sharing their personal anti-racist stories or thoughts about fighting racism under the hashtag IAmAntiracist on Instagram or Twitter.

Equality and diversity are central values in the university’s strategy

Promoting equality and anti-discrimination is a central part of Uniarts Helsinki’s latest strategy, which was introduced in the beginning of 2021. Some of the key elements in the implementation of the strategy are curricula, which are being updated in 2021–2024. 

“The curricula are the primary way of making an impact on the teaching of future artist generations. Ensuring equality and equal treatment and preventing discrimination and racism have provided important perspectives for this curriculum reform work,” Vice Rector for Education Lauri Väkevä writes in his column.

The university updated its Equality and Diversity Plan in 2021, and the Plan presents the principles, goals and measures that steer the university’s operations until 2024.

“In order to eliminate the risk of ending up merely talking about equality instead of taking action in our everyday operations, we have determined concrete goals that we monitor and assess on a yearly basis.  Promoting equality and diversity will affect everyone within the university community, and every member of the university community can affect the status of equality and diversity in their own right,” says HR and Service Director Riikka Mäki-Ontto, who is in charge of the Plan.

The Equality and Diversity Plan states goals and concrete measures that help us provide facilities that promote diversity, foster diversity in management activities, strengthen staff’s language skills and increase our collective understanding of inclusivity. 

 “Documents such as the Code of Conduct and Guidelines for the Prevention of Inappropriate Treatment, which were both updated in 2021, are also important tools in our efforts to promote equality and diversity in our community,” Mäki-Ontto notes. 

“Uniarts Helsinki is committed to anti-racism. To achieve this goal, we need each and every member of our community. Intervening in racism and discrimination is not only a matter of those who personally belong to an ethnic or religious minority. It is everyone’s responsibility,” Vice Rector Lauri Väkevä says. 

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