Prime Minister Orpo,
Your government has funded our anti-racism advocacy work. For this reason, we now wish to express our concern and appeal directly to you at a time when government decisions threaten to seriously weaken the opportunities of minorities, people with migrant backgrounds, and racialised people to participate in society and have their voices heard in decision-making.
We are deeply concerned about the new criteria for granting STEA funding. These criteria overlook the fact that social wellbeing, participation, counselling and guidance, advocacy work, and the self-organisation of minority groups are essential both for public health and for social stability. Minority organisations and umbrella organisations are not an optional part of democracy. Restricting their work means, in practice, restricting minorities’ opportunities to influence their own position in society.
The government cannot credibly fund anti-racism advocacy work while at the same time adopting criteria that structurally weaken the operating conditions of minority actors and anti-racist work. If the criteria exclude minority groups from funding, they are not neutral. Funding criteria must provide everyone with an equal opportunity to carry out activities that promote people’s wellbeing and health, regardless of their background.
We urge you to ensure that, when the criteria are reconsidered by the Government, all provisions that discriminate against minorities or weaken their opportunities for participation are removed. As Prime Minister, you bear responsibility for ensuring that the government’s anti-racism efforts do not remain at the level of words and isolated funding decisions, but are also reflected in the operating conditions secured for organisations representing minority communities.
Moniheli ry
AFARS ry
Anti-Racist Forum
Mixed Finns ry
Monaliiku – Monikansallisten naisten hyvinvointi ja liikunta ry
Nuorten Muslimien Foorumi
POC-lukupiiri
Finnish Muslim Forum
Suomen Romaniyhdistys ry