More often, it slips in quietly, for example, through a gesture brushed off as a joke, a comment left standing on social media, lack of accountability by an “I was just kidding", silence from those who know better. We smile, we scroll past, we excuse it. And in doing so, we accept it.
And when this behaviour comes from politicians, it matters even more. Not because it is surprising, but because it is normalised. When those with power treat racism as humour, provocation, or “just an opinion,” it sends a message: this is acceptable here.
Racism doesn’t need shouting or slurs to survive. It just needs a little help. You don’t have to be openly racist. Being slightly racist is more than enough:
A laugh.
A shrug.
A “they didn’t mean it like that…”
A decision to stay quiet when you could have spoken.
One small act may feel insignificant. But for those on the receiving end of racism, these “small” acts arrive daily. They accumulate. They shape lives.
I have often heard the same concern: “People are afraid to speak up.” That fear is real. Calling out racism can feel uncomfortable, risky, even exhausting. But silence feeds it. Especially silence. Silence is not neutral and racism loves that. As Angela Y. Davis reminds us: “In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
This distinction is crucial. Anti-racism is not a matter of intention or rhetoric. It is a matter of action, accountability, and consequences. Not-racist is passive. Anti-racist is a choice.
You might think: “I’m not racist, but I don’t want to get involved”. But racism isn’t impressed by good intentions. It looks for permission. And every unchallenged act, every ignored gesture, every unaddressed post, tells others that it’s safe to continue.
Let me ask: What happens if we stop giving racism anything at all?
No laughter.
No excuses.
No amplification.
No power.
This is not an abstract idea in Finland. The Finnish Government has already taken a clear stance through its Government Action Plan to Combat Racism and Promote Equality, based on the equality statement submitted to Parliament on 31 August 2023. The plan exists because racism exists, and because addressing it requires active responsibility, not quiet distance.
Racism in Finland is not a marginal or abstract concern. It is a documented, structural problem that manifests. Recent findings by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) confirm this reality and highlight persistent gaps between principle and practice, policies and actions.
The ECRI report makes clear that racism persists not because Finland lacks values, but because enforcement remains inconsistent. Hate speech and hate crimes are increasing, yet racist motives are not always recorded, investigated, or reflected in prosecution and sentencing. Too often, the burden remains on victims to initiate justice, while perpetrators face limited or uneven consequences.
ECRI urges stronger condemnation and accountability mechanisms within political life. It states that serious manifestations of racism and xenophobia must be punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties in line with EU Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA.
Finland has the legal foundations, institutional capacity, and moral responsibility to lead by example. What is now required is the political will to close the gap between values and enforcement.
The direction is clear. The expectation is clear. Anti-racism is not radical, it is not in the imagination of the idealists. Anti-racism is implementing policies. It is accountability. It is action.
Racism only survives if we keep feeding it, nurturing it, protecting it, making room for it in our politics and our public discourse. Anti-racism is an obligation and it is one that Parliament has both the authority and the duty to fulfil.
So the real question is not whether racism exists. It is this: Will we keep giving it comfort? or will we finally take action, demand accountability?
Itzel Ruiz, member of the organization Svenska Kvinnoförbundet i Sörnäs
Advice for victims of a racist crime: https://www.riku.fi/en/various-crimes/racist-crimes/
You can contact the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman:
By sending an e-mail to yvv@oikeus.fi
By calling the helpline. The helpline is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 12 noon: 0295 666 817
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