Last week marked a milestone moment for inclusion in Finland.
Seventy professionals officially graduated from the first-ever Anti-Racism Incubator, a pioneering initiative led by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The incubator brought together 28 organizations and over 70 professionals from across the country, including universities, municipalities, NGOs, social services, and healthcare, all committed to strengthening anti-racist practices, preventing discrimination, and building workplaces rooted in dignity and belonging.
I had the honor of being the event host, and the entire seminar was conducted fully in Finnish, a meaningful opportunity to connect with audiences in Finland’s national language while moderating sensitive and complex discussions with clarity and warmth.
The incubator was ambitious in scale and human in spirit. Not a single organization dropped out, a remarkable sign of commitment in long-term social impact work.
By the final seminar, more than 150 participants joined in person, with an additional 300 following online. This level of engagement demonstrated a nationwide readiness to move from awareness to action.
My Role: Host & Playback Theatre Facilitator
In addition to hosting the event in Finnish, I contributed to the incubator’s content by facilitating a playback theatre workshop, offering tools for intervening in racism-related situations.
Playback theatre, where audience stories are transformed into improvised scenes, allowed participants to learn through empathy, reflection, and shared emotional experience.
The incubator’s curriculum was rich and deeply impactful. Expert contributions from Shadia Rask, Jani Toivola, Federico Ferrara, Mona Eid, Anna Kanninen, Saida, Yacine Kalke, and many others created a space for learning that was honest, brave, and grounded in lived reality.
When Art Meets Anti-Racism
A powerful highlight of the final seminar was the inclusion of artistic performance.
Godwin Otieno’s dance and Nemat Trio’s music reminded us why anti-racism is not only structural work, it is human work. Their performances carried emotion, memory, and conviction, reinforcing the “why” behind everyone’s participation.
The energy in the room made it clear: unlearning bias and fostering belonging require both courage and creativity.
Throughout the day, participants across sectors spoke candidly about what is working, what is failing, and what requires courage over consensus.
Special appreciation to:
Nikodemus Solitander (Hanken School of Economics)
Birgitta Ivars (Vaasa Wellbeing Services County)
Reetta-Maija Koskinen (Mehiläinen)
Aura Linnapuomi (Culture for All Service)
Michaela Moua
Katriina Nousiainen
Panu Artemjeff
Your openness strengthened the dialogue and reminded everyone that anti-racism is built through honesty and shared responsibility.
A Model for Future Inclusion Work
The THL Anti-Racism Incubator has set a new benchmark for Finland’s inclusion efforts:
✅ Tailored learning for each organization
✅ Cross-sector collaboration between public, private, and non-profit actors
✅ Integration of art and storytelling to deepen empathy
It showed that anti-racism is not a one-off initiative, it is an ongoing practice sustained by community, accountability, and long-term support.
