Good Relations project contributes to promoting good ethnic relations at local and regional levels
The outcomes of the Good Relations project were presented at an international conference in Helsinki on Wednesday 3 September. The main aim of the project was to combat racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance by promoting good relations between people from diverse backgrounds. The project focused on relations between ethnic and religious groups.
The Good Relations project analysed the concept of good (ethnic) relations in more detail, which has helped to give more substance to the discussion on how to promote ethnic relations at local and regional levels and to set more concrete objectives. The project started in 2012 and will end at the end of October.
Tools to promote, measure and monitor good relations
- Prejudices, hatred and discrimination are not the way forward. Therefore, the project tested a range of tools, for example to increase positive interaction and cooperation between ethnic minorities and the majority population and to reduce prejudices, says Project Manager Liisa Männistö.
The methods tested in the project and examples of their implementation at local level are presented in the Toolkit for promoting good relations, which will also be published in Finnish and Swedish later in autumn.
- Promotion of good ethnic relations is included in municipal integration programmes, but it has not been clearly defined before. Therefore, the project created a framework which helps to specify objectives, choose measures to promote good relations and assess their effectiveness, says Ms Männistö.
The framework also includes indicators to measure and monitor good relations in four domains: attitudes, personal security, interaction with others, and participation and influence.
The Good Relations project was implemented in Finland and Sweden in close cooperation with third sector actors (particularly ethnic and other minority organisations), public authorities at local and regional levels, various advisory boards and other key stakeholders.
Coordinated by the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, the project’s international partners were the Swedish Ministry of Employment and the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM).The national partners included the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) and the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland. The project was co-financed by the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme of the European Union.
For further information, please contact Project Manager Liisa Männistö, tel. +358 29 548 8296.