The strengths of Vaasa in interculturalism are education, the job market, and public services

Building an Inclusive Integration Approach in Finland aims to strengthen inter-ethnic relations and support the successful integration of immigrants into society.

The reports of the project’s index survey were officially published on the Council of Europe’s website in January 2024. Vaasa ranked well among cities of similar size: out of 34 European cities, Vaasa was ranked 9th.

According to the report, Vaasa’s strengths from an intercultural perspective are education, welcoming new residents, political leadership, businesses, the job market, and public services. In particular, equality in education, high standards, and student-centred learning were valued. The Multiculturalism Council, which brings minority representatives into the decision-making process in the municipality, was also mentioned as a positive element.

– To increase the attractiveness and retention of the city, it is crucial that we have an external analysis of what we are doing well and where we can improve, says Virve Flinkkilä, Director of Wellbeing.

Areas of improvement: multilingualism and neighbourhood diversity

The report identified intercultural competence, multilingualism, neighbourhood diversity, internationality, interaction, and anti-discrimination as areas for improvement.

In this context, the Council of Europe highlights the lack of statistical and qualitative data on diversity, discrimination, and intercultural relations. Regarding languages, greater representation of minority languages was requested.

– Finnish and Swedish have always been our service languages, and we are also adding English alongside them. We could also make more use of other minority languages. Vaasa’s multilingualism is a richness that we could showcase and utilise even more,” says Flinkkilä.

Diversity training for staff

The report stresses the importance of diverse neighbourhoods and praises the city’s work to avoid socio-cultural segregation in suburban areas. However, more work was called for to facilitate encounters and interactions between residents within neighbourhoods or between neighbourhoods.

– Other studies have also highlighted the importance of meeting places. Failing to meet different kinds of people can lead to growing polarisation and loneliness. In Vaasa, we are trying to address this, for example by organising events open to all, by building a welcoming urban environment, and by supporting village centres, says Flinkkilä.

The report is currently being discussed by the city’s various steering groups and political committees, and some of the suggestions will be incorporated into action plans.

The project will also include training for city staff on how to better integrate diversity into service planning. Training will be based on the principle of peer support, where good practices from other European cities will be shared.