Week Against Racism - Oulu Loves Me
The national Week Against Racism takes place in Finland on week 12 (March 16th. 22rd.) because the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is on March 21st.
A variety of activities will be organized in Oulu during the week. The events will especially discuss respecting other people and intervening in racism. All events will be compiled on this site.
Events of Anti-Racism Week
Week schedule
Friday 13.3. at 14.00 - 17.00 EN/FI
Oulu Loves Me
Place: Mall Valkea stage at 14-15 Music performances and opening words from City of Oulu at 15-17 workshops Valkea’s Young’s Corner
Organizers: Youth Services Oulu and Multicultural Centre Villa Victor
Wednesday 18.3. at 17.00 - 20.00
Board Games & Networking event
Place: Sepänkatu 20
Organizes: International House Oulu and Startup Refugees
IH Oulu will once again host its familiar board game and networking event. This time, the theme is anti‑racism. The event is organized together with Startup Refugees.
Wednesday 18.3. at 13.30 - 16.00 EN/FI
Anti-discrimination Forum – Oulu for All project
Place: Oulu City Hall, valtuustosali, Kirkkokatu 2a
Organizes: Kaikkien Oulu -hanke
The safety of public spaces in Oulu from the perspective of different population groups and stakeholders.
At the beginning of 2025, the City of Oulu published an anti-racism action plan aimed at building a more equal and equitable Oulu. The plan is implemented by the Oulu for All project, which promotes trust and interaction between different population groups.
The forum’s role is to act as an advocate for equality and non-discrimination and to promote measures in anti-racism work. A diverse group of influential people from Oulu—representing different professions, age groups, political orientations, and backgrounds—will be invited to join the network.
The event continues with the anti-discrimination forum established in spring 2025, which was last organized in autumn 2025 with a focus on promoting diversity in working life.
Theme of the event:
During the Anti-Racism Week, the and-discrimination forum will focus on discussing experiences of safety by different groups and individuals, existing safety-related practices, and the shared responsibility of different actors and organizations in ensuring safe spaces for everyone in public
environments.
Why You should participate?
Safety is an issue that affects all of us, yet it is experienced in different ways. In public spaces, it is essential that everyone can feel safe. To ensure a sense of safety for all individuals and groups, sufficient knowledge and effective practices are required. In the forum, we will discuss, among other things, various discriminatory situations related to safety and examine how different safety practices and plans function in these cases.
Registration:
Register by 12.3.2026 at the latest via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/Pfgi1NHdSL
The event will be held in Finnish and English
Wednesday, 18.3. 14:00 - 16:00 FI/EN
VUORO – It’s your turn
Place: Villa Victor (Oulu10), Torikatu 10
Organozers: Mobille Futures projekt
Share your voice. Think collectively. Build the future.
What if community started with one sincere conversation?
In times of conflict and division, reflecting one's own values has become more than urgent.
VUORO is a place to think, share and listen. Through workshops and dialogues across generations and cultural backgrounds, we explore what the people of Oulu care about, what moves them, and what connects them.
For this open KahviKlubi session, we start with a simple, yet powerful
question:
What is important to you?
Together, we reflect - first individually, then collectively.
The workshop follows the direction the participants choose.
It grows from your thoughts, your experiences, your questions.
You are warmly invited to come as you are.
Have a coffee. Take your time. Share, or simply listen.
Program:
14:00 Arrival and Coffee/Tea
14:15 Intro and Warm Up
14:30 Personal Reflection: What is Important to me?
14:45 Discussion
15:00 Teamwork: What is important to us?
15:30 Discussion and Creation: Our wishes for the future
15:45 Wrap-Up and How to continue from here
Part of the project is to collect data about what drives and matters to the people of Oulu. You can choose to participate in the data collection by allowing us to carry your ideas into further workshops and exhibitions. However, if you don’t want that; that's ok too😊 Your presence is appreciated and important either way.
VUORO is an Oulu2026 initiative of the event series “Always been here”
Friday 20.3.at 17.00 - 19.00 EN
Storytelling
Place: Hyvän Mielen Talo, Kauppurienkatu 23
Organizers: Tell Me-hanke / The Irish Festival of Oulu
In the Storytelling event we hear and share stories about the meeting of different cultures. There are also two workshops, where participants can work with thoughts that the stories awoke. The event is in English.
Friday 20.3. at 18.00-20.00 EN/FI
Place: Luke´s Guesthouse, Erkki Koiso-Kanttilan katu 7
Organizers: Tuiran seurakunta
At Luke´s Guesthouse we will get to know with different cultures. Tonight our theme is Japan and Japanese culture.
This evening is part of the weekly programme against rasicm.
Friday 20.3. at 20.00 - 23.00 FI/EN/AR/SO/DARI
Dream Lounge
Place: Valkea kauppakeskus, Nuorten Nurkka
Organizers: Rauhankasvatusinstituutti ry sekä Kaikkien Oulu
Dream Lounge is an alternative (18+) bar where we dive into the future of young adults through the world of dreams. In this dream space, we ask: What does the future of young adults look like right now — what do we dream about, and what worries us? How can we build an anti-racist and discrimination-free future together? At the event, you can draw, write, listen, or take part in discussions with others. You can also enjoy music by the DJ, drink mocktails, hang out, dance, or simply just be. The event is facilitated by the young influencers of RKI. We follow safer space principles. Languages: Finnish, English, Somali, Arabic, Dari.
Saturday 21.3. at 10.00- 15.00 FI/EN
Sykelauantai
Place: Syke-talo (Kirjastokuja 1, 90900 Oulu)
Organizers: cooperation with the Oulu City Library, Oulu Youth Services and Valve’s Neighbourhood Culture.
In honor of the International Day Against Racism, the theme of Sykelauantai is Everyone Is Welcome Here.
Program:
12:00 Storytime
13:00 Nova Ensemble
Persian folk music performed by the Oulu-based Nova Ensemble. The performance takes listeners on a musical journey across Iran’s diverse cultural regions and celebrates multiculturalism through music.
The library is open from 9am to 3pm and the youth centre from 11am to 4pm.
In addition, during the event the library will host a book exhibition related to different languages and cultures, as well as a book clearance sale — a bag of books for €2.
Sykelauantai events are free-entry events held at the Syke building, featuring a changing programme. You can find the upcoming Sykelauantai programme on the Syke building’s website and in the City of Oulu event calendar.
16.-19.3. 2–7pm EN/FI/AR/FR/RU
Startup Refugees Open Doors
Place: Saaristonkatu 23-25, 90100 Oulu
Organizers: Startup Refugees
We are keeping our doors open during Anti-Racism Week March 16th to 19th between 2-7 pm. Our Privileged Job Seeker board game will lead you to discuss discrimination in the workplace. You can also share your thoughts on anti-racism on post-it notes, which will later be turned into a small work of art. Stop by for tea, coffee and a chat!
19.1.–31.3.2026 according to Valkea opening hours
Startup Refugees photo exhibition
On the 2nd floor of Valkea near the elevators
Startup Refugees: From Arrival to Belonging exhibition
The exhibition invites you to step into the lives of people who came to Finland as refugees or asylum seekers and see how they have shaped our communities.
Some arrived from the Middle East in 2015, some from Ukraine in 2022. Each journey is different. Each story carries moments of fear and hope, confusion and courage, struggle and triumphs. The portraits and personal stories let you witness what it is to start over and how to find a place where you belong. They also show the beautiful ways these individuals have made Finland stronger, more vibrant and more connected through their skills, presence and contributions. The stories remind us that belonging is not a finish line. It is built day by day, through human connection, persistence and shared care for one another.
Come and see the exhibition for yourself and step into these stories!
16.- 22.3.
Our Oulu – 11 Proposals for Encountering One Another
Organizers: Rauhankasvatusinstituutti ry sekä Kaikkien Oulu
Our Oulu – 11 Proposals for Encountering One Another is a video work in support of a more equal Oulu. Through the videos, 15 young people from diverse backgrounds in Oulu invite all of us to reflect on how we can together make Oulu an even more communal and safer city—one where everyone, regardless of their characteristics, can feel at home. In the videos, the young people share their thoughts on how we could bravely meet one another and intervene when encountering racism and all forms of discrimination. The young people’s dream and vision is an Oulu free from discrimination, where everyone is able to flourish as their authentic self. Join us in building such an Oulu together, one encounter at a time. The language of the videos is Finnish, with English subtitles.
SPR Identify and Act navigator for adults
Welcome to the Identify and Act navigator!
On the following pages, you can test how you would act in a situation where you observe open or unintentional racism, stereotypical thinking or appearance-based stigmatisation. All of the cases are based on real-life experiences.
Select the option that matches what you would do and how you would react. There are no right or wrong answers. You can also go back and see how making a different choice would impact the situation.
By using the navigator, you also gain information and concrete instructions to act against racism.
Good luck!
Go to navigator
SPR Identify and Act navigator intended for young people
Welcome to the Identify and Act navigator for young people!
The next pages will let you test out how you would act in racist situations. Racism can be either intentional or unintentional, or it can manifest as stereotypical thinking or stigmatizing based on looks. All the situations presented are based on real-life incidents. Children and young people face racism every day.
Your task is to select the option that matches how you would act. There are no right or wrong answers. You can also go back and review your responses to see what would happen if you reacted in a different way.
Using the navigator will give you information and advice on how to intervene in racism.
Good luck!
Go to navigator
Hymyilevä Oulu2026
Hymyilevä Oulu 26
Hymyilevä Oulu 26 is a year-long photography project that is part of
Oulu 2026 European Capital of Culture program in Finland.
Its goal is to highlight the stories of minorities, lonely and different people
and to create a discussion about community and being seen.
We are organizing Oulu's largest photography competition , which is intended for everyone.
The photography competition and photography courses will be held in January–March 2026 .
The celebration gala will be held on June 10, 2026 in the auditorium and lower lobby of Pohjankartano.
The gala will award the winners of the photo competition and open an exhibition, which will later
expand to different parts of Oulu.
The project also includes the village of Riogordo in southern Spain, where it will organize its own photography competition and exhibition in collaboration with the local museum and the Augmenters cultural association .