How to speak up against racism

Racism also makes people feel unsafe on social media. If you notice racist comments on social media, you can intervene in the conversation and make the space safer. Intervening in racism on social media may feel difficult or pointless. However, your intervention makes social media a safer place for everyone.

• Always speak up against the use of racist language.
• Report content. Use the “Report” function of the platform. This helps prevent the spread of racist content. If someone harasses you on your account, you can block the harasser.
• Lend your support. Leave a kind comment or send a private message to show that you do not condone racism.
• Respond appropriately. Reply in a clam and appropriate manner. Present facts or question harmful claims.
• Save the message, but do not respond to it, if you become the target of a racist attack online. If the message has a threatening tone, report it the police.
• Spread reliable information. Leverage the power of your own social media to speak up against racism and promote non-discrimination.
• Encourage by setting an example. By speaking up against racism, you give others the courage to do the same. 

Deep-rooted discriminatory practices or everyday racism may be present in recreational activities. By addressing racism and examining accepted practices with a critical eye, you can make the recreational activities more equitable and safer for everyone. 

• Communicate clearly that you do not condone racism in your activities.
• Prepare guidelines for handling situations involving racism and make sure that everyone knows what to do in such situations. 
• Create a safe channel for reporting instances of racism.
• Keep in mind that if children or young people participate in the activities, it is always the adults’ obligation to intervene in racism.
• Increase awareness and knowledge of racism and the obligation to intervene in it among the adults responsible for the activities.
• Try to create a climate where it is easy for people to talk about their experiences of racism.
• Identify any practices and approaches in your activities that may be discriminatory.
• Be proactive in dismantling discriminatory practices and approaches. Speak up against racism.
• Listen and lend your support if someone tells you about their experiences of racism.
• If necessary, ask for help with handling situations from the umbrella organisations, experts or the authorities, for instance.
• Listen to and respect the wishes of the person facing racism regarding how they want the situation to be handled.
• Report the situation to a higher authority, such as the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman or the police, if required by the situation.

All employers have the legal obligation to address and prevent discrimination. It is important to keep in mind, however, that intervening in racism is the responsibility of every member of the work community. Racism at workplaces may manifest in things such as who is recruited, who is able to advance in their career, how much pay the employees receive, or how the employees are treated in general. 

• Communicate clearly that racism is unacceptable and prohibited at the workplace.
• Make sure that everyone knows what to do in the event that racism occurs in the work community.
• Build a culture where experiences of racism are treated seriously and they lead to actions being taken.
• Improve all employees’ skills through training.
• Identify any discriminatory practices and approaches in your organisation.
• Be proactive in dismantling discriminatory practices and approaches in cooperation with others.
• Develop practices for addressing racism and discrimination in the recruitment phase, such as anonymous recruitment or objective assessment methods.
• Make sure that the equality plan is adhered to.
• Always speak up against racism.
• Listen to and respect the wishes of the person facing racism regarding how they want the situation to be handled.
• Report the situation to a higher authority, such as the occupational safety and health authority or the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, if required by the situation.

You may encounter racism anywhere and often unexpectedly, such as in public transport, at the workplace during a coffee break, on the sidelines of a ball game or at a children’s end-of-school celebration. If you do not address it at all, you may come to regret it afterwards. Therefore, it is important to consider in advance how you should act if faced with such a situation. Remember to always respect the wishes of the person facing racism. 

• Remain calm. It is easy to become emotional when facing injustice. First, calm yourself down so that you are not as easily provoked. 
• Call for help if the situation is threatening. You do not need to play superhero: call 112 for help. 
• Seek support from other witnesses if you are nervous about intervening in a situation alone. When someone takes the initiative, usually others are also encouraged to intervene. 
• Stay by their side. Sometimes talking back to others may not feel like a good solution or it may feel frightening. In such cases, simply going to stand next to the person facing racism sends a strong message that you are on their side, and the person that committed these racist actions is now alone.
• Intervene by saying “no”. If the situation is not too threatening, talking back sharply, but calmly, is both effective and surprising. An objection signals that racist actions are not acceptable and do not need to be tolerated. Repeating the racist message out loud right back at the person may also be an effective method. 
• Do not accept offensive name-calling. Name-calling can be considered a defamation, which is punishable as decreed in the Criminal Code. In case law, the use of certain insults has, in some contexts, been considered to fulfil the criteria of a defamation offence. If necessary, you can file a police report.
• Show compassion and say that you are sorry for the incident to the person facing racism. If, for any reason, you are unable to take action during the situation, stay and talk with the person affected afterwards. By listening to the person affected, you can make them feel better and help them calm down after a potentially very shocking situation, and you show them that you do not agree with the person that insulted them.