From Communication to Connection: Where Real Change Begins

In this thought-provoking reflection, our colleague Nora Dadi explores how Finland’s response to racism in recent years reveals a deeper challenge: one that goes beyond communication and into the heart of human connection. Drawing on her experience as an anti-racist educator, Nora examines what happens when public institutions choose image over accountability, and how we can move from performance to genuine, lasting change.

​In this reflection, I look at how Finland’s recent political and public responses to racism reveal a deeper problem: when communication replaces connection. The blog was inspired by Helsingin Sanomat’s article on the government’s 2023 anti-racism statement and the insight shared by my colleague Onni Afoumou, who in an interview on MTV3 in early 2024 recognised that these gestures were not about genuine regret, but about silencing public pressure. This piece explores what happens when anti-racism becomes performance and how we can turn words into real, lasting change.

​When the news broke that the Finnish government’s 2023 rasismitiedonanto (anti-racism statement) was not born from genuine reflection but from a PR strategy, many of us working in anti-racism felt something we already knew deep down.

The recent Helsingin Sanomat article, “Kirja | Purra: Hallituksen rasismitiedonanto oli virhe” (https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000011556314.html), revealed that the statement was the idea of a communications strategist, designed to move the discussion about racism from the public space to Parliament and calm the political storm.

​In other words, it was crisis management rather than accountability.

​As an anti-racist worker and educator, this revelation was not surprising. It confirmed what many of us had sensed while sitting in meetings and listening to carefully crafted speeches: that anti-racism in Finland often operates at a symbolic level. It is said, but rarely done. When I think back to the MTV3 interview I did with my colleague Onni Afoumou, his words still ring true. When asked about the government’s response to racism, Onni said he did not see genuine regret or learning, only an attempt to quiet people down. He was right. What happened in 2023 was not an act of moral leadership but of public image protection.

The deeper problem lies in how racism is managed. Too often, institutions and workplaces treat anti-racism as a communication issue rather than a cultural and structural one. Instead of acknowledging the harm, the focus shifts to managing appearances. To understand this more clearly, I see three recurring problems.

1. Communication replaces connection. When discrimination is raised, organisations often rush to manage the conversation instead of understanding it. The tone becomes cautious, and the person speaking up is left feeling unseen.
2. Fear replaces courage. People and leaders fear being called out, saying the wrong thing or losing control. This fear prevents open dialogue and makes people defend instead of listen.
3. Symbolism replaces structure. Statements, campaigns and declarations are made to calm emotions, but they rarely lead to systemic change. Anti-racism remains at the level of performance, not practice.

​When communication replaces connection, we lose the human essence of anti-racism. Real dialogue is not about controlling tone or avoiding emotion. It is about listening to discomfort, acknowledging pain and allowing truth to shape the next steps. Real change cannot grow in silence. It grows when people feel safe to speak and when leaders dare to listen.

Yet criticism alone is not enough. For anti-racism in Finland to move from performance to practice, we must look towards concrete solutions that connect action with accountability. Based on my experience in both community and professional contexts, I believe change begins when we commit to the following:

1. Embed anti-racism into everyday structures. Policies and training are not enough. Real progress shows up in how organisations recruit, allocate resources, make decisions and evaluate leadership. Anti-racism must live in systems, not slogans.
2. Create safe spaces for accountability. Mistakes will happen, but silence will not fix them. Safe accountability spaces allow harm to be acknowledged and repaired without fear or punishment. Accountability should mean learning, not blame.
3. Redefine leadership. Leadership is not about avoiding mistakes but owning them. Leaders who model humility and emotional intelligence set the tone for genuine inclusion. Listening is a form of leadership.
4. Support anti-racist practitioners. The people doing this work need recognition, resources and care. Too often, they carry the emotional weight of racism alone, without institutional support. Sustainable change requires sustained investment.
5. Prioritise connection over control. Communication strategies should not be used to silence emotion but to build empathy. Real connection is the opposite of control. It happens when honesty is valued more than image.

​These are not abstract ideals. They are practical ways of creating cultures where everyone belongs and feels safe to be heard. Anti-racism cannot live in words. It must live in practice, in structures and in the daily decisions that shape our shared spaces. Real change begins when fear gives way to empathy and denial gives way to accountability. That is where communication turns into connection. And that is where inclusion finally becomes more than a word.

Written by: nora dadi