About DIVa
DIVa is a Non-Governmental Organization of parents and other citizens committed to achieving inclusive and non-discriminatory learning environments.
Our focus is supporting ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, including immigrants as well as old minorities in schools, daycares, preschools.
Our members speak more than fifteen different languages, and we work both in English, Swedish, Finnish and Russian.
Vision
Our vision is that within their learning environment, each child feels that they belong, are valued for who they are, and that they have equal access to rigorous, meaningful and joyful learning and social life.
DIVa wants children, parents and guardians, and the school authorities to understand that differences can bring us together. It is important to become aware of how our negative perceptions of others can affect our relationships and interactions with one another. Discrimination and bias experienced by children can have lasting impacts on their social and emotional development. Racism and discrimination also limit our society to realize its full potential and to achieve equity.
Finland’s problem
Finland has no supervising authority for schools. Municipalities are in charge of schools, and the governmental structures have no legal means to intervene, even when it is obvious that a municipality is not following the law. Municipalities are deemed legal persons and can appear in administrative court. Likewise, the state of Finland is a separate legal person. This is not the case in many other European countries, such as Sweden, the U.K., and Poland, where a supervising authority is charged with the responsibility of ensuring access and equity in schools.
What we do
DIVa is guided by three pillars: Equity, Empathy, and Justice (Lowfullness). Be in contact with us to get information about diversity, equity, minorities and about inclusion of newcomers at school. We assist families standing up for their children’s rights at school. We also plan to organize social events promoting inclusion of immigrant families with children into our society.
DIVa is by time committed to providing children, parents and guardians, and educators with the tools and resources to enable an open and informed discussion about diversity, equity, justice and inclusion in schools, as well as to address the challenges students face when they experience discrimination or bias.
DIVa is committed to achieving inclusive and non-discriminatory learning environments that allow children to fulfill their true potential in this world. We advocate for schools and families to promote diversity and inclusion and to take meaningful steps to address and eradicate discrimination and bias. We also evoke authorities and politicians to promote justice and lawfulness in schools. We see a true need for a supervising authority for the schools.
DIVa is now actively working to promote the re-establishing of a supervising authority for the schools. We work both directly supporting families, at the national level initiating dialogue with authorities and at the same time we also move forward on the European level.
Our story
We are a young organization. In 2017, several parents came together to contemplate how we can engage the politicians and authorities to improve the legalization so that equity of children in schools can be implemented. Our children were experiencing discrimination and racism in their schools and we were disappointed by the response from the schools and the municipalities on how to address these incidents. We felt there was a need for a broader discussion and understanding about how racism, injustice and intolerance affect our children, and how they can hinder social progress. We had been trying to stand for our children, and to prevent discrimination, using the existing paths of complaining, waiting months and years for answers from authorities. Even when we recieved statements or answers from authorities (Aluehallintovirasto, Eduskunnan lakiasianmies, Opetushallitus or Yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu) we realized, it was in vane. We found out that schools and municipalities feel free to ignore laws and statements from governmental authorities. That is why we decided to establish a new association, DIVa — Parents for Diversity.
Today in Finland structural flaws and legislative loopholes prevent families who stand up against discrimination to be heard and the Non-Discrimination Act as well as the curriculum to be implemented. There is nobody holding the schools accountable for discrimination, injustice and racism. Nobody carries the responsibility of preventing discrimination in schools, and nobody can enforce schools’ compliance with civil rights laws. In practice, the schools and municipalities are untouchable, and the colour-blindness of the authorities at the municipal level, amplified by the lack of understanding for structural discrimination, injustice and racism, creates an unbearable situation for minority families.
We commit to:
• raise awareness about the implications of racism, intolerance, injustice and discrimination on all members of society;
• by time develop workshops, materials and resources for families and schools that champion diversity and inclusion;
• advocate for families who experience discrimination or bias in schools.
The initiative group began to work in the spring of 2018, as the need for collaboration and information gathering is great and we registered as an association in June 2018 with number 221.917
https://yhdistysrekisteri.prh.fi/basicinformation?registrationNumber=221917&timeZone=Europe/Helsinki
and in June 2019 with VAT-number 3004628-8. https://tietopalvelu.ytj.fi/yritystiedot.aspx?yavain=2824038&tarkiste=E28C069EA8FA2C212E8919AB68CD3474F5686725