The annual Multicultural Independence Day event takes place on December 6th, Finland's Independence Day. The celebration brings together representatives from various cultures and addresses socially relevant topics.
This year, Moniheli handed over the organising of the event to its member organisations, co-sponsoring it alongside Kansalaisfoorumi. Darya Gulik, a Moniheli's board member from the House of Helsinki, became one of the key organisers. Collaborating with her were IWWOF - International Working Women of Finland, Autokton Ry, and Suomi-Marokko Ystävyys- & Kumppanuusyhdistys Ry (SMYKY Ry).
This year, the event's central message was "FINclusion knows no borders."
The Multicultural Independence Day event brought together a diverse group of individuals to celebrate cultural diversity in Finland. The two-hour program featured a variety of captivating performances:
Ayaan Hassan's poetry,
Joy and Ifunanya (HOPE) musical performance,
Rina Januzi and Merve Abdurrahmani (Autokton Ry) musical performance,
Luna and Agata's dance (SVK Graniitti) ,
Lively rhythms of traditional Latin American dances by Askelten Palo and Filipino dances by BIBAK,
Stand-up comedy performance by Karim Aldulaimi.
The Multicultural Independence Day event was enriched by the charismatic hosts, Chico Muya and Sandhja Kuivalainen.
All these diverse elements were seamlessly woven together with guest speakers focusing on the main theme of the year: "FINclusion has no borders." Speakers:
Emma Tamankag, Chairperson of the Moniheli Board and HEED Association Finland,
Anni Sinnemäki, former Deputy Mayor of the City of Helsinki,
Isioma Ify, a high school student at SYK in the IB program, author, speechwriter, and speaker,
Kamilla Sultanova, a speaker, event host, and DEI consultant based in Finland.
Futhermore, Souk Restaurant prepared food for the after-party so guests could discuss plans for next year and make new connections.
A heartfelt thank you to all the participants and guests of the Multicultural Independence Day for making it an inspiring day.
In addition, we would like to thank volunteers from House of Helsinki who played a crucial role in making this event possible. Looking forward to seeing you at next year's Multicultural Independence Day!
