News

09.06.2025

Marttinen promotes equality every day of the year

At the beginning of June, Tampere once again celebrates diversity and equality during the events of Manse Pride Week. Pride Week serves as a reminder that human rights and equality belong to everyone — not just on festive days, but in everyday life, every day.

At the same time, many organisations are reflecting on what equality means in their own operations. This is also the case at Youth Centre Marttinen, which is one of the youth centres awarded the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres. This label commits the centre to promoting the core values of the Council of Europe: human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

At Marttinen, equality and human rights are not just fine words — they are concrete and ongoing work. The centre’s Equality Plan serves as a practical tool to ensure that all young people and visitors can participate safely and as their authentic selves. The plan guides, among other things, staff training, the prevention of discrimination, and the development of accessibility in the centre’s facilities.

In its international youth work, Marttinen invests in ensuring that human rights and equality are reflected in interactions with young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Every young person has the right to be treated with respect — whether they are a participant in a youth camp, a youth worker attending training, a young person participating in a youth exchange, or an international volunteer.

Marttinen’s work for equality reminds us that building a truly equal and human rights-respecting society is a shared responsibility for all of us. It requires continuous learning and the courage to act — in youth centres, in schools, and on the streets of our cities.

Equality is not just about speeches — it is about actions that are visible in everyday life.