Making our voice heard is a collective effort and all hands must be on deck to make it happen. There are several platforms which aim to elevate black voices in Finland in other to break down racial inequality and structural racism. Diaspora Glitz Magazine, the voice of the African diaspora in Finland is a frontline crusader against the negative narratives of the minority African diaspora.
Several publications on our website showcase the outstanding achievements and exploits of the African diaspora which you may not find in the mainstream media. We report the underreported contributions to the economy by the African diaspora.
November last year, an African postdoctoral, Dr Doh was unjustly disengaged from his job at the university. Diaspora Glitz Magazine got wind of his ordeal in the Finnish academia. It was learnt that the fellow had sought the help of journalists and the mainstream media but he didn’t get the help he desired probably because of his skin colour or his background.
Obi-West Utchaychukwu, Diaspora Glitz Magazine publisher and Pekka Haavisto ( Finnish foreign minister) at Think Africa event. Photo:Jukka Luoma
Diaspora Glitz Magazine launched an investigation into the sacking of the fellow at the University of Turku after he helped the institution to get a €4 million in funding from the Ministry of Education, Finland, for a project, the Finland Africa Platform for Innovation (FAPI). The crux of the study was why would the university disengage the black man who conceived and nurtured a promising project that brought a huge amount of money to the university and hand the project to 40 representatives from 27 Universities and AMKs (all white).
Stakeholders within the Finnish academia and those at the University of Turku were contacted during the two months of study of the modus operandi of the university vis-à-vis blacks and foreign academics. Diaspora Glitz Magazine ensured that the study was within the ambit of the law.
Our publication which had a change.org petition that was addressed to the Finnish Parliament went viral and a lot of people signed the petition. Stakeholders at the University of Turku read the article, the Ministry of Education Finland became aware of the matter via the article and a meeting was summoned, Diaspora Glitz Magazine gathered.
Diaspora Glitz Magazine was reliably told that the Ministry of Education was not happy with the way the black fellow was treated. Diaspora Glitz Magazine was informed that following the meeting that was held with stakeholders of the Finnish academia, the issue of short contracts, poor career policies, confiscation of projects, no career mobility for foreigners, rudeness, opaque contract procedures etc, were addressed.
It is good to note that Dr Doh has been elevated to the position of Docent in Higher Education Management and Leadership upon recommendation of the Faculty of Education of the University. The new job permits him to conduct, review and supervise higher-level research and teaching up to a doctorate.
We would like to commend the Finnish officials for inviting the foreign academics for listening to their plights. Many have had this problem but kept mute but today they can talk openly. You would recall that on 28 April, there was a panel at the University of Turku on the future of foreign academics.
