CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AND TECHNICAL INFO

Call for Nominations

Wake Up Europe: It’s Time to Act!
All across Europe political groups and subcultures that feed off racist ideologies are on the move, penetrating mainstream politics with devastating consequences for the minorities targeted.
The impact of racism and discrimination on our societies today is severe: it affects all of us in various ways – whether we are its subjects or objects – making social cohesion impossible and paving the way for conflict.

On the background of these examples and many others, UNITED is organising this upcoming international conference to be held in Finland (FIN).

In Finland, migrants and ethnic minorities face prejudice, discrimination and racism that affect, for instance, equal access to work and equal treatment in schools. Racism in different forms – varying from exclusion and name-calling to violence – is part of everyday life for many visible minorities, though racist incidents are rarely reported. Support for young victims of racism is insufficient and this need is not properly recognised. Finland has a relatively small migrant population; the biggest migrant groups today are Estonians, Russian and Somalis. There are four national ethnic and language minorities: Finnish Roma, Tatars, Finnish-Swedish and Sami, last one being the only indigenous people in EU.

Creative approaches to tackle discrimination

In this climate of hate, we are heartened by acts of courage and the strength of free-thinking individuals; people who are not afraid to speak up for equality, multiculturalism and solidarity; people who go against the status quo to fight for what they believe in.
The European antiracist movement is full of such people, and you are invited to join us in Finland to create one unified voice that shows the true value of diversity.

During the conference, we will share fresh strategies and best practices for the European antidiscrimination movement. In a time when far-right groups are more and more successful in addressing a large part of the population, our response needs to be visible and creative: It’s time to ACT!

We will make use of a variety of working methods: thematic working groups, plenary sessions and workshops


The working groups below will discuss such issues from different angles. Your contribution will be valuable...

* Just Roma, Right-less Communities
This working group focuses on involving Roma communities in the fight against discrimination and marginalisation, also on the inclusion of Roma rights in the antidiscrimination movement. We will also deal with the problem of how Roma are represented in the media and what solutions can be found to break stereotypes.

* The InVisables- Which rights for undocumented migrants?
This working group focuses on the situation for undocumented migrants in European countries. We will take a look at how human rights, basic needs, employment and education are met/missing for sans papiers in different European countries, and how different the human rights movement addresses these issues both at grassroots and advocacy levels.
 
* School for All - Antidiscrimination education in schoo
In our working group we will search for the most effective way to implement an atmosphere of antidiscrimination within formal education environments. We will also look at how NGOs and schools can cooperate and exchange good practices. 

* Power to the Youth! Volunteering in NGOs
In this working group we will look at volunteering as a form of non-formal education and the possibility to obtain new skills, knowledge and competences as well as new support for the antidiscrimination movement.
We will also look at tools that help to evaluate and monitor learning processes in relation to key competences involved in volunteering.

* Online (H)Activism - New media in our struggle
The Internet and social media era provides a variety of new tools, methods and approaches that activists can use in their everyday work. In this working group we will explore the opportunities that these tools, methods and approaches provide and create strategies to best apply them in our everyday work.

* Artivism- Creative action against racism
In our working group we will discuss the possibilities of creative methods and art in activism and explore inspiring examples, for example in antiracist campaigns. This creative working group will offer an open environment to bring forth and test all forms of ideas and methods.

Draft Programme

UNITED is the largest pan-European anti-racist network of more than 550 organisations. With its conferences antiracist and human rights activists from all parts of Europe meet and discuss effective ways of combating racism and discrimination. At a recent UNITED conference held in May 2012 in Turkey (TR) delegates from 92 organisations from 35 countries look at specific issues, such as refugees rights, strategies to tackle Islamophobia, the creation of a Minority Rights Network, strategies for a critical approach to the media and many more.


Conference prepared by(*):
* Finnish Youth Cooperation Allianssi (FIN)
* Foundation of Subjective Values (H)
* Kurt Lewin Foundation (H)
* Red Cross Finland (FIN)
* United Nations Youth and Students Association of Finland (FIN)
* Community Development Institute (MK)
* Opportunity (GB)
* Parler en Paix - Talking in Peace (F)
* UNITED for Intercultural Action

(*) This conference is part of the project "Europe bottom-up: Capacity Building in Anti-discrimination Youth Work", a partnership between UNITED and Association for Social Change, Minority Rights Group Europe, Finnish Youth Cooperation Allianssi, Netzwerk für Demokratie und Courage, Duha UNITED, Foundation of Subjective Values; financed by Youth in Action Programme of the European Union, Action 4.6 – Youth support systems.
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Technical Info

Working methods
... plenary sessions, working groups, lectures, workshops, political cafés, presentations, debates, intercultural 'games', information market, cultural activities, excursions, open forum.

Participants
The conference is planned for 85 participants (living in the countries of the Council of Europe) who represent (inter)national antiracist, antifascist, refugee, human rights and minority rights organisations. Active grass-roots groups from all over Europe are also invited. Participation is rotated from one conference to another. Priority will be given to nominations from young delegates (under 30 years old) with a minority background. Preference is given to those organisations that actively take part in UNITED campaigns. Participants should act as multipliers, spreading the information to as many people as possible. We will try to reach an equal balance of female/male participants and a good geographical distribution.
Each organisation can nominate only ONE delegate.

Language
The conference language is English. All participants are expected to have at least basic knowledge of English. But don't worry, English is almost nobody's mother tongue. If you have difficulties in expressing yourself, surely we can help each other.

With the financial support of:
* European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe
* Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission
* Finnish Minister of Education and Culture
* The Matra Programme of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* Provincie Noord-Brabant

Financial conditions
Participation fee - travel costs
The participation fee of the conference depends on the country where the nominating organisation is based:

120 Euro for participants from group 1:
A, B, CH, CY, D, DK, E, F, FL, GB, GR, I, IS, IRL, L, M, N, NL, P, S

60 Euro for participants from group 2:
BG, CZ, EE, H, HR, LV, LT, PL, RO, SI, SK

40 Euro for participants from group 3:
FIN, AL, ARM, AZ, BH, BY, GE, H, KZ, KY, MK, MNE, MD, RS, RUS, TR, UA, UZB, XZ

Full board & lodging and the complete program is included.

Organisations that paid their 2012 supporter fee to the UNITED Network will receive a 50% reduction of the participation fee. (how to become a supporter)

UP


UNITED for Intercultural Action
European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees
Postbus 413, NL-1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands
phone +31-20-6834778, fax +31-20-6834582
info@unitedagainstracism.org, www.unitedagainstracism.org