Speak
Out! Against Racism
18-26
March 2006 European-wide Action Week Against Racism
CONTENTS
Common
problems
Common
solutions
21
March
What
does the term racism mean?
Why
cooperate in European campaigns?
How
you can act?
Get
active in the campaign
Planning
a campaign activity
How
UNITED can help
- Do you need more
information?
How you can help
UNITED
What
is UNITED?
Common problems
Racism cannot be justified or
tolerated - it must be put to an end!
Discrimination on all grounds is still affecting many aspect
of everyday life; it can be open and easily spotted when it happens
on the streets or in schools, but it can be also lie hidden within
institutions and social structures when it denies access to education,
to the job market, to housing, to health services... to all social,
political and cultural opportunities.
Racism itself has come to mean much more than discrimination
on the ground of race and it has become a constant factor in
Europe: the tense world climate strengthened many stereotypes,
whole minority communities are abused as scapegoats, extreme
right-wing groups and parties are spreading their exclusionist
ideology, visible minorities are confronted with disrespect.
Prejudices and fear are affecting the daily lives of young people
and minority youth and this makes the already difficult situation
for migrant youth at home, in school and in their free time even
worse. Bullying, harassment, racism, violence and the permanently
confrontation of young people with lack of trust and solidarity
are one of the biggest problems of our society.
Common solutions
We are concerned about the international
situation and about the direct and indirect forms of discrimination,
hate crimes and sexual harassment and we need a common voice
to speak out against racism and exclusion in Europe.
Thousands of activists will
act together to highlight one common problem: racism. Raising
awareness in all fields of life - that's the key to defeat racism!
We have to stand together, be UNITED to support the antiracist
and anti discrimination vision and to SPEAK OUT against racism
and the negative political tendencies in Europe! With an authentic
and living movement we can put antiracism into the mainstream
of contemporary culture. Young people can and should be a part
of the solution to the problem of racism. The movement can grow
with their opinions and their visions of the Europe they want
to live in.
At the UNITED conference in
Cyprus in November 2005, representatives of active groups from
38 European countries discussed strategies for the European-wide
Action Week Against Racism 2006 and exchanged experiences: The
action week is an important moment for the network, because it
involves all the organisations committed in the fight against
discrimination on all grounds.
21 March
21 March was declared International
Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
by the General Assembly of the United Nations as a reaction to
the murder of 69 anti-apartheid demonstrators in Sharpeville,
South Africa, in 1960. During the annual European-wide Action
Week, which centres around 21 March, thousands of people actively
engage themselves for tolerance, equal rights and celebrate the
diversity of Europe. This year once again hundreds of activities
will take place all around Europe, organised by a wide variety
of organisations. Activities range from intercultural youth festivals
to cleaning the walls of racist slogans or multicultural football
matches.
What does the term racism mean?
Racism is the belief that some people are superior because they
belong to a particular 'race'. Racists define a 'race' as a group
of people with common ancestry. They distinguish different races
from one another by physical characteristics, such as skin colour
and hair texture. In fact, there are no clear differences, and
especially no significant differences that matter. Recent research
shows that 'race' is an imagined entity. 'Race' has no biological
basis. The word 'racism' is used to describe abusive or aggressive
behaviour towards members of a so-called 'inferior race'. Racism
takes different forms in different countries, according to history,
culture and other social factors. A relatively new form of racism
sometimes called 'ethnic or cultural differentiation' says that
all races or cultures are equal but they should not mix together
to keep their originality. There is no scientific proof of the
existence of different races. Biology has only determined one
race: the human race.
(From: 'The Danger of Words: Definitions of concepts most used
in anti-racist work', UNITED Information Leaflet No. 13, see:
www.unitedagainstracism.org,
look under 'Publications')
Why cooperate in European campaigns?
SPEAK OUT, find common solutions!
Racism is not a local issue and the European campaigns can help
set the agenda on all levels. We have to campaign on local, regional
and European level to get our point across. By linking local
and national actions, we can generate European-wide publicity.
We can show that there is an enormous amount of people that believe
in an intercultural open society. It gives all participants new
energy to go on with their everyday struggle against racism and
intolerance. You will get motivated and inspired by the ideas
and enthusiasm of other people, learn from each other's experience
and views, generate more publicity because of the scope and size
of the activity, etc. If you would like to take part in this
campaign, keep in mind that it is the variety and creativity
of many different activities all over Europe that make the UNITED
campaigns unique.
So: SPEAK OUT AGAINST RACISM and find like-minded groups and
start planning now!
How you can act?
All organisations, large and small,
can contribute in their own way to the Action Week. The European
campaign aims to raise awareness in all relevant sectors of society.
Three main targets are the media, youth and the general public:
· Media is essential in the campaign action with the purpose
of raising awareness in the public opinion and it may be inclined
to work with you to produce special issues, TV programs and radio
shows. Especially community media often get in contact with local
organisations to produce special programs.
· Youth organisations and teachers' unions frequently
take up the occasion of this week to organise special lessons,
campus meetings, petitions...
· Public debates, round tables and conferences provide
places for reflection and brainstorming. By organising them during
the Action Week you give both the week and the activity more
weight and more publicity. You can take up the occasion of the
week to write petitions to politicians or publish media releases.
Many organisations publish their annual report during the Action
Week. Removing graffiti and other visible actions can alert the
public to the message of the Action Week.
If you want more information
and ideas you can take a look on the UNITED website.We have published
the information leaflet "Get Active! 'The how to Organise
an Activity?' Guide". Just go to www.unitedagainstracism.org
under 'Publications'.
Get active in the campaign
Do you believe in the active struggle against racism? Join the
campaign and order more copies of this poster for free. Send/fax/e-mail
UNITED information about your activities (title, date, theme,
place) and the name, address and contact person of your organisation.
Planning a campaign activity
Keep in mind:
· The aim should always include protection and empowerment
of victims of racism.
· There is no 'neutrality' in relation to racism.
· Getting the issue of racism in your school or in your
workplace out in the open is not ruining the atmosphere: If there
was racism, it was already bad.
Consider the following points:
· What does the campaign aim to achieve? What does your
activity aim to achieve?
· What change do you want (short AND long term)?
· Do you really want this activity or would another activity
serve your purpose just as well?
· Who is the target of the action? Who needs to change,
and how?
· What do you need? Who do you need on your side? What
partnerships will help you?
What publicity do you need?
· Try to have a planning group that includes the people
most targeted by racism, the people living in the area where
you work, youth groups, minority groups...
· Choose the most appropriate method: Direct action (non-violent
protest actions), political lobbying, public demonstration, intercultural
party, educational projects in schools and youth clubs, press
action, media...
· Delegate responsibilities.
· Make a timetable for the campaign and check it regularly.
How UNITED can help
· You can order campaign
material, up to 100 posters are for free. But if you need more
for special purposes, don't hesitate to contact UNITED.
· We will produce a special List of Activities, documenting
all the different activities during the campaign and the strength
of the antiracist movement throughout Europe. The list can help
you to make contacts and exchange ideas with other groups. You
could even link activities through the internet, or by sending
faxes of solidarity to other organisations active in the Action
Week. It will be updated several times and will be published
on our website www.unitedagainstracism.org
· Call UNITED if you cannot find a partner for your activities.
We might know of other NGOs in your country who are planning
activities.
· A media release will be sent out to all the important
European press agencies, newspapers, etc. If you feel that we
should include a specific media contact from your country in
our list, let us know. Journalists who want to know about specific
activities will be informed about events in their country and
are referred to the organisations involved.
· UNITED will produce a European report after the Action
Week, including as many of the activities that took place as
possible. The report is spread throughout Europe to support NGOs
in reporting to their sponsors and to inspire action for next
year. You can order copies of last year's report for inspiration
and motivation.
Do you need more information?
UNITED can provide you with useful
information:
· You can order a copy of the European Address Book Against
Racism to find like-minded organisations in other countries,
or in your own country.
· You can phone or e-mail the secretariat to find out
who else is organising something.
· You can check the UNITED website to order the campaign
poster, or other campaign material to use in your own way.
· A full list of anti-racism magazines can also be found
in the European Address BookAgainst Racism and on the UNITED
website.
· If you need to find more anti-racism news, Internet
is a wonderful medium.
How you can help UNITED
Help us to make the media release
exciting! Announce your activities to us! Send us your ideas,
invitations, leaflets and posters before the activities take
place. Help us make the post-campaign report complete and affecting.
Make sure your activity is included! Send us reports, newspaper
articles, photographs, etc. after the event for the European
report. The material does not have to be in English. And last
but not least: Just let us know what you need.
What is UNITED?
UNITED for Intercultural Action
is the European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees. Racism, nationalism,
fascism, discrimination, restrictive migration and asylum policiesthese
issues have a European dimension. It is important to fight intolerance
on all levels. Linked through UNITED, more than 560 organisations
and youth organisations from a wide variety of backgrounds, from
all European countries, work together on a voluntary basis. They
base their cooperation on common actions and shared activities
and on mutual respect. UNITED is and will remain independent
from all political parties, organisations and states, but seeks
an active co-operation with other anti-racist initiatives in
Europe. Through the UNITED network organisations meet each other,
work on common actions and share information. European-wide action
weeks and campaigns are planned and discussed at UNITED conferences.
Like-minded organisations meet each other at such conferences
and work together on specific projects and on specific topics.
The workers in the secretariat are in constant contact with the
network organisations, ensuring that information and proposals
for action are transmitted rapidly. Information is received from
more than 2000 organisations and mailings go out to about 2500
groups in Europe. If you want to get involved discuss the ideas
and aims of the UNITED network within your organisation. Let
us know that your organisation would like to join or to receive
information. And add us to your mailing list!
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
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