CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

CONTENTS

All Different All Equal

All Different

All Different All Equal Rights!

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?


All Different All Equal

This years slogan 'All Different-All Equal´ for European-wide Action Week
Against Racism is connected with the Europe-wide Campaign from the Council
of Europe for 'Diversity, Human Rights and Participation' (June 2006 to
September 2007). The Action Week takes place at the local, national and
international level. Most of activities will focus on involving population
at the local level. 'All Different -All Equal' is more than just a slogan,
it's a question: What does equal mean? Does it mean we all have equal
rights? What about equal access,
equal opportunities, equal chances? In fact, it is depending on the social,
cultural and economic background that the individual has experienced.


All Different

On our beautiful world there are still people who suffer because they look,
feel, behave and believe differently than other people. Difference and
variety are enrichments for our lives and stimulate us to broaden our mind.
Still, generalisation, prejudices and stereo-typing within the personal or
even public area lead to scapegoating, hatred, discrimination and racism. It
sounds unbelievable, but ordinary citizens even come to a point when they
start to attack and injure people. No matter if it is blind ignorance or
open violence: racism is not acceptable! We have to be aware of it, because
phobia against religion, culture
or ethnicity creates divides in our society.
Constant negative news about Islam in connection with terror and
fundamentalism leads to the assumption that the whole Muslim society is
dangerous. Consequently, Muslims have to fear to be stigmatised as terrorist
or fundamentalist just because they wear a headscarf or go to the mosque!


All Different All Equal Rights!

We are confronted with a gap within the legislation with reference to
reality. This campaign aims at showing that even though we are all different
we need to fight for equal rights. Hopefully we can be part of a vivid
movement contributing to peaceful inter-community relations by showing a lot
of strength through constructive dialogues among cultures and religions. We
have to take care that the worth of diversity doesn't get lost in racism
leading to exclusion, discrimination, prejudices and verbal or physical
violence. Let's also spread hope into the hearts of young people. We have
to offer them opportunities to grow with their opinions and their visions by
participating in the decision-making process and collecting experience.
Join the campaign for participation and access to all social and cultural
resources! We are all different and we all need equal rights and that is one
of the most important considerations of this years' anti-racism week! All
Different - All Equal Rights!


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 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 campaigns?

'ALL DIFFERENT - ALL EQUAL'
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.


What you can do!

All organisations, large and small, can contribute in their own way to the Action Week. In fact it is not important for an effective action to have lots of financial resources: it's more the creativity that counts. 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 and workshops. In fact it's very important to involve youngsters into action. In that way they take a role in decision making processes and they have possibilities to develop more selfconfidence and selfassesment.

· 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'.


Join 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