MEDIA RELEASE

Equal Rights - Access for All 17-25 March 2001 European-wide Action Week Against Racism MEDIA RELEASE 16/03/2001 UNITED for Intercultural Action European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees

More than 160 different activities against racism and intolerance are organised in more than 33 countries all over Europe!
During the "European-wide Action Week Against Racism" anti-racist organisations aim to improve possible practices against racism, they organise discussions on problems that exist and protest against the persistance of racism in our societies.
Racism is not a problem of the past, it appears everywhere in Europe:
In Austria, the "Freedom Party" spread racist slogans against immigrants during its municipal election-campaign in the Austrian capital for 25 March 2001
In Spain leading politicians like the vice-chair of parliament have made outright racist remarks against foreigners
In Germany racist crimes jumped by 59 percent last year to their highest level since the end of World War II
In Norway, a black teenager was stabbed in late January, sparking debate about neo-Nazis and protests against racism in Scandinavia
The activities that take place during the "European-wide Action Week Against Racism" prove the importance of resistance in all spheres of life.

The variety of activities includes demonstrations, discussions, round tables, conferences, radio-shows, press-campaigns, anti-racist education-programs, theatre, cabaret, films and concerts.

For the first time activities take place in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the Nansen Dialogue Centre organises a "Conference Against Racism" in Sarajevo and anti-racist poster campaigns in Banja Luka and Sarajevo. Also for the first time, anti-racist activities take place in Kazakhstan, where the organisation "Dialogue" organises competitions among students and music events on the topic "Nationalism in Postsoviet States". In Turkey the Association for Solidarity with Asylumseekers and Migrants organises a seminar, an exhibition and class sessions against racism.
AMARC, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters prepares a 24-hours radio-campaign from Johannesburg (SA), Montreal (CDN) and Vienna (A) relayed via the Internet and via satellite to community and free radios world-wide. In France, Ireland, Poland and the Netherlands activities are organised during the whole month of March in different cities: in Paris during the "Month of Education Against Racism" discussions, information evenings, lectures and showing of films take place and in Bielsko-Biala (PL) a cultural program against racism with many concerts, lectures and dicussions is organised. In the Netherlands activities are organised in over a dozen cities.

UNITED for Intercultural Action co-ordinates activities on a European level. UNITED is the European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees. It brings together over 500 organisations from 49 countries and aims to strengthen cross border cooperation between a variety of groups working against intolerance.

A full list of activities is available, with activities in Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great-Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Yugoslavia as well as international activities.
To get an idea of the variety of activities all over Europe and for general campaign information take a look on the UNITED website:
www.unitedagainstracism.org (click under 'campaigns' on 'European-wide Action Week Against Racism')

For latest anti-racist news we recommend the Internet Centre Anti-Racism Europe: www.icare.to

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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