Coventry Conference by "Minorities of Europe", August 2000
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Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 09:29:19 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Coventry Conference by "Minorities of Europe", August 2000
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Razi Nurullayev <[email protected]>
Coventry Conference by "Minorities of Europe", August 2000
The report on Coventry Conference "Values have no boundaries - Action
for the Millennium", 10th-16th August 2000
Dear All,
Be advised that Mr. Tapdig Nuriyev, member of Society for Democratic
Reforms has participated in Coventry Conference "Values have no
boundaries - Action for the Millennium", 10th-16th of August 2000,
organised by "Minorities of Europe", Great Britain, London. He has
been the only representative from Azerbaijan.
Please, find hereunder the report on the conference.
Razi Nurullayev
President of Society for Democratic Reforms
* "Minorities of Europe"
"Minorities of Europe" was established in 1995 as a result of the
Council of Europe's campaign against Racism, Anti-Semitism,
Xenophobia, and Intolerance in Europe, entitled "all different - all
equal". Today, "Minorities of Europe" gathers project and people from
religious and faith minorities (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and
Jewish�), national minorities (Russian, Tatars, Kurdish�), Ethnic
minorities (Roma/ Gypsies) and minorities of immigrant background
(Africans, Asians, Caribbean�).
* Programme of the Conference "Values have no boundaries - Action for
the Millennium"
Almost 2 days late I arrived to the Coventry. It was interesting for
me the Programme of the conference since it commenced, therefore, I
was given that for familiarising. It was as following:
10th August 2000 11th August 2000 12th August 2000
Breakfast between 7:00 - 8:30
Theme & focus Diversity "Local & Equality "Our Europe"
for the day global village"
Arrival; registration Official opening by Lord Rivers Workshop 2
and drop in workshops Mayor, officials from
European Institutions. Guest
speakers to focus on youth,
role & responsibility of
minority/ majority
communities, how as
To meet in small individuals we must all
groups and examine act in the interest of
programme the other
Lunch between 12:00 - 13:30
Multicultural Europe Rivers Workshop 1 European Cultures/
Fair
Establish a collective City centre will be
identity and sense of alive with different
coming together European music, food
and dress. Participants
will have opportunity
to present their
culture, tradition and
community.
Evening meal between 16:30 - 18:45
Drama Visit Sikh Gurudawar
Soho, Birmingham
Use of light, music Explore diversity of
communities and
cultures
13th August 2000 14th August 2000 15th August 2000
Breakfast between 7:00 - 8:30
Solidarity Millennium Dome Action
"Working together" "Inspirations and "Plan for future"
Enjoyment"
River workshop 3 Breakfast: 6:00 AM Rivers Workshop 4
for participants visiting
the Dome Action:
Planning &pledges by
The exhibits within the lead bodies and
Dome promises to be interested individuals
exciting & rewarding.
Lunch: 12:00-13:30 Individually and in- groups Lunch: 12:00-13:30
the visit will enable a
Bridges much broader understanding Final Plenary
of the opportunity that
Workshop exists for positive change Preparation for
that is possible by closure
participation and Conference evaluation
involvement
Evening meal: Participate in the launch Evening meal:
16:30-18:45 of United Religions 16:30-18:45
Initiative, UK.
Millennium Festival One Europe for All.
Evening reception by Parade of our hopes
Create an occasion African community in
for celebration. South-East London Late night party
16th August 2000
Breakfast between 8:00-9:30
Closing Ceremony. Departures.
* Aims and objectives of the conference.
- A week long programme of different activities (arts, drama, music
and lectures) which combined to create a unique opportunity for 250
minority community youth leaders from all over Europe.
- To learn, share and create and individual and collective vision for
the new Millennium.
* Why "Values have no boundaries - Action for the Millennium"?
The first part of the title "Values have no boundaries" is acknowledge
and appreciate that all people and communities in Europe have similar
set of "Values" which are expressed in different ways. Values such as
Peace, Respect, Equality, Justice have no boundaries and are common to
all. They transcend the borders of our countries, cultures and
traditions. Values are proclaimed by the use of words, however will
only be recognised by others as being true when they are put into
action.
Therefore, the second part of the title is "action for the Millennium"
here we mean inspiring young people to act positively within their
communities, however little or large to ensure that their Values are
put into action regularly. Thereby, generating equality and justice,
valuing and respecting the differences that exist between different
cultures and communities.
Combined, "Values have no boundaries - Action for the Millennium"
programme was a stepping stone into the new millennium for 250
community leaders. Minorities of Europe are intending to continue
working with them and others to ensure that 21st century is full with
more peace, unity and happiness.
* Why Coventry?
Coventry has one of the largest minority communities in Europe most of
them coming from Asian continent, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.
Young people who make third of the city Coventry have grown to live,
work and enjoy each others differences and in conference they had the
opportunity of sharing their experience with hundreds others young
people from Europe.
* Supporters to the Coventry 2000 programme
This project has gained the financial support from Millennium
Commission in UK, Council of Europe - through the Youth Directorate,
European Youth Forum, Coventry city Council, Human bridges, Young
Woman from minorities, United Religious Initiative.
* What have been achieved in Conference?
The Conference organisers were expected to achieve the following:
* Celebrate the Millennium - like an anniversary: to enjoy and
reflect/learn from the past. In the spirit of co-operation between
different minority groups in Europe let us come together to work for a
better future.
* Provide young people from all communities a chance to meet someone
who is likely to be different to themselves, exchange views and create
opportunity to take positive action together well rooted within their
shared values.
* To empower young people to become active citizens in Europe by
providing information, training, and introduce/ link them to NGO's
from interfaith, gender, national/ ethnic minority, sexuality and
disability areas.
* To mobilise, motivate and involve young people in the Minorities of
Europe (MoE) projects for the particularly arising from Coventry 2000.
All the points have been achieved in this Conference.
* Conference participants
The delegations from the following countries participated to the
Coventry Conference:
* Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Hungary, Georgia, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, United Kingdom, Norway, Palestine, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Azerbaijan. I was
only representative of Azerbaijan Republic in Conference.
* What have I gained from the Conference? (From the participant)
Tapdig Nuriyev
It was my first trip to the UK. I have gained a lot from the
Coventry-2000. First, the Conference has bonded me together with
intercultural experience. Taking part in different workshops, such as
"Youth Participation", "Young women from Minorities" and "T-shirt", I
was looking at minority relations in general: how can we use the
richness of our diversity to enhance minority youth participation at
local, national and Europe levels. Most likely part of the Conference
was Action part: what are essential issues of workshops, what specific
projects could be developed, what can be done locally, nationally and
internationally?
Below, it is given an example of the Action for Women from Minorities,
which have been gathered from different three workshops:
I workshop:
To organise Network with Newsletter. Co- Umbrella
a minority other minority operating organisation/
group organisation with network with
majority other minority
organisations
II workshop:
Co-operation Reach out Prevent Co-operation
with other the isolated discrimination with majority
minority minority both as woman woman
organisations women and as minority
Counselling Government Health education Training project
offer lobby
III workshop:
Letter to Lobby of Exchanging Conference Programmes for
the minority of to discuss culture,
Government information key points education;
ensure minority
in decision making
* Personal action plan.
Normally, each participant of the Conference should have his/her own
personal action plan. This plan to be created for putting into
practises (realising) of the gained results of the Conference. My
personal action plan:
1. I want to share with other NGO's on the communications (contacts) I
have owned: to pass to the interested parties the Address list of
Coventry 2000 participants. Contacting with conference participants,
who are from different organisations, groups, centres, etc, would
assist our NGO's (particularly - the legal advise organisations) in
preparation of laws, programs, etc.
2. The centre for Democratic reforms could be very helpful on
realising of this idea.
3. For realising of that idea, I need the Web-site in Internet and any
newspaper or magazine to publish that information.
4. Why do I want to do it? As far as I know, in couple of months our
parliament is intending to consider the low draft on minorities. Some
of NGO's (like LAC) normally assist to the governmental bodies in
creation of such kind of laws. So, contacting UK office of Minorities
of Europe and other Conference participants, they could receive value
information.
5. Taking into consideration the points, shown in the Action for Women
from Minorities, there is need to prepare a programme for establishing
of Centre for Minorities Women.
6. The above idea could be realised with the assistance of European
Youth Forum and the United Nations Development Fund for Women,
together with local NGO's.
7. The Society for Democratic Reforms might be a mediator in
implementation (realising) of those ideas.
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