MINELRES: UNITED: European-wide Action Week against Racism 2005
MINELRES moderator
[email protected]
Tue Mar 15 14:08:22 2005
Original sender: UNITED <[email protected]>
E-NEWS UNITED 11/03/2005:
MEDIA RELEASE European-wide Action Week against Racism 2005
14 - 21 March 2005: European-wide Action Week Against Racism
"ACT! Against Racism"
**Europe stands up against racism: activities in 40 European countries**
>From 14 to 21 March 2005, various non-governmental-organisations in more
than 40 different European countries will raise their common voice
against one common European problem: racism.
21 March was declared 'International Day for the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination' by the General Assembly of the UN as a
reaction to the murder of 70 demonstrators in Sharpeville, South-Africa,
in 1960. Still, in 21st century Europe, racism keeps on affecting
people's minds, thoughts and deeds. This year NGOs in countries such as
Romania, Ukraine, Spain, Poland and Great-Britain concentrate on
anti-racist education and big nation-wide campaigns with hundreds of
different events are launched in Finland and Germany. I CARE the
Internet Centre Anti-Racism Europe is going report live from the
European-wide Action Week Against Racism in English, French and Spanish
from activities all over Europe.
**Combating racism in Europe "ACT! Against Racism"**
The international situation has remained tense since 11 September 2001.
The war climate strengthened many stereotypes and fueled Islamophobia on
a previously unknown scale. Anti-terrorist measures have sometimes been
used to scapegoat whole minority communities, including Sikhs, because
of their supposedly "alien" culture and appearance. Moreover, the
increasingly xenophobic ambience contributed to further restrictions in
migration and asylum policies resulting in the fatal realities of
"Fortress Europe". At the same time the rise of antisemitism has been
felt in numerous countries. Tensions between minority groups have become
an additional challenge for anti-racist activities. The lack of trust
and solidarity between the majority and the minority can lead to waves
of violence, as in the Netherlands in November 2004.
The European Union has been enlarged recently. There are new divisions
and 'iron curtains' on the borders of the 'new' EU such as inhumane
border and visa policies� As the UNITED network has a pan-European
approach, we are concerned about new inequalities and new forms of
exclusion. The discrimination of minority groups and the rise of the
extreme right in Eastern Europe cannot be ignored.
Together we can ACT against racism and exclusion in Europe.
**Additional Information**
UNITED for Intercultural Action is a network of 560 organisations all
over Europe working against racism and fascism. Activities at the local
level in the framework of the campaign around 21 March are carried out
by organisations from 40 European countries. The campaign is
co-ordinated by the UNITED International Secretariat. A full list of
activities is accessible on http://www.unitedagainstracism.org (under
'campaigns'/ 21 March). Please contact the UNITED office for further
information. We will be happy to supply you with contact information of
an organisation near you that is involved in the campaign.
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UNITED is the pan-European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees, supported by over 560
organisations in 46 European countries.
How to join the network: see http://www.unitedagainstracism.org 'joining
the network'
UNITED E-NEWS is an irregular email service to 4600 organisations and
contact persons active in the working fields: anti-racism, refugee
support, anti-fascism, against antisemitism, migration, minority issues,
intercultural youth work, against nationalism etc.
Regular postal mailings, containing publications such as Addressbook
Against Racism, Calendar of Internationalism, Campaign reports, Posters
etc. are sent to over 2200 European organisations. If you also would
like to receive this mailing: see http://www.unitedagainstracism.org
'joining the network'
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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 - phone
+31-20-6834778 - fax +31-20-6834582 -
[email protected] -
http://www.unitedagainstracism.org
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Start your Cyberday on http://www.icare.to -
Internet Centre Anti-Racism Europe - ICARE is a
partnership of Stichting Magenta and UNITED
ICARE runs mailinglists in English, French and
Spanish on which more than 600 NGOs and
individuals share news and information on
antiracism, projects and budgetlines.
A special news team brings regular antiracism news.
If you want to subscribe, send an e-mail with
'subscribe antiracism' in the subject to:
English: [email protected]
Fran�ais: [email protected]
Espagnol: [email protected]
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