31 maart: dag tegen racisme

Vandaag is de internationale dag tegen racisme. Fyeg voert campagne onder de titel: 'unity in diversity', met als belangrijkste doel op te treden tegen racisme. Naar aanleiding van deze dag schreef Fyeg volgend persbericht:

(foto: Marina Barbalata, Fyeg Campaign Coordinator)

Press Release: No Place for Racism in Europe

March 21^st marks the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The date was established by the United Nations in 1966 in the memory of 69 peaceful anti-apartheid demonstrators killed in Sharpeville, South Africa. The proclamation of the Day was meant to re-enforce efforts of the international community to eliminate all manifestations of racism.

Ska Keller, spokesperson of FYEG states: “It has been 41 years since the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was proclaimed. However, racism is still more present than ever within contemporary society. Europe alone witnesses an alarming increase in phenomena such as Islamophobia, Roma-phobia, Anti-Semitism and anti-Black racism, to mention only the most visible ones. This is unacceptable in a Europe that in 2007 has proclaimed itself to be one of equal opportunities for all. Concerted action against all forms of discrimination needs to be undertaken immediately. Therefore FYEG urges all EU institutions to strengthen their monitoring and remedying mechanisms and the member states to implement the EU orders on anti-discrimination legislation, as a first step to redouble the combat against racism.”

Marina Barbalata, Campaign Coordinator of FYEG adds: “Racism is still a widely spread phenomenon in our societies, although it has been repeatedly and publicly condemned. Its recurrence can be explained by society’s refusal to efficiently adopt measures to abolish it. As long as there will be talks about tolerating minority groups within our societies, paternalism will remain a dominant characteristic of our world and racism will be just around the corner. We need to stop talking about tolerance and start equally and fully accepting and respecting all human beings. Apart from the role the political and civic organisations can play in tackling racism, every individual needs to get involved in the fight for the elimination of all types of discrimination. In this context, education in the spirit of multiculturalism, diversity and respect becomes essential in achieving a racism-free world.”

The Federation of Young European Greens is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination, be it based on skin colour, ethnicity, nationality, religion, life style, beliefs or anything else. Thus, FYEG is running a campaign against xenophobia, entitled Unity in Diversity. More details can be found at www.unityindiversity.org

Contact:

Ska Keller, Spokesperson: +49 17 05 32 12 50

Marina Barbalata, Campaign Coordinator: +40724397084