MINELRES: UNITED E-NEWS 19/01/06: Call for nominations, UNITED conference 24-29 March 2006, Sofia
[email protected]
[email protected]
Fri Jan 20 20:39:42 2006
Original sender: UNITED <[email protected]>
Call for nominations: UNITED CONFERENCE 24-29 March 2006, Sofia (BG)
Dear colleagues and friends,
please find below the information and nomination form for our next
UNITED Conference,
"GET ACTIVE, BE UNITED: YOUTH SHARING VISIONS FOR EQUALITY", 24-29 March
2006, Sofia (BG)
Conference prepared by:
- Association for Unaccompanied Minor Asylum Seekers (NL)
- Bosporus Society Bulgaria (BG)
- Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BG)
- Legal Centre for Human Rights (EE)
- REFLEX, Reseau No Pasaran! (F)
- The Monitoring Group (GB)
- Society for Free minded Cultural & Political Education Blauschwung (D)
- UNITED for Intercultural Action
All information and the e-nomination form can be found below, as well as
on our site http://www.unitedagainstracism.org under upcoming
conferences. A draft programme is attached (pdf).
If your organisation is interested to nominate a representative, please
return the registration form (below) as soon as possible (deadline 29
January 2006), preferably by email to UNITED
- Please fill in this form completely providing all data as requested.
If you invest more effort in the application it has more chance to be
successful!
- Each organisation can register only one representative (living in
Europe). Priority is given to participants under 30.
- Sending this form to UNITED does not guarantee that you will be
selected for the conference - we receive many nominations.
- Only those candidates selected for participation will be contacted via
e-mail � February 15 2006.
Best wishes,
Geert Ates
UNITED
*************
NOMINATION FORM
Speak out! Say NO to racism, discrimination, and exclusion.
Join the UNITED Conference in Sofia (BG), 24-29 March 2006: �Get active,
be UNITED: Youth Sharing Visions for Equality�
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DESCRIPTION AND AIMS:
Do you have a vision for equality?
Do you ever feel discriminated, excluded from social, cultural and
educational opportunities that should be accessible for all?
Are there institutional barriers in your country, which prevent
youngsters equal access to education, housing, job market, and social
opportunities?
Is your community affected by hate crimes, hate speech, or visible
discrimination?
Do you consider yourself as part of a minorised group?
Europe is nowadays experiencing a newly renovated rising of
discrimination on all grounds. Racism, islamophobia, antisemitism,
homophobia are not only wide spread within society, but they are
especially affecting the lives of young people. Old and new forms of
migration are bringing into society a wide range of possibilities for
encounters and intercultural understanding, but they are most of the
time misperceived and misused in the public space as scapegoats.
Stereotyping and prejudices are strongly embedded in lifestyle, speech,
and social strategies of young people Europe-wide. At the same time,
there are many young activist across the continent who could not accept
this situation and took a stand against discrimination. Many of them
joined existing NGOs, others founded new ones with the mission of
combating discrimination, and with a clear vision of the Europe they
want to live in.
Are you involved in a youth project in the field of antiracism and anti
discrimination? Is your organisation active in promoting equal rights
for all? Does your organization have a good practice to share? Would you
like to take part in a Europe-wide dialogue on discrimination on all
grounds? Do you have a vision on how European youth could promote an
intercultural action, mutual understanding, and ultimately reach a
common goal in the fight for equal rights?
If you want to share your point of view, your experience and bring a
true testimony as a valuable tool for discussion, you have a chance to
contribute to the working team of delegates from NGOs and NGYOs from all
over Europe, who will gather in Sofia to open a dialogue, to exchange
good practices and to develop strategies in the fields of antiracism,
intercultural action and informal education.
The UNITED conference in Sofia will give you the chance to gain
expertise and food for thoughts on a selection of themes, which includes
minorised groups, institutional racism and the conditions of migrants,
refugees and asylum seekers.
Discussions will be stimulated by the following lectures and
panel-discussions by experts in the field and testimonies:
- The Roma issue. A European overview, the Bulgarian context and
antizyganism.
- Institutional racism: the spinal cord of racial discrimination and
exclusion.
- The new outcasts of Europe: migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Good practices will be exchanged, and new strategies developed in the
following working groups:
- Minorized groups : equality and participation
The point of view of the youth, their autonomous strategies on
integration and equal access to opportunities�
- Beyond borders: migrants, refugees & asylum seekers
Internally displaced persons, migrant workers, women migrants, minor
migrants, refugees, asylum seekers�
- Here and now: far right & extreme nationalism
The groups, the parties, the ideologies, the dangerous extent of their
influence�
- Racism reloaded: Islamophobia & Antisemitism
Common or different basis, common struggle�
- Education & intercultural learning in multicultural societies
How to experience different approaches to fight discrimination and build
a common future on an equal basis�
- Constructing the other: stereotypes in public space
How the prejudices and stereotypes are built and widespread within
society, scapegoating in the public space, strategies for reaction�
UNITED is the largest European anti-racist network of more than 560
organisations. Through its conferences anti-racist and human rights
activists from all parts of Europe meet and discuss effective ways of
combating racism and discrimination. At a recent UNITED conference held
in November 2005 in Cyprus more than 85 delegates representing
organisations from 38 European countries analysed the situation of
refugees, migrants and the new challenges of islamophobia and
antisemitism and planned common strategies for intercultural dialogue in
Europe.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PROGRAM
FRIDAY 24 MARCH
Arrival of participants - Until ca 17.30
20.00 - "Breaking the Blocks", Informal opening reception
SATURDAY 25 MARCH
9.30-11.00
Welcome
What is UNITED?
Presentation of co-organisers: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and Bosporus
Society Bulgaria
Programme/team/technicalities
Personal introductions of participants
11.15-12.30
Discussion groups "The Danger of Words" - Definitions and concepts most
used in anti-racist/anti-fascist work
14.30-16.00
"The Roma issue", European Overview, Bulgarian context, Antiziganism -
Lecture and questions
16.15-18.00
Thematic Working Groups -key issues-
A- Minorized groups: equality & participation
B- Beyond borders: migrants, refugees & asylum seekers
C- Here and now: far right & extreme nationalism
D- Racism reloaded: Islamophobia & Antisemitism
E- Education & intercultural learning in multicultural societies
F- Constructing the other: stereotypes in public space
18:00-18:30
"Europe in Action": An update on the status of European level campaigns
and events (plenary session)
20.30
Info Market
with the participation of local NGOs
21.30 International Snacks
SUNDAY 26 MARCH
9.30-11.00
"Institutional Racism: the spinal cord of racial discrimination and
exclusion" - Presentation and discussion
11.15-12.30
Continuation of the Thematic Working Groups -sharing practices-
14.30-16:00
Activities Promoting Diversity - Project presentation
Roma project
Bulgarian project
16:15-18:00
Continuation of the Thematic Working Groups -sharing practices-
18:00-18:30
GET ACTIVE!
Short presentation of UNITED campaigns:
- 21 March - European-wide Action Week Against Racism
- 9 November - 'Kristallnacht' Commemoration
- 20 June - International Refugee Day / Fortress Europe - No More Deaths
(plenary session)
20:30
Political Caf�
Video Evening
MONDAY 27 MARCH
9.30-11.00
Continuation of the Thematic Working Groups -developing strategies-
11.15-12.30
Presentation of the results of the Thematic Working Groups
(plenary session)
14.00-16:15
Study visit to �Moderno Predgradie � Modern Suburbs�: visit to the
neighborhood and to a local school.
Presentation of local Roma Projects
16:15-19:30
City Tour in Sofia
Free time in Sofia
19:30-22:00
Dinner in Sofia in traditional Bulgarian Restaurant with live Folk music
22:30
Political Caf�
TUESDAY 28 MARCH
9:30-11:00
"The new outcasts of Europe. Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers"
(panel discussion)
11:15-13:00
GET ACTIVE!
Campaign Working Groups
- Campaign against fascism/antisemitism
- Campaign in support of migrants, refugees & asylum seekers
- Campaign against racism
- Youth campaign against exclusion
- Using media in/for campaigning
14:30-15:30
Activities promoting diversity - project presentations
"Under the stars of Europe" (BG) - Equal opportunities for young people
deprived of parent care with diverse ethnic origin
"School without Racism" (B)
15:30-16:15
GET ACTIVE!
Presentation of results of the Campaign Working Groups
(plenary session)
16:30-17:00
Open Forum - with participants input
17:00-18:30
Evaluation of the conference
20.30
Intercultural Evening & Farewell Party
WEDNESDAY 29 MARCH
Evaluation, future planning, fundraising strategies
Afternoon
Departure of participants
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TECHNICAL INFO:
Working methods (see draft programme attached)
.. plenary sessions, working groups, lectures, political caf�s,
presentations, debates, intercultural 'games', information market,
cultural activities, open forum
Participants:
The conference is planned for � 75 participants (living in Europe) who
represent (inter)national anti-racist, anti-fascist, refugee, human
rights and minority rights organisations. Active grass-roots groups from
all over Europe are also invited. Participation is rotated from one
conference to another. Priority will be given to nominations from young
delegates (under 30) with a minority background. Preference is given to
those organisations that actively take part in UNITED campaigns.
Participants should act as multipliers, spreading the information to as
many people as possible. We will try to reach an equal balance of
female/male participants and a good geographical distribution. Each
organisation can nominate only one delegate.
Language:
The conference language is English. All participants are expected to
have at least basic knowledge of English. But don't worry, English is
almost nobody's mother tongue. If you have difficulties in expressing
yourself, surely we can help each other.
Financial conditions: Participation fee - contribution to travel costs
The participation fee of the conference is:
100 Euro for participants from Western Europe: A, B, CH, CY, D, DK, E,
F, FIN, GB, GR, I, IS, IRL, L, M, N, NL, P, S (group 1)
60 Euro for participants from Central Europe: BH, CZ, EE, H, HR, LV, LT,
MK, PL, RO, SI, SK, TR, YU (group 2)
30 Euro for participants from Eastern and Southern Europe: AL, ARM, AZ,
BY, GE, KZ, KY, MD, RUS, UA, UZB (group 3) + BG
Full board and lodging and the complete program is included.
Organisations that paid their supporter fee to the UNITED Network will
receive a 50% reduction of the participation fee. (for explanations
about how to become a supporter see http://www.unitedagainstracism.org
under 'joining the network')
UNITED can contribute to your travel costs up to a maximum of 350 Euro.
In special cases the amount can be raised to 450 Euro for people
travelling long-distance from Eastern Europe (group 3 above).
For distances under 800 km (one way) UNITED reimburses only bus, train
and ferry tickets. For distances over 800 km UNITED can contribute to
flight tickets (APEX, economy class, youth fares if possible). If this
creates insurmountable problems for you, contact the secretariat before
the conference.
Please look for the cheapest and most environmentally friendly
possibility to travel. You will be expected to attend the whole meeting
and to prove your travel expenses with an original invoice and the
original tickets.
The cost of your visa can be reimbursed by UNITED.
UNITED conferences can only take place when participants make an effort
to contribute financially to their travel costs. We ask you to find out
if there are alternative possibilities of funding. Sometimes it is
possible to find small local grants (e.g. a travel grant from a
foundation, a university, an embassy or another sponsor). We would very
much appreciate your help.
Date and place
The conference will take place near Sofia (BG) and will start on Friday
24 March 2006. Departure is foreseen for Wednesday 29 March 2006. You
will share a room with other people. If you wish to arrive earlier or
stay longer (on your own costs), we can help you arrange your stay.
Further information
Please, note that sending the expression of interest form does not
guarantee your participation in the conference. Only those candidates
selected for participation (this will be known in February) will receive
further information e.g. visa invitation, explanation 'how to get
there', a final program, list of participants, etc. Feel free to contact
us (by email) after February 15 to get information about your
nomination.
Application procedure:
Organisations interested in nominating a delegate should send their
nomination by email before the deadline of Sunday 29 January 2006 -
24:00 to [email protected]
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EXPRESSION OF INTEREST:
Name Organisation:
Name organisation in English:
Abbreviation name organisation:
Organisation's address
street:
postal code:
city:
country:
Phone organisation:
Mobile phone organisation:
Fax organisation:
E-mail organisation:
Website organisation:
First name delegate:
Family name delegate:
Date of birth:
Male: Female:
Private e-mail delegate:
E-mail address to send conference documents:
Personal phone/mobile where you can be reached in emergencies:
phone:
mobile phone:
Special needs (vegetarian, no pork, allergies, disabilities etc.):
Do you consider yourself to be part of a minority?
No:
Yes: (please, specify)
Motivation and aims for participating:
Please describe the work you are doing and the specific projects you
have been involved in:
Describe your skills (eg. leading a working group, reporting):
Indicate the field(s) of your activity:
put a cross before the relevant field(s)
[ ] Anti-nationalism
[ ] Anti-racism
[ ] Anti-fascism
[ ] Migrant / minority rights
[ ] Refugee support
[ ] Human rights
[ ] Youth work
[ ] Other:
Which working group would you like to attend?
Indicate clearly two priorities, put '1' and '2' before the relevant
working groups
[ ] A- Minorized groups: equality & participation
[ ] B- Beyond borders: migrants, refugees & asylum seekers
[ ] C- Here and now: far right & extreme nationalism
[ ] D- Racism reloaded: Islamophobia & Antisemitism
[ ] E- Education & intercultural learning in multicultural societies
[ ] F-Constructing the other: stereotypes in public space
Please explain your choice and describe in which way you could
contribute to these 2 working groups:
Have you experienced racism and/or discrimination?
No:
Yes: (please, specify)
How will you share the experience of the conference after your return in
your organisation, community, country?
Would you need financial support from UNITED for your travel costs?
No:
Yes:
If yes, why and how much?
(Before answering this question please read �contribution to travel
costs� under technical information)
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For those who will need a visa:
Private address of the delegate
street:
postal code:
city:
country:
Place of birth:
Country of birth:
Citizenship:
Number of passport:
Passport valid until:
Bulgarian embassy where you will apply for visa:
Fax number Bulgarian embassy:
Address to send your original invitation letter
name:
street:
postal code:
city:
country:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Please send this form as soon as possible by e-mail to:
[email protected]. Deadline 29 January 2006
Only those candidates selected for participation will be contacted via
e-mail � February 15, 2006.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This conference is part of the project 'A European Youth Vision - UNITED
against discrimination, racism and xenophobia'. The event is part funded
by the European Commission Youth Programme and the Council of Europe
Youth Directorate.
The information contained herein does not necessarily reflect the
position nor the opinion of our sponsors. Sponsors are not to be held
responsible for any use that may be made of it.
--
***********************************************************
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'
----
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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