European Network Against Racism. The voice of the anti-racist movement in Europe

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1 European Network Against Racism The voice of the anti-racist movement in Europe

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3 About us Our Mission The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) stands up against racism and discrimination and advocates for equality and solidarity for all in Europe. We connect local and national anti-racist NGOs throughout Europe and act as an interface between our member organisations and the European institutions. We voice the concerns of ethnic and religious minorities in European and national policy debates. ENAR s vision is of a society that guarantees equality for all and recognises the benefits of a diverse and racism-free Europe for European society and economy. Our mission is to attain full equality and solidarity, allowing all members of society, whatever their skin colour, ethnicity, sex, gender, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation, to participate fully and be included in society. We are achieving this by specifically combating racism and discrimination based on colour, ethnicity, national origin, nationality, religion, culture, language or legal status.

4 How ENAR works towards achieving its mission ENAR is the voice of its member organisations in Brussels, advocating on their behalf. We aim to make a difference in a range of fields relating to equality and anti-racism, migration and integration, and social inclusion of ethnic and religious minorities in Europe. We do this in the following ways: Coordinate the ENAR network We coordinate and service a Europe-wide network of organisations working to combat racism at local or national level, by voicing the concerns of our members towards EU institutions, the public and the media. We ensure that the voice of the anti-racist civil society is heard in European and national policy debates. We support the work of our member organisations by exchanging information, experience, and best practice, enabling them to influence policy at European and national levels. Create and take part in strategic alliances with other partners in Europe We actively engage in advocacy coalitions and partnerships with other European networks, businesses, trade unions and foundations. Influence the European political agenda We closely follow and monitor policy developments on the EU s agenda to ensure they promote and actively put equality and diversity into practice. We campaign and lobby the EU institutions to take action, launch new initiatives against racism and discrimination and advocate for a diverse and inclusive Europe. We work and meet with key EU officials and political representatives to make sure equality and anti-racism are a top priority on the European agenda. Generate new ideas We proactively develop innovative ideas, set the agenda and reflect on the future of diversity and anti-racism in Europe and the transformations needed for European society to fully embrace equality and diversity. This entails looking at the bigger picture and driving change towards a strong inclusive society that takes care of everybody, generates equal opportunities for all and supports everyone in achieving his/her potential by investing in education, health, housing, sustainable development, better and well-remunerated jobs, decent income for all and by ensuring a much fairer redistribution of the benefits of growth at all levels of society.

5 ENAR s areas of work ENAR s areas of work make the link between the European Union s agenda and the concerns of civil society actors on the ground in the EU Member States. The following are some of the fields in which we advocate for more equality and diversity in Europe: We urge the EU and its Member States to combat the specific poverty and social exclusion experienced by ethnic and religious minorities. We engage constructively with policy makers, employers and trade unions to make equality in employment a reality, including through positive action measures. We push for the EU and its Member States to adopt a progressive and human rights-based approach to migration and integration and ensure equal treatment and opportunities for third country nationals. We call on the EU to protect people who face discrimination in education and access to goods and services because of their ethnicity, sex, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. We advocate for integration policies that actively involve both the broader society and migrants as a two-way process, with the view to create a vibrant European society that harnesses the full potential of its talents. We develop and implement effective counterstrategies to far-right and xenophobic discourses. For more information on all our areas of work, visit our website at

6 Success stories The European Union adopts two key anti-discrimination laws Before the late 1990s, there were no measures in place to protect against ethnic and racial discrimination in the European Union. That s why one of the first missions of the European anti-racist movement was to campaign for the introduction of a clear legal base in the EU Treaty. ENAR continued this work by calling for the adoption of EU-wide antidiscrimination legislation. This campaign was a major success: a legal base on which to develop appropriate measures to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation was introduced in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997, and a few years later, in 2000, the European Union adopted the Race Equality and the Employment Equality Directives, ensuring protection against racial discrimination in employment and access to a range of goods and services. Victims of racist crime and violence are protected across the EU Racist violence is often recorded as any other similar incident without taking the racist motive into account, and worse, victims of racist violence sometimes become the subject of investigation or are made to feel that the harassment is selfprovoked. That s why, about a decade ago, ENAR engaged in a long and intensive lobbying and advocacy campaign for the adoption of a legal instrument to combat racist crime and violence in a consistent and effective manner across the EU. In 2001, the European Commission put forward a proposal for an instrument making racist violence a criminal and punishable offence in all EU Member States. Finally, after seven years of negotiations, the EU adopted this piece of legislation in It sends a clear message that racist crime and violence will not go unpunished in the European Union.

7 Roma inclusion is a priority on the EU s political agenda Until recently, the dire situation of the dozen million Roma living in Europe was not on the European Union s priority list, despite countless human rights violations in several countries. That s why the European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC), of which ENAR is an active and founding member, was set up in 2008 to advocate for an effective EU strategy to tackle racism, exclusion, and human rights violations faced by Roma. Our advocacy work gained momentum in July 2010, when the French government applied repressive measures explicitly targeting the Roma people. The ERPC capitalised on the surge in public interest to challenge widespread stereotypes and demand effective change from decision makers. As a result, the EU adopted a Framework for Roma Integration Strategies in June The ERPC received the European Public Affairs Award for Campaign of the Year for this work in ENAR and employment actors work together to boost ethnic minorities and migrants inclusion in the labour market No one should be discriminated against at work. That s why ENAR launched the Equal@work Initiative. It brings together businesses committed to diversity and inclusion, trade unions, public employers, EU institutions and ENAR members to find solutions so that ethnic and religious minorities can fully participate in the labour market. These actors share best practices and engage in a constructive dialogue to bring forward concrete solutions which have a direct impact on promoting equality in employment, from the local to the European level.

8 ENAR s members and network ENAR is a strong and dynamic network of several hundred NGOs working to combat racism everywhere in Europe. We have national platforms in all the 27 EU Member States, as well as in Croatia and Iceland and our network is still expanding. ENAR members include a diverse and wide range of complementary organisations that have decided to work together, to support each other in achieving the goal of a diverse, equal and racism-free Europe. They range from grassroots to advocacy organisations, from information centres, to trade unions, to faith-based organisations. Our members provide vital grassroots perspectives for ENAR s work. They not only enable information to be channelled from the local/national to the European levels, but also effectively influence decision making at the national level.

9 Become a member or friend of ENAR You can become an ENAR member if you are an organisation working in the broad anti-racism and antidiscrimination field in an EU Member State or EU accession country. ENAR members can be all types of organisations, provided that they share the same mission and vision of ENAR. They may include grassroots organisations, advocacy organisations, information institutes, research centres, faith-based organisations, service-oriented organisations, charitable organisations and trade unions. ENAR member organisations have the opportunity to be directly connected with ENAR Europe and influence EU decision making in the field of non-discrimination and anti-racism. They also enjoy a number of advantages, including receiving European-wide information relevant to anti-racism and equality, policy advice, networking and possibilities for collaborative activities, capacity building and support for project funding initiatives, and stronger visibility. Are you an individual or corporate entity (company, academic centre, research institute) wanting to support equality and the fight against racism in Europe? You can become a Friend of ENAR and help to make full equality in Europe a reality! We need your support to make a lasting difference to ethnic and religious minorities lives. As a Friend of ENAR, you will have free access to ENAR s Weekly Mail, publications and policy briefings, as well as relevant external information about advocacy initiatives and EU developments. You will also be able to exchange information and best practices with ENAR member organisations across Europe and have acess to our network of experts in the field of anti-discrimination. Find out more on or juliana@enar-eu.org

10 Support our work ENAR relies on the generous support of a range of friends, donors and volunteers to act for a more equal Europe and to perform our work most effectively. In the current economic climate, which has a particularly negative impact on the lives of ethnic minorities, our fight against racism and for equality is all the more important and needs to continue. With your support, we aim to step up our activities to respond to these new challenges. You can contribute in many ways to the inclusive and diverse European society that ENAR aims to build. As an interested supporter, you can stay up-to-date on our work and take part in our calls for action: by joining us on Facebook, or following us on by sharing and promoting ENAR s vision among your parents and friends, signing a petition, writing a letter, passing on our messages and calls for action to your contacts,... For more information, georgina@enar-eu.org As a volunteer, you can help us translate documents, work on specific policy projects, or campaign at national and European levels for a diverse and racism-free Europe. If you are interested, send an to info@enar-eu.org. Corporate sponsors are key partners for ENAR. Our engagement with businesses is particularly important in our work to promote equality in the labour market. Corporate sponsors can contact ENAR s Deputy Director Policy, Shannon Pfohman: shannon@enar-eu.org

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12 To find out more about ENAR: European Network Against Racism aisbl (ENAR) 60 Rue Gallait, 3rd Floor B-1030 Brussels Tel: + 32 (0) Fax: + 32 (0) info@enar-eu.org