In celebration of this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21st March), UNITED attended the EU Anti-Racism and Diversity week as a valued member of the European Network Against Racism.
Held at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium last 21-22 of March 2023, the convention addressed the situation of racial discrimination and its looming manifestations in the present society. Alongside, talks focused on the ongoing European anti-discrimination program, as well as various policy instruments for combating racism towards attaining racial equality.
Delegates of UNITED, Neringa Tumenaite and Eunice Ayen Ondo, joined other representatives from various institutions, civil society organisations, anti-racist actors and activists in engaging in discussions and coming up with solutions in order to effectively counter discrimination against racialised minorities and communities across Europe. Diverse workshops were held, with UNITED choosing to contribute to the one focused on “Approaching Racial Equality from a Decolonial Perspective”. In addition, both speakers and participants of the forum alike brought up a number of relevant and topical issues relating to themes of intersectional discrimination, migration, climate justice and remembrance.
In times of civic unrest caused by the rise of far-right political movements and increasing anti-European sentiments, UNITED, in its grass-root attempt to bring together international anti-racist initiatives, emphasises the importance of raising awareness about biases: what they are, how they work and how they’re related with the spreading of racist ideologies and expressions. To read more about our campaign for this year, you may visit our page.
UNITED for Intercultural Action would like to thank the Members of the European Parliament and the European Network Against Racism for hosting the event, and is looking forward to continuing successful cooperation to advance human rights in Europe and beyond.
By Eunice Ayen Ondo, Intern at UNITED for Intercultural Action
