BYE BYE BIAS! - European Action Week Against Racism – 2024

BYE BYE BIAS!Racism is now considered universally unacceptable in western societies. It is practically impossible nowadays to pronounce explicitly racist expressions without causing immediate reactions and condemnations. Nonetheless racist propaganda, racist politicians, racist books, newspapers, intellectual items exist indeed and have also success.What could be the reason for this? Despite the widespread understanding that racism is unacceptable, why do people remain captivated by and prone to endorsing racist notions and subtle discriminatory behaviors that result in the marginalization and mistreatment of countless individuals worldwide?Many people believe that our cultures are inherently racist and there is no way of truly embracing the idea that we are all the same and all entitled to the same rights in the same way. Like it's sort of a natural preservation instinct that pushes us to be closed in smaller groups.This is partially true indeed, but we can’t accept it’s the whole story. It’s 2023, we have AI, missions to MARS and vaccines, how can’t we go beyond that? It’s been centuries nowadays that many thinkers, philosophers and people in general know that civilization and the evolving nature of humankind should allow us to be in control of such tendencies and that if we believe in progress we should certainly believe it’s time to move forward as individuals and societies. So why are we still at this point?

WHAT SHALL WE DO? 

Truth is that there are many scientific researched reasons behind that and we think that by investigating and raising awareness about them, we could learn together how to contain the devastating effects of racism on people and societies.That’s why we want to dedicate this European Week Against Racism to fight biases, using a very explicit motto, BYE, BYE BIAS!Social, cognitive, cultural biases exist in all of us, influencing our way of looking and perceiving things, causing aversive racism and modern-symbolic racism for instance or other severe forms of prejudice and discrimination.That’s why we want to help people find their biases, finding ways to be in control and reduce them, allowing us and others to take a more objective and equal look at reality.

TAKE ACTION!

Together we can and we hope you’ll help us share all the contents we are producing. There would be cards, infographics and an interactive test, together with our activist livestream, in which we will be in dialogue with experts on the matter.If you have also other actions planned please let us know by compiling the dedicated form here or write to us at info@unitedagainstracism.org#standuptoracism and #stayunited

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