ENAR Weekly Mail 121

7 December

NEWS FROM ENAR

  • New President & Board for the European Network Against Racism

ENAR is pleased to announce the election of its new President, Mohammed Abdul Aziz from the UK Race and Europe Network, which took place during ENAR’s General Assembly on 30 November and 1 December 2007. On this occasion, ENAR has also elected a new Bureau and Board for the period 2008-2010, which is ready to take on the policy challenges and opportunities which ENAR will be facing in the coming years. The members of ENAR’s General Assembly also warmly thanked Bashy Quraishy, ENAR’s former president, for his many years of commitment and hard work in the fight against racism throughout the EU. Read more

  • ENAR press release ahead of EU Employment and Social Policy Council

ENAR issued a press released ahead of the EU Employment and Social Policy Council on 5 December and the joint policy debate with justice and home affairs ministers on 6 December entitled ‘EU justice and employment ministers must work together to ensure the social inclusion of ethnic minorities and migrants’. It called on EU employment and justice ministers to give a high priority to the visibility of ethnic minorities in taking forward the Lisbon Agenda and to adopt a holistic and coherent approach to migration that is consistent with this commitment.Read more

NEWS FROM OTHER NETWORKS

  • AGE launches Healthy Ageing brochure

AGE, the European Older People’s Platform, has published a Healthy Ageing brochure which is about the potential for the development of health promotion and preventative measures for older people maximising their functional capacity and independence, seen as essential elements to enhance their quality of life.The brochure gives an overview of the importance of promoting a positive and integrated approach to health by addressing a range of social, economic, housing, transport, new technology, education and other relevant policies that have an impact on health. Read more

  • ILGA-Europe launches web-based guide on World AIDS Day

On 30 November 2007, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, ILGA-Europe launched an electronic guide to international human rights references to sexual and reproductive health and rights as related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. ILGA-Europe has created the guide to assist advocates to identify, interpret and apply existing international instruments and standards in their work. There is a particular focus on commitments and progress made by some countries of the ex-Soviet block in relation to comprehensive prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections among LGBT people. Read more

NEWS FROM EUROPE

Former refugee becomes first black Swiss MP

A former Angolan refugee was sworn in as Switzerland's first black Member of Parliament on 3 December, after he won a seat in an election marred by claims of racism against the winning party. Ricardo Lumengo, a member of the Social Democrat (SP/PS) party, came to Switzerland as an asylum seeker in 1982 to escape persecution in Angola. After 15 years, he was naturalised after meeting Switzerland's strict criteria for integration. Lumengo was among 200 members of the Swiss lower house of parliament, or National Council, sworn in on Monday in Berne following an election in October in which the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) consolidated its position as the largest group. Lumengo has expressed concern on his website over signs of increasing tensions over immigration and foreigners in Switzerland, where one in five people are non-Swiss. Read more

Greek neo-Nazi author on trial

A militant Greek neo-Nazi went on trial on 3 December over his book denying the Holocaust took place and calling Jewish people "subhuman." The trial, the first of its kind in Greece, saw a group of neo-Nazis making Hitler salutes in the corridors of the courthouse, putting up "Fans of Hitler" posters and handing out anti-Semitic leaflets. Dozens of members of the Jewish community were also present, responding to a call from the Central Jewish Council of Greece (KIS). Konstantinos Plevris is charged with inciting hatred and racial violence with his 1,400-page 2006 book, "Jews: The Whole Truth" in which he says Jews are "mortal enemies" and deserve "the firing squad." The KIS sees the trial as a key test of the authorities’ determination to deal with anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. Read more

Front against Wilders on the rise in the Netherlands

The "reasonable people" of the Netherlands are starting a movement against the standpoints of Geert Wilders. René Danen of the anti-racist organisation Nederland Bekent Kleur and Mohamed Sini of the Islam and Citizenship foundation hope to be able to put together a broad countermovement in the coming weeks. The Refugee Council of the Netherlands also supports the call from Doekle Terpstra, former trade union leader and chairman of the HBO Council for universities of applied science. Terpstra said last week that he was annoyed at Wilders' actions and his statements about Islam as a fascist religion. He also says: "Am I the only one who is angry and concerned? Unions, employers, Muslims, churches, humanists unite, join forces and turn the tide." There are no concrete plans yet, but one aim is to organise a demonstration around the time that Wilders' much talked about film on Islam is to be shown, sometime in January. Read more

German mosque and police pair up to fight urban crime

Shoplifting and extortion used to be commonplace in part of the western German city of Essen. But a partnership between local imams and the police has improved the situation. Essen police officer Herbert Czarnyan was familiar with the unemployment, poverty and low education levels that led to youth crime in Essen's Katernberg neighbourhood. But instead of cracking down on local youths himself, he turned to imams in Katernberg's three mosques for help. Czarnyan organised a meeting that included businesspeople, the parents of children who vandalised local property, and a Lebanese imam. Since that initial meeting, the partnership between police and the religious leader has grown to include talks with at-risk youth and their parents, and the mosque has become a contact point for educational opportunities and recreational activities. Read more

Failed asylum seekers face healthcare ban in the UK

Controversial plans to bar hundreds of thousands of irregular immigrants and failed asylum seekers from all but emergency health services are being considered by the Home Office. Amid claims the move will place increased strains on hospitals and inflame community tensions, a joint Department of Health and Home Office review examining proposals to restrict free access to GPs' surgeries for failed asylum seekers and irregular migrants is due to report in the new year. While the Home Office is pushing for further restrictions on health care provision, which it sees as a 'pull factor' for people coming to the country, the Department of Health is believed to have reservations about how they will work. Experts and MPs have expressed concerns at reports that the government has decided to introduce further restrictions on free healthcare which will affect almost 600,000 people. Read more

EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) & OTHER EU INSTITUTIONS

  • EU launches campaign for intercultural dialogue

On 4 December 2007, the European Commission launched the communication campaign for the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 with the slogan 'Together in Diversity'. The European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Training and Youth, Ján Figel, was joined by 'European Ambassadors for Intercultural Dialogue', famous personalities of the cultural scene in Europe and beyond. The European Year aims to contribute to mutual understanding and better living together. It will explore the benefits of cultural diversity, active civic participation in European affairs and seek to foster a sense of European belonging. It is a joint initiative of the European Union, the MemberStates and European civil society. Read more

  • EU ministers for employment and social affairs meet

A meeting of the EU Council of ministers for employment and social affairs took place on 5 and 6 December 2007. The Council adopted conclusions on common principles of flexicurity and a Resolution on the follow-up to the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for all. The Council also held a policy debate on health and migration in the EU, focusing, in particular, on the integration of migrant's health issues into national policies and access to health care for migrants. In the margins of the Council, Employment Ministers met Justice and Home Affairs Ministers for a policy debate on migration, employment and the Lisbon Strategy. The debate focused on two main subjects: labour migration, integration into the labour market and the link to the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, and undeclared work and illegal employment as a pull factor for irregular immigration.Read more

  • Slovenia unveils EU presidency priorities

The incoming presidencywill focus on the implementation of the new Lisbon cycle for growth and jobs, energy, climate change and relations withtheWestern Balkanswhen it takes over the EU helm from 1 January 2008,the Slovenian Ambassador to the EU, Igor Sencar, revealed on 28 November.The incoming presidency has high hopesof ratifying the text of the new Treaty by the end of 2008. With the Lisbon strategy currently under review, EU leaders will decide on the implementation of the next Lisbon cycle when they meet at the Spring Council. Sencar said that so far the strategy had been "working well", and made clear that no radical changes were to be expected. Read more

  • European Parliament approves the Charter of Fundamental Rights

On 29 November 2007, the European Parliament adopted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union with 534 votes in favour, 85 against and 21 abstentions. MEPs also adopted an amendment urging Poland and the United Kingdom to make every effort to reach a consensus on the unrestricted applicability of the Charter.The UK has a special protocol on its application which makes clear that the Charter will not extend the powers of any court –UK or European – to strike down UK legislation and not create any new justifiable rights in the UK. A similar protocol with the same content applies to Poland.Read more

  • EU and UEFA agree on strategy to combat violence in sport

The EU,together with the football governing body UEFA,has decided to step up preventiveaction following recent violent and racist incidents in and around sporting events, which areoften found to bethe work oforganised groups.During a conference considering the case foran EU strategyto combatviolence in sport on 28-29 November 2007, delegatesdiscussed waysto build a structured dialogue between law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities and sport organisations andagreed on anew strategyagainst violence in sport.The actions foreseen are grouped underfour mainpillars: cooperation, a multidisciplinary approach, responsibility and real commitment, and local action. Read more

  • Council of Europe ministers adopt declaration on migration, health and human rights

Ministers from the member states of the Council of Europe, who participated in the 8th Conference of European ministers responsible for health affairs on 22 and 23 November 2007 in Bratislava, adopted the Declaration on Migration, Health and Human Rights setting out their agreement on a number of important proposals aimed at addressing challenges posed by migration to health care services and human rights in Europe. The Bratislava declaration emphasises the need for states to work towards eliminating the practical obstacles and barriers to the enjoyment of equitable access to health protection of all people on the move, including those in an irregular situation.Read more

UNITED NATIONS

  • UNESCO publication on the Migrant Workers Convention in Europe

UNESCO recently published ‘The Migrant Workers Convention in Europe: Obstacles to the Ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families: EU/EEA Perspectives’, by Euan MacDonald and Ryszard Cholewinski. This report analyses the reasons behind the non-ratification of the International treaty. It presents the findings of detailed, UNESCO-commissioned reports into the status of the Convention in seven countries and addresses issues such as general awareness of the Convention, political or parliamentary action with regards to it, and the main obstacles to its ratification. Finally, it offers recommendations for future action to increase support for the ratification of the Convention. Read more

ROMA ISSUES

  • Stockholm hosts international conference on Romani women’s rights

Tackling the main challenges that Romani women and their communities face today was the focus of an international conference in Stockholm on 3 and 4 December, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe, the Swedish Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.The conference discussed trafficking in human beings, including trafficking in children, domestic violence and practices harming Romani women’s reproductive health, such as forced sterilisation and early marriages. The conference brought together women representing various Romani women networks in Europe, experts and policy makers from the Council of Europe member states who tried to find ways to improve the social condition of their communities. Read more

  • Romanian ministry of foreign affairs to hire ethnic Roma at consulates in Italy and Spain

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hire ethnic Roma at its consulates in Italy and Spain in order to ensure a better connection between the authorities and the communities from these countries, according to officials.They will not be brought from Bucharest, but selected from those living legally in these countries.Read more

  • Situation of Vsetin Romanies improves partly in the CzechRepublic

Czech ombudsman Otakar Motejl believes that the situation of Romanies in the north Moravian town of Vsetin improved only partly six months after he drafted recommendations for solving their problems.According to Motejl, there are improvements in the social work with Romanies, but he has objections to the work of the local construction office. Motejl is mainly concerned about the difficult situation of the Romany family resettled from Vsetin to Cechy pod Kosirem, south Moravia.The Romany Tulej family that the Town Hall of Vsetin had moved to a dilapidated family house in Cechy pod Kosirem since the South Moravian regional authority has recently rejected the complaint by the house owner against the demolition ordered by the construction office this summer.Read more

REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS

  • Publication on ‘Working against racism: a challenge for Europe's trade unions

The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI-REHS) published "Working against racism: the challenge facing European trade unions". It examines the findings from the first ETUI research, covering five EU member states, on how trade unions fight racism in the workplace. According to the research, trade unions find it challenging to counter examples of workplace racism in practice. Readmore

  • EPC report on ‘Gaining from migration: moving into a new century’

The world has entered an ‘age of mobility’ as distinct from an ‘age of migration’, and new approaches are needed to respond to this phenomenon, speakers told a European Policy Centre(EPC) Policy Dialogue on ‘Gaining from migration: moving into a new century’, organised in cooperation with the King Baudouin Foundation on 27 November 2007. A ‘demographic double squeeze’ - low fertility rates and an ageing population - means EU countries will need migrant workers to fill labour shortages and the Union must do more to win what some speakers described as the global ‘war for talent’. Read more

  • Council of Europe book on asylum and the European Convention on Human Rights

This revised edition considers the substantial body of case law of the European Court of Human Rights which has examined the compatibility of the Convention with measures taken by states in relation to all aspects of the asylum process. It also observes the role of subsidiary protection offered by the Strasbourg organs in protecting those at risk of prohibited treatment. In addition, the study considers the increasingly relevant provisions of EU law developments in the field, as well as measures taken in the context of terrorist threats - both of which have had a significant impact on the practical circumstances and law on refugees and asylum seekers. Read more

  • Practical advocacy guide for protecting women seeking asylum

The European Women’s Lobby and Refugee Women's Resources Project Asylum AID (UK) have published a lobbying tool to assist organisations working on women's rights, asylum/refugee rights, human rights, lesbian and transgender rights to monitor the transpositioninto national law of two vital European Directives which directly impact on women's rights to asylum, namely the Qualifications and Asylum Procedures Directives. The lobbying tool shows how the UNHCR Gender Guidelines can provide a vital tool in the implementation process.Read more