March 21 - The International Day against Racism
March 21 was declared the International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by the United Nations as a reaction to the murder of peaceful anti-apartheid demonstrators in South-Africa, in 1960.
Human Rights Monitoring Institute joined the international UNITED network, the largest anti-racism network of more than 560 NGOs in 49 countries, in the annual European-wide Action Week to actively engage Lithuanians against racism and promotion of equality. Main target group of the campaign is the youth.
Among HRMI parners in the week-long campaign are the Tolerance Centre, Department for National Minorities and Lithuanians Living Abroad, International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania, Human Rights Centre, Council of Europe campaign “All different - all equal”, Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, Roma Community Centre, European Law Students’ Association (ELSA), Lithuanian Chapter.
The Campaign programme of Action Week against Racism 2008 includes:
March 14, Friday
10:00 Press Conference to launch the campaign and Seminar for Journalists on Racism (BNS)
13:00 Concert bus, featuring Roma and Afro-Band, and the Living Library at the Municipality Square, Gedimino avenue
March 15-23
• Civic actions in all regions of Lithuania conducted by youth groups
• Virtual Photography Exhibition on the Alfa.lt web site
• Exhibition of Photography Featuring Individuals, Belonging to Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Lithuania
March 18
• Discussion on Racism with the Law Students
• Football Competition Against Racism
March 19
Opening of Photographic Exhibition (will be open until March 23)
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Press Conference / Seminar for journalists on racism
Press Conference
Participating: Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Tolerance Centre, Department of National Minorities and Lithuanians Living Abroad, International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania, Human Rights Centre, Council of Europe’s campaign “All different - All Equal”, Roma Community Centre, European Law Students’ Association (ELSA), Lithuanian Chapter.
Representatives of participating institutions will overview situation with regard to racist incidences in 2007 and introduce the programme of the Action Week against Racism.
Seminar for journalists
Organised by: Human Rights Monitoring Institute
Opening Event of the Action Week against Racism: concert bus and the Living Library at Municipal Square, Gedimino avenue, Vilnius
Concert bus – the clout of the week opening event!
City sightseeing bus, marked with the symbols of the Action Week against Racism, will drive through the streets of Vilnius. The popular music bands will perform on the open platform during the ride. Popular singers Maksas Melmanas and Biplan, and Julija Ritčik with the group 4Fun have confirmed their participation!
After making the circle the bus will return to the Municipal Square on Gedimino avenue, where the Living Library will take place and an information about the Week will be distributed.
The Living Library – a new way for breaking stereotypes.
The Living Library works like a normal library – readers come and borrow a ‘book’ for a limited period of time. After reading it they return the “book” to the library and – if they want – they can borrow another “book”. There is only one difference: the “books” in the Living Library are humans, and “books” and “readers” enter into a personal dialogue.
The “books” at the Living Library are individuals representing groups frequently confronted with prejudices and stereotypes, and who are often victims of social exclusion and discrimination. These are individuals belonging to ethnic, racial or sexual minorities, disabled, aged, greens, vegetarians and others. All of them provoke certain associations, we usually have an opinion of them but is it always the correct one? You can check it by reading the “Book”.
Coordinators: Roma Community Centre, Campaign “All different - All Equal”
Virtual Photograph Exhibition on the Alfa.lt web site
Readers of the www.alfa.lt web site will have the opportunity to visit the virtual photography gallery with the descriptions, which will comprise three parts: exhibition of photography of individuals belonging to national minorities in Lithuania, photography of Lithuanian Roma and photography of refugees in Lithuania.
Coordinators: Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Department of National Minorities, Roma community Centre
Exhibition of Photography of National Minorities in Lithuania
Department of National Minorities organises Exhibition of photographs of individuals belonging to national minorities in Lithuania.
Coordinators: Department of National Minorities
Discussion on the Racism with the Law Students
ELSA Vilnius and the Human Rights Monitoring Institute organise discussion “Racism in Lithuania: myth or reality?”.
Coordinators: ELSA and HRMI
Football against Racism
During the week, the Football federation organizes football games – as a form of speaking against racism.
Coordinators: Lithuanian football federation and Campaign “All different - All Equal”
Opening of the Photographic Exhibition about Sudan and the Round-table Debate “Genocide Children: a Look at Sudan of Today”
The exhibition will be available all week at the Centre for Tolerance.
Opening event on March 19, Wednesday.
Civic actions in All Regions of Lithuania organized by youth organizations and groups
The civil actions directed against racism will take place in all the regions of Lithuania, combined with the discussions on racism.
Coordinators: Campaign “All different - All Equal”
Social advertising in a public transport
The special video clip, aiming at the attracting attention to the problem of racism, will be broadcasted in the public transport in the main cities of Lithuania.
Coordinators: Centre for Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Institute
Social advertising (posters)
Since the beginning of the Action Week against Racism large Clear Channels posters encouraging tolerance and confronting racism and ethnic discrimination will be posted in public places around the main cities.
Coordinators: Campaign “All different - All Equal” and International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania
For more information about the Action Week against Racism 2008, please visit www.priesrasizma.lt web site.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute