Report from the NGO Forum plenary meeting on Wednesday, 11 Oct 2000

The session was chaired by Mr. Arlington TROTMAN, Churches´ Commission for Racial Justice, United Kingdom).

Maria Miguel SIERRA (Women´s Voice, Belgium) introduced amendments made by the NGO Resource Group in the Draft Report from the NGO Forum, based on motions submitted by participants in oral or written. The main and principal additions to the draft text are the following:

• The rise of extreme right movements in some European countries was mentioned as a matter of deep concern.
  
• The global financial and trade institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank violate their obligations in terms of human rights.
  
• Institutional discrimination based on nationality must cease.
  
• Condemnation of those European states which imply intolerable conditions for migrants and refugees.
  
• The dark sides of the European history, as the slavery, colonialism and Holocaust must not be forgotten.
  
• Measures against racism and discrimination can only then be effective if carried out in general context of indivisible human rights.
  
• It is necessary that governments carry permanent consultations and co-operation with NGOs in the implementation and monitoring policies, especially in monitoring of media, including electronic ones.
  
• Financing NGOs - governmental and private funding of projects and actions of NGOs must be granted but they should not take money from governments and companies which do not comply with principles of human rights.
  
• Terminology is also very important - how to avoid words which promote exclusion.
  
• Women (especially migrant women) and children, elderly and Roma are object of multiple discrimination, therefore they need special protection, eg. special laws.
  
  

A rich discussion on the final text followed. Some more ideas arose, especially concerning the wording of the introduction as the strongest possible political statement, eg:
The whole European economic system is based upon the racist and colonial ideologies.
Voice of young people, in particular minority young people must be heard.
Recognition of qualifications and degrees obtained in other countries as well that the state support for education in the mother tongue are necessary.

Several motions were put for a vote.

Good practices, current trends, challenges: How do we strengthen our common efforts?

Sofia BERNARDO (SOS Racismo) spoke about "El Ejido" - a project against exploitation of today´s persistent slavery of foreign workers, especially Moroccans without documents in Almeria (Spain). Some 5000 people, many of them without any housing, just living in plastic tents in the suburbs, their children not attending schools. They are target of racist attacks.

Leonid LVOV (Harold & Selma Light Center for Human Rights Advocacy, Russia) explained the experience in involving Russian administrative and law-enforcing bodies into programmes countering racism.

Savelina DAN OVA-RUSSINOVA (Human Rights Project, Bulgaria) presented the Human Rights Project. A coalition of NGOs including those of the Roma community successfully pressed the Bulgarian government to launch a comprehensive project for eliminating discrimination and implementing positive approach granting Roma all civic and political rights in the country.

Lorey LOGAN (UK) explained the situation of black minorities in Great Britain as well as strategies how to improve it.

Mary ROBINSON, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the NGO Forum. She spoke on the fundamental human rights and opposed the strengthening of the Fortress Europe in this content.

The chairman of the NGO Forum encouraged all NGO for to continue the universal fight not against each (as it is often the case) other but against racism and intolerance, for the equality of all human beings. Racism is to be defeated and NGOs will see this defeat. He called for stronger networking to extend it beyond national boundaries for to share an intercultural and diverse Europe. The education process to that end must start in nursery schools.


Rapporteur: Mirek PROKES, I CARE