annual report enar - globule...

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european network against racism

annual report 2005

2005

Annual Report Enar.indd 3Annual Report Enar.indd 3 13-02-2006 10:11:4113-02-2006 10:11:41

This report is funded by the European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs.Photos courtesy of Exile Images©

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The European Network Against Racism – 22nd Board Meeting, September 2005


“As there is a move towards a

single identity approach to

discrimination, it is essential

that there is a collective NGO

voice ensuring that anti-racism

is mainstreamed across all

aspects of European policy”

Anastasia Crickley, Chair of the EUMC and special representativeto the OSCE Chairman in offi ce - 22nd ENAR Board Meeting

Message from the director

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Racism and discrimination continue to be very serious manifestations of the failure of European

societies to protect the fundamental rights of ethnic and religious minority communities.

Discrimination manifests itself across a range of social sectors, including employment and

labour market participation, education, health, housing and accommodation, access to goods

and services and racism crime and violence. The experience of Roma and Traveller communi-

ties and instances of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism across Europe provide some of the most

serious expressions of these problems.

In 2005, ENAR continued its activities as an advocacy organisation, bringing issues of dis-

crimination and racism to the forefront of the European policy agenda. ENAR pressed for a

full and effective implementation of the anti-discrimination framework and the promotion

of a holistic approach to the fi ght against racism and xenophobia. In the context of the Com-

mission’s 2005 adopted Framework Strategy on non-discrimination and equal opportunities

for all, ENAR has expressed its determination to continue to advance further the anti-racist

policy agenda.

The network continued to empower its members through information sharing, seminars and

conferences, with the view of enabling anti-racist civil society to play a full role in building an

enlarged Europe free from discrimination and racism. It was also a year of internal changes

and strengthening for the ENAR Secretariat that saw the recruitment of seven new members

of staff. The reinforced team has injected a new momentum and motivation into ENAR, one

that we hope will continue through the coming months and years.

The ENAR team would like to thank the various stakeholders of the network for making the

work of ENAR possible. First in line are our members, the raison d’être of ENAR, while the

European Commission’s crucial role must be acknowledged in supporting the continuity of

the network. Gratitude also goes out to our Chairman Bashy Quraishy and bureau members

for their endless commitment and vibrant energy enabling ENAR to be an active voice for the

anti-racist movement in Europe.

Pascale Charhon

ENAR Director


Introduction

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“The European Social model is founded primarily on a shared basis of democracy and respect for fundamental rights in all of our countries, starting with the rejec-tion of discrimination in all its forms…”

Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

The work of NGOs at European level is essential

in articulating and defending the views of society

from the grassroots through to the regional and

European levels. The voice of civil society must not

only be heard, but integrated into European policy

making to ensure positive change in the lives of

those affected by racism and other forms of dis-

crimination.

The lobbying and advocacy efforts of NGOs need

to be reinforced to voice the concerns of ethnic

minorities and the anti-racist NGO community. In

its proposed Constitution, the European Union has

given itself the slogan “United in Diversity.” Every-

thing must be done to render this a living slogan in

all spheres of life for people across the EU.

ENAR was established as a result of the 1997 Eu-

ropean Year Against Racism and is a network of

European NGOs working to combat racism in all

EU member states. The network’s objectives are

to fi ght racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and

Islamophobia, to promote equal treatment for all

and to link local and national actions with Euro-

pean initiatives.

By refl ecting local and national priorities, ENAR

strives to ensure that developments at the Euro-

pean level further the fi ght against racism in all

member states and make a real difference to the

lives of those who experience racism.

There needs to be awareness among Europeans

that we are living in an ever-changing and in-

creasingly diverse environment. New civil society

strategies need to be developed to alert decision-

makers to the persistant problems of discrimina-

tion and exclusion.

During 2005, ENAR members drew attention to

the very serious problems which Europe will face

if it fails to respond to the challenge of racism,

xenophobia and social exclusion. Racism is a very

serious problem - new challenges are constantly

coming to the fore, while old ones persist.

The situation of Roma, Sinti and Travellers is one of

the greatest challenges facing the European Union

and needs to be given more attention by both the

EU and civil society as a whole. A stable and com-

prehensive strategy for the EU and strong coop-

eration between NGOs and Roma organisations is

needed to improve the situation of the Roma, Sinti

and Traveller communities.

This Annual Report will introduce you to ENAR’s

work in 2005. From information on policy work,

capacity building and conferences, to develop-

ments in communications, governance and the en-

largement of the network. You will also fi nd a brief

fi nancial report at the end of this publication.


One of ENAR’s main objectives is to infl uence European

policy on anti-discrimination, equal rights and equal

opportunities. At national level, we aim to inform our

member associations on political developments and or-

ganise dialogue between civil society and government.

At European level, we aim to monitor the European po-

litical agenda, take positions on different EU initiatives,

lobby EU institutions and establish partnerships with

other European networks and organisations.

This section will introduce you to ENAR’s four main

areas policy areas: ethnic and religious discrimination;

combating racism and xenophobia and protecting fun-

damental rights; mainstreaming anti-discrimination

and promoting equal rights for third country nationals;

and horizontal activities.

Ethnic and religious discriminationThe past fi ve years have been witness to signifi cant

steps forward in the EU anti-discrimination legisla-

tive framework. Since 2000, the Article 13 Equality

Directives have raised the level of protection against

discrimination across the EU. There have been numer-

ous disappointments however in both the transposi-

tion and implementation of the Directives, with many

states failing to seize the opportunity to introduce

comprehensive anti-discrimination protection at na-

tional level.

During 2005, ENAR sought to raise awareness around

the key challenges facing the EU’s anti-discrimination

framework, contributing to the Commission’s fi rst fi ve-

year evaluations of the transposition and implementa-

tion of the Race and Employment Equality Directives.

Given the limited progress in a number of countries,

ENAR members continued to lobby national govern-

ments for effective transposition and implementation

of the discrimination legislative framework.

ENAR welcomed the publication of the Framework

Strategy for Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportuni-

ties for All and in particular sought to infl uence the

proposed 2007 European Year. It participated in meet-

ings on the issue, submitted a preliminary position on

the proposal and suggested concrete amendments to

the European Parliament rapporteur. ENAR looks for-

ward to making an active contribution to the Frame-

work Strategy and in particular to the High Level Advi-

sory Group on the integration of disadvantaged ethnic

minorities.

The network initiated dialogue with other European

organisations concerned with discrimination dur-

ing 2005 on how best to promote protection against

multiple discrimination at the European level. ENAR is

concerned that the experience of the intersection of

different forms of racism are taken into account in its

ongoing activities. A fi rst meeting was held with other

Brussels-based European networks in November 2005

to discuss the issue of multiple discrimination with the

aim of exploring possibilities for joint action. ENAR

continues to raise awareness on the issue by partici-

pating in events such as the OSCE Human Dimension

Implementation Meeting.

A General Policy Paper (No. 1) on religious discrimi-

nation was adopted by ENAR in late 2005, setting

out general policy principles. The paper will serve as

a roadmap for any topical position of the network on

Policy

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“It may be true that a law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and that’s pretty important”

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr.


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“Racism is man’s gravest threat to man – the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason”

Abraham J Heschel20th century Jewish theologian and philosopher

the issue of religious discrimination. Additional policy activi-

ties focused on issues such as the proposal for a decision of

the European Parliament and the Council establishing a Com-

munity Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity

(PROGRESS). The programme will fund employment, social

protection and inclusion, working condition, anti-discrimina-

tion and diversity, and gender equality projects.

Combating racism and xenophobia and protecting fundamental rightsEurope continues to experience problems of hate crime and

violence perpetrated against religious and ethnic minorities. In

2005, ENAR was heavily involved in trying to infl uence and

advance negotiations underway within the Justice and Home

Affairs Council with the view of adopting the proposed Frame-

work Decision on Racism and Xenophobia. The objective of the

Framework Decision is to ensure that racism and xenophobia

in Europe are punishable by effective, proportionate and dis-

suasive penalties which can give rise to extradition and surren-

der and improve and encourage cooperation between member

states.

ENAR met with Franco Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Se-

curity and Freedom in March 2005 and in June expressed its

disappointment when the European Ministers for Justice and

Home Affairs failed to reach an agreement on the Framework

Decision following a discussion centred around differences of

opinion on the issue of freedom of expression.

ENAR members were engaged in a concerted campaign to-

wards relevant ministries in the member states in 2005 to pro-

mote the proposed Framework Decision on Racism and Xeno-

phobia and tracked developments in relation to a European

instrument on racism as a crime. During the year, the network

also engaged in consultations and discussions concerning a

General Policy Paper on racism as a crime.

In December 2003, the EU Council decided to extend the

remit of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and

Xenophobia (EUMC) to form the Fundamental Rights Agency.


ENAR followed developments relative to the Agency

throughout the year, participating in public consulta-

tion organised by the European Commission on the

subject and liaising with the Social Platform in view of

developing a common position. The network submit-

ted a preliminary policy response on the proposal for

a regulation and pushed for the creation of a prepara-

tory group to look at the question of the participation

of civil society in the structure of the future agency

in greater depth. ENAR produced a fact sheet on the

Fundamental Rights Agency for information and cam-

paigning purposes.

In the context of ENAR’s fi ght to ensure the protection

of fundamental rights for all and in the aftermath of

the Madrid and London bombings, a roundtable discus-

sion on counter-terrorism was held at ENAR’s General

Assembly in November 2005. Concerns were expressed

regarding the link between racism and counter-terror-

ism measures, as well as the general impact of coun-

ter-terrorism measures on fundamental rights and civil

liberties.

ENAR also participated in the Council of Europe semi-

nar to mark the entry into force of Protocol 12 of the

European Convention on Human Rights on the 11th of

October 2005 and the British Presidency conference on

the Right to Freedom of Expression on the 8th and 9th

of December.

Mainstreaming anti-discrimination and promoting equal rights for third country nationalsDuring 2005, ENAR closely monitored EU developments

in the fi eld of migration and followed the emerging In-

tegration Framework. ENAR submitted a contribution to

the public consultation on the thematic programme for

cooperation with third countries in the areas of migra-

tion and asylum. This was done as part of an objective

to promote the mainstreaming of anti-racism across all

European Union policy activity and to secure the em-

ployment rights of third country nationals in the EU.

The programme seeks to support civil society capacity

building so as to enhance protection for immigrants

facing racism and discrimination.

ENAR participated in a conference organised by the

outgoing Luxembourg presidency on the 27th and 28th

of June 2005 on “Mainstreaming Diversity: opening the

debate with the whole of society.” ENAR’s concrete pro-

posals for a code of ethics for journalists to effectively

fi ght against all forms of discrimination, the so-called

Ten Commandments for the Media, were included in

the conference’s end report. ENAR continued to build

links with key organisations working in the fi eld of mi-

gration throughout the year.

Horizontal ActivitiesFocused attention has been given to cooperation with

relevant stakeholders, especially the European Platform

of Social NGOs and other umbrella networks such as

the European Women’s Lobby, the European Youth Fo-

rum, the European Disability Forum, the European Older

People’s Forum (AGE) and the European Lesbian and Gay

Association (ILGA). ENAR also cooperated with other

stakeholders including the Migration Policy Group, the

Open Society Institute and the European Policy Centre.

The European Roma Information Offi ce (ERIO) has col-

laborated in preparations for a 2006 ENAR conference

on the Roma community and access to education.

2005 saw structured exchanges with the European

Parliament Intergroup on Anti-Racism and Diversity,

for which ENAR acts as Secretariat. ENAR met with the

Intergoup Chairman Claude Moraes in December 2005,

as well as other Intergroup chairpersons to plan activi-

ties for the coming year. During 2005, ENAR and the

EUMC undertook to engage in enhanced cooperation,

while policy meetings were also held with various Eu-

ropean Commission Directorate Generals.

The ENAR Policy and Lobbying Committee was put into

place in 2005 to develop policy positions and proposals

for the network and to develop lobbying strategies. The

Committee’s representatives are drawn from the net-

work’s membership.

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“Racism is an -ism to which everyone

in the world is exposed; for or against,

we must take sides. And the history of

the future will differ according to the

decision which we make”

Ruth Benedict - Anthropologist


capacity building

ENAR continued to invest in capacity building for its

members during 2005, with a view to enhancing the

effectiveness of the organisation at all levels.

A governance seminar was held in Vienna in January

2005. Different methodologies were used to familiarise

board members and their substitutes with their role and

responsibilities within ENAR. In May 2005, a perform-

ance management system was put in place, including

an internal evaluation system.

ENAR also held a training seminar on Advocacy

Techniques in November 2005. Network members from

across Europe came together in Brussels for a two-day

seminar which supplied participants with the tools to

lobby effectively, whether at European or national level.

ENAR continued to provide information to members

on funding possibilities during 2005 via its website. It

also produced fact sheets with the aim of informing

members on topical issues. These ranged from infor-

mation on European Commission proposals for 2007 as

the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and

the establishment of an EU Agency for Fundamental

Rights, to details on the Commission’s communication

on Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunities for All

and its PROGRESS project.

ENAR has supported the activities of national coordi-

nations, responded to a range of information requests

and has provided ongoing information, participation

and support for the SOLID training project (Strategies

on Litigation tackling Discrimination in EU Countries).

conferences and publicationsA conference on the phenomenon of racism in the

new EU member states was held in Budapest on the

25th and 26th of February 2005. The event focused on

the presentation of information concerning the situa-

tion of specifi c minority groups in the new EU member

states, notably the Roma, the Russian-speaking mi-

nority in the Baltic States and the Erased minority in

Slovenia. A large number of Roma organisations based

in Budapest showed great interest in the event.

ENAR promoted and encouraged strategic litigation

through the preparation of a Conference on Stra-

tegic Litigation on the 17th and 18th of December

2005. Only a handful of NGOs and legal practitioners

in Europe are using strategic litigation in the context

of ethnic discrimination. Litigation is known to need

extensive legal experience and suffi cient time and re-

sources to be successful. The conference aimed to raise

awareness on the purpose and importance of strate-

gic litigation and bridge the gap between anti-racism

NGOs and relevant organisations and legal practition-

ers undertaking casework.

The network produced 13 country-specifi c Shadow

Reports in 2005, with a supplementary report on the

Roma in the EU. For the fi st time, ENAR published an

EU wide Shadow Report identifying trends concerning

the phenomenon of racism in the EU during 2004.

The reports deal with the many faces of racism and

discrimination in Europe at both legislative and local

level, from policy to practice. They are a compilation of

grassroots data collected by a large network of NGOs.

The Compagnia di San Paolo supported the production

of the 2004 Shadow Reports.

In other publications, the Secretariat published a re-

port entitled “The EU Constitution and Racism: New

Legal Tools” in April 2005, drafted by Jo Shaw, a UK

based lawyer in constitutional law.

“I look at an ant and I see myself: a native South African, endowed by nature with strength much greater than my size so I might cope with the weight of racism that crushes my spirit”

Miyamoto Musashi – 17th Century

ENAR’s Chairman Bashy Quraishy meeting with Lithuanian NGOs – October 2005

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“My generation’s apathy. I’m disgusted with my own apathy too, for being spineless and not always standing up against racism, sexism and all those other –isms the counterculture has been whining about for years”

Kurt Cobain – singer, musician 1967-1994

communication

enlarging the networkDuring 2005, ENAR proactively supported the establish-

ment of national coordinations in the new EU member

states. Coordinations were established in Estonia, Hun-

gary, Latvia and Malta. The fi ve remaining new mem-

ber states are set to have their national coordinations

formally set up by the end of April 2006.

governanceand staffENAR carried out a series of statutory meetings in 2005,

including two board meetings, four bureau meetings

and the 2005 General Assembly, which took place in

Brussels on the 25th to the 27th of November.

ENAR undertook a vigorous recruiting process in 2005,

resulting in the appointing of seven new staff members,

which included a Director, Policy Offi cer, Publications

& Conference Offi cer, Information & Communications

Offi cer, Campaigns & Networking Offi cer, Administra-

tor and Secretary.

ENAR developed and enhanced tools for improving its

communications in 2005. A new three-year informa-

tion strategy was put into place to provide better im-

pact at both European and national levels.

The ENAR weekly mail was inaugurated in July 2005

with 26 issues produced and disseminated among the

network’s members during the year. ENAR’s newslet-

ter, ENARgy, was resurrected and given a new style in

2005 with thematic editions on awareness raising and

racism & human rights.

Twelve press releases and public statements were

issued over the reporting period, including reactions

on the failure of the Council to agree to the Frame-

work Decision on Combating Racism and Xenophobia

under the Luxembourg presidency and the need for

greater attention to social inclusion following riots in

France and the UK.

The ENAR website has increased in its functionality

and now hosts the weekly mail, newsletter, fact sheets

and policy papers, as well as other sources of informa-

tion for members and non-members.

The Secretariat maintained lively communication with

board members and their substitutes in the form of

information sharing and as responses to individual

requests by members and organisations in various

countries.


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fi nancial report

EC support

Foundations:- Compania di San Paolo

- Stichting Evens

Donations

National Coordination contributions

Total

Budget report May 2004 – April 2005

* Including travel and servicesThis fi nancial statement was audited & approved by an external auditor – full details upon request.

ENAR would like to thank the European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs for their fi nancial com-

mitment to the continuity of the network’s endeavours. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the

Compagnia di San Paolo and the Stichting Evens foundation for their support of ENAR activities in 2005.

Income Expenditure

767.834 Staff 389.025

Activities * 349.22025.735

2.500

5.515 Administration 125.948

62.609

864.193 Total 864.193

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2005

european network against racism 43, Rue de la Charité • B-1210 Brussels • Belgium

Tel: +32 (0)2 229 3570 • Fax: +32 (0)2 229 3575

E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.enar-eu.org

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