For a European antiracist civil society !

Our assessment is clear: while racism and antisemitism continue to spread in Europe, civil and
political resistance has so far been limited and helpless to stop the scourge.

The recent elections in Sweden, Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as the coalition government
agreement in the Netherlands, have confirmed the trend: the political racism is advancing and
winning electoral victories across Europe.

Given impetus by economic crisis and social unrest, and particularly by the increasing tension
over national identity that is sweeping our continent, racist parties slip their traditional ideas into
the heart of public debates and onto government agendas.

Their growing electoral and ideological influence is made easier by the lightening speed, like some
horrifying game of dominos, with which European public opinions appropriate these sickening
arguments, following the example of recent discussions labelling the Roma as a dangerous
population.

The movement of these ideas can be explained by both the transnational links existing between
the racist movements and by the absence of the intellectual, political and ideological constructs
necessary to oppose these racist speeches. This absence is mainly due to the difficulty that many
European countries have in confronting their past: the Shoah, Italian fascism, colonialism in the
cases of post-colonial countries, totalitarism in Eastern Europe – the list goes on.

Therefore, it is not surprising that popular and political reactions have been too weak to properly
denounce January’s anti-black pogroms in Rosarno in southern Italy, the stigmatization of the
Roma in France, their forced evictions in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Romania and their killings
in Hungary, the hateful anti-Muslim commentaries which are common in Germany, in Denmark
and in Western Europe and the racial discriminations which many European citizens face daily.

In light of this disturbing realization, we firmly oppose to the political forces which use these
issues to create their hatemongering discourse.
We do not accept that Muslims are presented as terrorists and as a menace to identity, that the
Roma are expelled, that Jews are beaten and so feel they must hide themselves, that the lives of
the blacks are threatened.

The urgency of the situation is such that we must immediately forge an antiracist European civil
society in order to keep the European dream alive beyond country borders.

Our European dream is to live on a continent where an individual has the freedom to define his
or her destiny, unconstrained by his or her family origins or by his or her membership in a
community. Our European dream is to build welcoming and inclusive societies, where equality
between citizens is written in text and lived in reality.

In order to breathe life into this dream, we want to make our voice heard, the voice of tens of
thousands of activists all over Europe who work daily to combat racism and antisemitism, the
voice of the victims which are too often left without the means or the influence to ensure that
their rights are respected.
We will show our solidarity in action by organizing grassroots campaigns to create concrete
change in our respective countries. We are particularly focused on combating racial
discrimination in the workplace, in housing, in leisure time, etc.

In periods of crisis, there is a strong temptation to find and target scapegoats. However, the kind
of hate mongering which is fuelled by a sense of hopelessness can only lead to a violent and
destructive end for our values and our societies.
We will not allow hate to circulate freely through Europe without fighting it with determination.

The task of building a Europe where racism and antisemitism have no place is an enormous
challenge, but we have Justice on our side and the strength to ensure that this ideal triumphs.

Signatories :

Name First name Position Organization Country

European Grassroots Antiracist
Abtan Benjamin Secretary General
Movement - EGAM
And the leaders of the organizations Members of EGAM :
King Movement
Abdoelhafiezkhan Dionne President Netherlands
Foundation / Hi5
Bihariova Irena Chairwoman Ludia proti rasizmu Slovakia
Latvian Center for
Brands Kehris Ilze Director Latvia
Human Rights
Program Youth Initiative for
Dabić Tea Croatia
coordinator Human Rights
TASZ - Hungarian
Denes Balazs Executive Director Hungary
Civil Liberties Union
Youth Initiative for
Gjoshi Raba Executive director Kosovo
Human Rights
Estonian Institute for
Haruoja Merle Board Member Estonia
Human Rights
Moldovan Institute for
Jereghi Vanu Executive Director Moldova
Human Rights
Bulgarian Helsinki
Kanev Krassimir Chairman Bulgaria
Committee
Kornak Marcin Head Never Again ! Poland
Finnish League for
Kouros Kristiina Secretary General Finland
Human Rights
Legal Information
Kovalenko Julia Lawyer Centre for Human Estonia
Rights - LICHR
Youth Initiative for
Masic Alma Director Bosnia
Human Rights
Matache Margareta Executive Director Romani Criss Romania
Youth Initiative for
Micic Maja Director Serbia
Human Rights
Greek Forum of
Moawia Ahmet Coordinator Greece
Migrants
Muhi Erika Director NEKI Hungary
Nielsen Anne Chairwoman SOS mod Racisme Denmark
N'Siala Kiese Patrick Board Member Kif kif Belgium
Osman Sherifay Mariam Chairwoman Center Agains Racism Sweden
Swedish Anti-
Paridad Vida Solicitor Sweden
Discrimination Bureaux
 Norwegian Center
Partapuoli Kari Helene Director Norway
Against Racism
Karawanserei ev
Philipps Bruno President Germany
Dresden
NoNAR - Nordic
Primdahl Troels Project Manager Network Against Denmark
Racism
Youth Initiative for
Raonic Boris Director Montenegro
Human Rights
Open Republic
Sawicka Paula President Poland
Association
Scalzo Angela President SOS Razzismo Italy
Schindlauer Dieter Chairman ZARA Austria
Director of Policy
Skenderi Antuen
and External Affairs
Mjaft Albania
Sonderegger Philipp Executive Director SOS Mitmensch Austria
Sopo Dominique President SOS Racisme France