On 14th and 15th April, CESIE hosted the partnership meeting for the Platform for Voice – EUnify project, financed by the Open Society Foundation in Europe. The project aims to provide the platform for voice amongst those marginalised from the centre of power by identifying and communicating key messages to combat sexist, racist and xenophobic speech by those seeking (re)election in 2014.
Representatives from partner organisations, International Alert (UK), Symbiosis (Greece), Commission for Filipino Migrant Workers (Netherlands) and CESIE (Italia) met for the first time in Palermo. During the meeting the partnership shared feedback about the work delivered at national level for the EUnify project and agreed on strategies to carry out in during next phase of the project.
From the analysis of the national workshop events, some issues regarding racism and xenophobia that are transversal at European level were identified, among them were: the protection of national identity, considered threatened by the immigrants presence; in opposition to this, the positive aspects of migration and multiculturalism; the influence of the economic crisis on social inequalities; the politicization of social problems; and the inadequate response of the State and the democratic system to this issues.
The project will continue with a European wide and national level campaign, mainly through social media. The campaign will be based on four fundamental issues: the existence of the freedom of movement; the consideration of all persons as equal, taking into account that any of us could become a migrant; the existence of sources that support certain messages based on prejudices; and the assumption by individuals of some functions of which the State is not taking charge.
The EUnify campaign will be launched at the end of April ahead of the 2014 European Parliament election.
Keep updated at: facebook.com/eunify2014
For further information, please contact: press.office@cesie.org
