Looking forward to an exciting new year in the “For Diversity. Against Discrimination.” campaign

"For Diversity. Against

Discrimination." campaign logo

After four years of raising awareness of anti-discrimination issues and promoting diversity in the workplace, the EU information campaign “For Diversity. Against Discrimination.” has entered its final year. Continuing its fight against discrimination, the campaign will team up with the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All to raise awareness of the benefits of diversity. 

2007 will see the return of the EU Diversity Truck Tour, making stops in more countries across Europe than ever before and spreading the campaign’s message through interactive, fun-filled events. The Tour will kick off in Strasbourg, France, on April 25th. 

After the success of the 2006 Poster Competition, the “For Diversity. Against Discrimination.” campaign will in 2007 again appeal to young people’s creative sides with a European Photo Competition under the motto “Breaking Stereotypes”. Unlike the previous MTV photo competition, this will specifically target photography and art students, encouraging them to submit their work on the issues raised by both the Stop-Discrimination Campaign and the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All.  

This year will be particularly busy for journalists across Europe with the prize ceremony for the 2006 award taking place and the competition being reopened for the 2007 edition. This year, instead of the Young Journalist Award,  a special prize will be awarded in honour of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. The award will recognise an article that refers to events organised in the framework of the Year.

People across Europe will also have the opportunity to express their opinions on diversity and anti-discrimination through a video competition.Participants can submit their own short film clips on the topic of diversity and visitors to the website can then vote online for their favourite film clip.

The 2007 campaign will spread the anti-discrimination message throughout Europe and give everyone the opportunity to get involved – by attending a stop of the Truck Tour, participating in the Photo Competition or Journalist Award, or simply by using one of the many interactive features on the campaign website.

European Year of Equal Opportunities for All kicks off at the first Equality Summit to be held in Berlin on 30 /31 January 2007

Logo European Year of Equal

Opportunities for All 2007

The European Year of Equal Opportunities for All is officially being inaugurated during the first ever European Equality Summit, in Berlin, under the German EU presidency. The high level conference provides an invaluable opportunity for participants to take stock of what has been achieved across the European Union in promoting equality on the grounds of age, disability, gender, racial and ethnic origin, religion and sexual orientation.

This is the first time that high-ranking representatives from the  EU Member States, social partners, civil society and European anti-discrimination bodies will come together to discuss the promotion of equal opportunities in Europe. In future an Equality Summit at ministerial level will be held every year, serving to identify the further steps required to achieve a European Union that is characterised by full equality in practice, diversity and non-discrimination.

Photo EYEO opening conference

with Commissioner Špidla

Individual national launches for the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All will subsequently take place in February and early March. A closing conference under Portuguese chairmanship in Lisbon is scheduled for late November to allow conclusions and recommendations to be made in time for the last Council of Ministers, meeting in Brussels in December.

For more information on the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, please click here.

“For Diversity. Against Discrimination." EU Journalist Award 2006 – Final stages

Logo Journalist Award 2006

Press photos and projects find a new home in their own database

screenshot: photo database

At the end of 2006, two helpful new features have been integrated into the website www.stop-discrimination.info. The first one is a press photo database, the other a projects database ,with both aiming to give more structure to the bulk of information compiled in four eventful campaign years.

The press photo database is first and foremost a resource for journalists. Here they can search for and find 33 campaign photos in high resolution for download. The database provides journalists and also other interested users with quick and easy access to high resolution photo material from past as well as the most recent campaign events. The integration of more general images concerned with the topic of diversity is planned for the near future. The database is at this point available in 20 EU languages and can be searched either by keyword, activity, year or country.

The second feature is the projects database, which compiles summaries of 37 projects from all EU Member States. The projects include initiatives and organisations promoting human rights and equal opportunities at work as well as youth and sports-related activities. Next to a short description of the project, users can find contact information and links. This database is so far available in English, French and German and can be searched by four criteria: grounds of discrimination, year, country, or organisation.

To be connected to the photo database, please click here.

To be connected to the project database, please click here.

Highlights of campaign year 2006 – young journalist seminar in Finland

In the last quarter of 2006, the “For Diversity. Against Discrimination.” campaign organised and promoted several major events, one of them addressing young journalists and journalism students in Finland.

The seminar was held on November 30th at the University of Tampere and attracted more than 20 participants and lecturers. Issues discussed included national equality legislation, the situation of minorities and practical experiences in the field of writing about discrimination and diversity.

Mr. Kari Koljonen, professor for journalism at the University of Tampere, opened the seminar, announcing such distinguished lecturers as Mr. Rainer Hiltunen, Chief Inspector of the Ombudsman's Office and Ms. Heljä Korpijoki, a journalist working for the national newspaper Keskisuomalainen and representing the Association of Finnish Journalists. Also speaking were Ms. Maila-Katriina Tuominen, who is the only Finnish journalist specialised in equality issues, and Doctor Pentti Raittila from the University of Tampere, who is one of the leading Finnish researchers in the area of discrimination.

For more information on the young journalist seminar and its conclusions, please click here.

Introducing our national partners in Germany: Büro gegen Altersdiskriminierung e.V.

Logo Büro gegen

Altersdiskriminierung e.V.

The Büro gegen Altersdiskriminierung (Office against Age Discrimination) is a German non-profit organisation founded in 1999 that committed itself to the fight against age discrimination. The staff tries to raise awareness for the specific problems created by discrimination on the ground of age – an issue that can affect 30-year olds as much as 90-year olds.

The Büro’s goals include inter-generational solidarity and the equal participation of all age groups in political, economic, social and cultural life. In addition to that they are working to extend the constitutional anti-discrimination law through the term “life age”. The staff at the Büro is fighting for laws against age discrimination in the field of access to products and services in health care, within the state-funded as well as private old-age pension system, including Betriebsrenten (pension plans). Another change the organisation wants to achieve is flexible age limits instead of forced retirement. It wants to aid in the development of positive images about age and the establishment of new age roles. To achieve its aims, the Büro gegen Altersdiskriminierung continues to document examples of unequal treatment due to age in all areas of society. It offers information and consultation and also becomes actively involved. In addition the Büro also organises educational projects, seminars and lectures. Since 2000 it has also awarded the honourable “Goldene Falte” (Golden Wrinkle) for activities, reports and advertisements presenting a fresh image of elder generations that is free of stereotypes.

To read more about our National Partners in Germany, please click here.