Dear Young Green Friends,

FYEG is organizing a seminar on the inclusion of migrant youth from the 25^th to the 27^th of January 2008, with the 24^th of January as arrival date in Helsinki, Finland.

We are searching for participants from the following countries: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Spain, Scotland and The Netherlands, these being the countries of which FYEG member organisations expressed interest in the seminar.

This Publication has been published in November 2006 as part of FYEG's Campaign against Xenophobia, called Unity in Diversity. Spread all over Europe, this review collects some relevant and important articles about definitions and realities of Xenophobia. Besides those general explanations, you will find interesting stories of specific examples of anti-xenophobic practices and integration initiatives taken across Europe. Last but not least, Don't be phobic and try to find out where the cover comes from!

Enjoy our work here, 

The publication team. 

In reaction to the Italian authorities' deportation of Romanian citizens, the result of the adoption of a decree allowing for the deportation of immigrants if deemed to be "a threat to public safety", Bartek Lech, Spokesperson of FYEG comments: "Creating a climate of fear, suspicion and xenophobia, as the Italian government does with its recent decision, will not do anything to improve public safety. On the contrary, it will lead to polarisation and stereotyping, as last week's attacks against Romanians in Rome have demonstrated. Furthermore, these expulsions are a violation of EU citizens' fundamental right to freedom of movement, one of the cornerstones of the European project. Therefore, we consider these deportations not only as socially and morally unacceptable but also as a shameful act against the spirit of the EU, if not against its laws"

          From the 2nd to the 9th of September 29 young people from 19 different countries from Europe gathered in Krakow in Poland to participate in the seminar "European Diversity: Exploring Ethnical Minorities and Cultures" , which was  organized as part of the Unity in Diversity campaign.

            Through the description of European minorities and explanations of different key terms and sociological concepts, we had a better view and understanding of the challenges the different ethnical minorities in Europe face.

            Secondly we studied  the role of most of the actors involved in the integration process, such as the media, NGO's and those with political roles; as well as the different integration processes in important socialization places, such as the labour market, the education system and the media.

            The third main part of this study session was to describe and increase awareness of the consequences of integration problems.. We pointed out the lack of policies, initiatives and practices initially proposed to combat stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination at the local, national and EU levels. After an intense week of reflections and debates all the participants went back to their countries full of new proposals, political views, and local successful initiatives.

From 2-6 March was held the 4th meeting of the National Campaign Committees (NCCs) and Interntional Non-Governmental Youth Organisations (INGYOs) within All Different - All Equal campaign in Warsaw, Poland.

The first week of March was also the thematic week against homophobia within the ADAE Campaign, so these two happenings were connected. This set of events held in Poland highlighted the need for a European-wide fight against homophobia.

Tatjana  Antic, Unity in Diversity Campaign team member and one of the initiators of the ADAE Campaign in Serbia, represented FYEG in Warsaw. You can find out more about the event from Tatjana's perspective here! 

The 21st of March marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Several Member Organisations of FYEG decided to celebrate the day by taking concrete action against racism in their local communities. Check out the ways they made their voices heard!

March 21^st marks the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The date was established by the United Nations in 1966 in the memory of 69 peaceful anti-apartheid demonstrators killed in Sharpeville, South Africa. The proclamation of the Day was meant to re-enforce efforts of the international community to eliminate all manifestations of racism.

by Bartek Lech (working in the green group in the European Parliament and green polish activist) 

The extreme right in Poland is nothing new. It has its roots in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century- the era that preceded a moment in Europe's history when right-wing extremists reared their ugly heads. Following the events of 1989 and the re-establishment of the ‘brown’ youth movement All Poland Youth, it soon became evident that extremists were taking their place in democratic discourse. And there it began… no-one would have suspected at that time that participation in democratic debate would soon no longer be enough for the Polish extreme right.

By Fatima Alaoui  (Secretary General of the Morocco Green Party)

We, the Morocco Greens "Izagzawen", militants of the first ecologist party, have highlighted ever since 1992 the question of the refugees in our texts and want to remind the terms of the official statements against racism and the tragedies of Sebta and Mellilia. We further want to condemn the current intrigues which aim at parking in camps our brothers and sisters coming from sub-Saharan Africa and who remain in Morocco before being expelled.

Morocco, a land of welcome and transit, cannot be transformed into the gendarme of Europe, especially that the behaviour of these exiled is correct and exemplary, as we could notice at the tables of the friendship of Ftour during the month of Ramadan in the centre of the Greens.

Victims of the local policies which marginalize them, the refugees find themselves constrained to seek their rights to food, work and health care without any economic assistance which is a serious offence against humanity.

Campaign in pictures!

UNITY IN DIVERSITY 

Photo Contest

 The Unity in Diversity campaign is launching a photography competition! This competition is open for everyone, both advanced and beginning photographers, both within and outside the Federation of Young European Greens. Just as long as you have made photos or want to make photos related to our theme of Unity in Diversity, you can enter our competition! The rules…

On the occasion of International Holocaust Memorial Day, the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) warns of anti-Semitism in the centre of European society.

Ska Keller, Spokesperson of FYEG, says: “Anti-Semitism is still a problem
in all European countries. It’s not only Nazis on the street that are a worry, much more dangerous is the acceptance of anti-Semitic stereotypes on the middle road of society. These resentments have to be countered by good education as well as by clear standpoints taken by authorities and politicians.

The participants of the Islamophobia youth exchange in Istanbul concluded the week-long event with the following statement:

We, the young green youth of Europe, have come together this week in Istanbul to address the fear, hostility and prejudice that now plagues Europe’s relationship with her Muslim communities. In the years following September 11th 2001, European Muslims have increasingly been the target of verbal and physical abuse, discrimination, police suspicion, and negative stereotyping by the media. It has become common to label this phenomenon “Islamophobia”.

The Campaign Team has met for a weekend in Istanbul to plan ahead for the next year. Lots of new ideas came out of the meeting, so stay close for a detailed follow-up.

There is already a way for you to get active in the campaign, by contributing to the website. If you have a personal story realated to the topic of the Campaign and you want to share it with us, thus exposing a discrimatory practise or revealing the role diversity plays in our world, please e-mail it to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  

 New ways of getting involved will soon follow!

FYEG is organising a Study Session with the title “Social inclusion of migrants” for 40 people in cooperation with the Council of Europe from 2^nd to 9^th of June 2007 in Strasbourg We are looking for 4 young people to become part of the preparatory team. The prep team chooses the participants, creates the final agenda and prepares all agenda points. It is responsible for following the aims and objectives, writing the final report and for making this study session a successful event J.

FYEG Action Week against Xenophobia successfully concluded 

Between the 2^nd and the 8^th of October the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) conducted a series of activities aimed at fighting against xenophobia, as part of the “Unity in Diversity” Campaign. The Action Week represented a great success, with local events being carried out in 11 European countries.