From 26 until 31 October 2016 UNITED for Intercultural Action, the largest pan-European anti-racist network, is organising a Network Conference in Ohrid, FYR Macedonia. UNITED states that “our lives as a community depend on how we handle cultural, social and ethnic differences, and make strength out of diversity. Our success as nations depends on how we can learn from the experiences of our ancestors and not repeat the same mistakes again and again. When we select our leaders, we must pick them carefully, avoiding those that wish to set segments of society against each other, or appear to be fighting against imaginary or selected enemies instead of working for the best interests of all. As societies, we must come up with better visions and strategies for Living Together, and learn to accept that although this is not always easy, it is necessary.” Through their conference UNITED aims to:
– understand the ethos of conflict through case studies and personal testimonies;
– share best practices and practical tools to be used in the reconciliation process;
– provide guidelines for NGOs on how to work on reconciliation;
– initiate joint actions and pave the way for future cooperation;
– join the campaign activity planned for the upcoming International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism (9 November)
– design the focus of the upcoming European Action Week Against Racism in 2017.
The conference programme will combine debates, workshops, sharing of experiences and local situations, simulations, political cafés and many other methods for learning from practical experience. Selected participants will also be invited to attend an OSCE-ODIHR training session on hate crime.
