Centre monitors racism in Eastern Europe

The anti-racist East Europe Monitoring Centre starts its operation in Warsaw this month. The newly launched centre – bolstered by UEFA support – will monitor, research and document cases of racism across the region, including UEFA EURO 2012™ hosts Poland and Ukraine.

Pressing issues
"The growing social significance of football in Poland and Ukraine before 2012 provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the pressing issues of xenophobia and racism in Eastern Europe," said sociologist Dr Rafal Pankowski, the Monitoring Centre co-ordinator. "Our starting point is racism in football, but we see it in a more general context of discrimination in broader society," added assistant co-ordinator Jacek Purski.

FARE project
The centre is a part of the three-year FARE Eastern European Development Project, funded by UEFA in the run-up to UEFA EURO 2012™. The project funding involves, among other things, UEFA EURO 2008™ public viewing licensing fee income. Backing is also being given by the players' body FIFPro who, together with UEFA and the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, organised the Unite Against Racism conference hosted by the Polish Football Association in Warsaw last March.

Objectives
The project's core objectives are to support the preparation of the tournament and anti-discriminatory activities through training programmes, lobbying and partnerships with governing bodies, local organising committees and host cities. Other aims are to work alongside ethnic minority communities to challenge discrimination, and increase the profile of FARE, the Unite Against Racism programme and its ethos in Eastern Europe. The ultimate goal is to build a resource and campaigning base to sustain long-term anti-discrimination activities in football in Eastern Europe.

Wide constituency
The project will also have a wider country base with a strong focus on Hungary and Slovakia. Monitoring will take place in several other states – Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus and Moldova – and potential awareness-raising activities are being explored.

Click here to read about anti-racist activities in Poland.
Click here for information on the Football Against Racism in Europe network.