Conference Invitation
NEVER AGAIN!
European conference against racism and fascism

November 19-23, 2003 in Poland

Never Again!
We have to learn from the past and try to avoid mistakes made in history. We are particularly concerned about the rise of extreme-right groups who attack immigrants, refugees and other minorities. Choosing Poland as the venue of this meeting is symbolic: it is a country that suffered under Nazi occupation during World War II and it is one of the current EU accession states. This will help the participants to see and analyse the implications of the new situation in Europe for minority rights as well as migration and refugee issues. We are convinced that solutions can be found by working together across borders.

How can we join our efforts in combating racism and fascism?
The UNITED conference in Poland will bring together activists from organisations from all over Europe to share experiences in these fields and find new ways to deal with the situations we are facing every day. The programme will emphasise on sharing good practices - successful examples of actions in the fight against racism and fascism.

The conference will focus on:
   •	current challenges for anti-racist / anti-fascist work in Eastern and Western Europe
   •	the EU enlargement and its impact on human rights, border and asylum policy and racist activities
   •	antisemitism and anti-Roma racism
   •	educational methods used in anti-racism/anti-fascism work
   •	using international instruments to combat racism

Main themes of the conference will be:
A •	Migrants & refugees and 'Fortress Europe'- enlargement of "Fortress Europe", migration from future EU member states to current EU countries, new EU policy towards asylum seekers, etc.
B •	The situation of minorities in Europe - new divisions in Central and Eastern Europe (due to the EU accession process) damaging the existing links between countries, tensions between minority groups, situation of the Roma minority, etc.
C •	The danger of the extreme right in Europe - growing extreme right-wing tendencies in Central and Eastern Europe, networks of fascist groups in Europe, use of football and music in the fight against racism and fascism, the role of trade unions, cyber-hate and ways to combat it, etc.
D •	Learning from the past - education in anti-racism/anti-fascism field, democracy development, how to combat antisemitism using the Holocaust experiences in Krakow to raise awareness on the danger of extreme right and racism nowadays, etc.

UNITED, the biggest European anti-racist network of more than 560 organisations, organises a series of conferences in several European countries to unite and empower anti-racist initiatives. At one of the last UNITED conferences, held in June 2003 in Luxembourg, 80 people from 76 organisations from 36 countries met, from Portugal to Russia, from Ireland to Italy. They exchanged information and skills and prepared future actions and campaigns (e.g. around the commemoration of the "Kristallnacht" pogrom and the European-wide Action Week Against Racism).

This conference is prepared by: 
Assoc. of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland - ARASI (IRL), ASLIR / FTMB (RO), Never Again Association (PL), People Against Racism (SK), Polish Humanitarian Organisation - PAH (PL), Norwegian Peoples Aid (N), Verein für Dienste im Ausland (A), UNITED for Intercultural Action 

TECHNICAL INFO

WORKING METHODS
... plenaries, working groups, political cafés, presentations, debates, intercultural 'games', information market, intercultural inputs, lectures, open forum … Please check the programme for further details. 

PARTICIPANTS
The conference is planned for ± 60 participants (living in Europe) who represent (inter)national anti-racist, anti-fascist and human rights organisations. Active grass-roots groups from all over Europe are also invited. Participation is rotated from one conference to another. Priority will be given to nominations from delegates with a minority background and young delegates (under 30). Preference is given to those organisations that actively take part in UNITED campaigns. Participants should act as multipliers, spreading the information to as many people as possible. We will try to reach an equal balance of female/male participants and a good geographical distribution. Each organisation can nominate only one delegate.

LANGUAGE
The conference language is English. All participants are expected to have at least basic knowledge of English. But don't worry, English is almost nobody's mother tongue. If you have difficulties in expressing yourself, surely we can help each other. 

PARTICIPATION FEE
The participation fee of the conference is: 

80 € for participants from: A, B, CH,CY, D, DK, E, F, FIN, GB, GR, I, IS, IRL, L, M, N, NL, P, S (supporters of UNITED 50 €)
60 € for participants from: BG, BH, CZ, EE, H, HR, LV, LT, MK, PL, RO, SI, SK, TR, YU (supporters of UNITED 35 €)
40 € for participants from: AL, ARM, AZ, BY, GE, KZ, KY, MD, RUS, UA, UZB (supporters of UNITED 25 €)

Full board and lodging and the complete program is paid for by the organisers.

CONTRIBUTION TO TRAVEL COSTS
UNITED can contribute to your travel costs up to a maximum of 300 €. 
For distances under 1000 km UNITED reimburses only bus or train tickets. For distances over 1000 km UNITED can contribute to flight tickets (APEX, economy class, youth fares if possible). If this creates insurmountable problems for you, please contact the secretariat before the conference. Please look for the cheapest and most environmentally friendly possibility to travel. You will be expected to attend the whole meeting and to prove your expenses with an original invoice.
The cost of your visa can be reimbursed by UNITED.
UNITED conferences can only take place when participants contribute in some way. We ask you to find out alternative possibilities of funding for your travel costs (e.g. through a travel grant from a Soros Foundation, or with help from an university or another sponsor). We would very much appreciate your help.

DATES / PLACE
The conference will start on Wednesday 19 November and will end after lunch on Sunday 23 November. We will have a relatively simple accommodation, and you will share a room with up to three people. If you wish to arrive earlier or stay longer (on your own costs), we can help you arrange your stay.

OPTIONAL EXCURSION
On Monday 24 November we will organise a visit to the former concentration camp Auschwitz. This excursion is optional and on participants' own cost. The price is (including 1-2 extra nights):
50 €: for participants from: A, B, CH, D, DK, E, F, FIN, GB, GR, I, IRL, L, N, NL, P, S
35 €: for participants from: BG, BH, CZ, CY, EE, H, HR, IS, LV, LT, M, MK, PL, RO, SI, SK, TR, YU
25 €: for participants from: AL, ARM, AZ, BY, GE, KZ, KY, MD, RUS, UA, UZB

FURTHER INFORMATION
Please, note that sending the expression of interest form does not guarantee your participation in the conference. Only those candidates selected for participation (this will be known around 13 October) will receive further information e.g. visa invitation, explanation ‘how to get there’, a final program, list of participants, etc. Feel free to contact us (by email) after October 15 to inform about your nomination.

PROGRAM

NEVER AGAIN! European conference against racism and fascism
November 19-23, 2003 in Poland

Wednesday 19 November
until 17:30	Arrival of participants
20:00	"Breaking the Blocks" and Informal opening reception
	
Thursday 20 November
9.30-11.00	Welcome! - What is UNITED?, Presentation of Never Again Assoc. and PAH, Programme/team/technics, Personal introductions of participants
11.15-12.30	Discussion groups “The danger of words” - Definitions of concepts most used in anti-racist work
14.30-16.00 	“Antisemitism: past and present” - video, lecture and discussion
16.15-18.00 	Thematic working groups - introduction -
•	Migrants & refugees and "Fortress Europe"
•	Situation of minorities in Europe
•	The danger of extreme right in Europe
•	Learning from the past - education
•	20:30	Info Market, with the participation of local NGOs
•	21.30	International Snacks
•	22.00	optional: Political Café / Video Evening
•	
•	Friday 21 November
•	9.30-11.00	“The rise of extreme-right and Roma/minority migration” - lecture and discussion
•	11.15-12.30 	Thematic working groups - political discussion -
•	Migrants & refugees and "Fortress Europe"
•	Situation of minorities in Europe
•	The danger of extreme right in Europe
•	Learning from the past - education
•	14.30-18.00 	Thematic working groups - sharing and applying good practices -
•	Migrants & refugees and "Fortress Europe"
•	Situation of minorities in Europe
•	The danger of extreme right in Europe
•	Learning from the past - education
18:00-21.00	Short city tour in Krakow & Dinner in Krakow
22.00	optional: Political Café / Video Evening

Saturday 22 November
9.30-10.30	Reports from the thematic working groups
10.30-11.00 	Introduction action planning working groups
11.15-12.30	"European co-operation and challenges for the anti-racist/anti-fascist movement" - lecture and discussion
14.30-17.30	Action planning working groups How to co-operate in an expanding Europe
•	Campaigning against fascism
•	Campaigning against racism
•	Campaigning in support of refugees
•	Ad-hoc campaigning
•	European co-operation for antiracist education
17.30-18.00 	"The United Nations, the struggle against racism and the role of young people". Inter-active presentation by Birgit Van Hout of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Anti-Discrimination Unit.
20:30	Intercultural Evening & Farewell Party
22.00	optional: Political Café / Video Evening

Sunday 23 November
10.00-10.30	Open Forum
10.30-11.00	Reports from the action planning Working groups
11.15-12.00 	“Think globally - act locally" - international instruments to combat racism - lecture and discussion
12.00-12.30 	Evaluation of the conference
12.30 		Closing of the conference
after 14.00	Departure of participants

Monday 24 November
9.00		Visit to former concentration camp Auschwitz - Optional / on own costs of participants

REGISTRATION OF INTEREST
NEVER AGAIN! European conference against racism and fascism
November 19-23, 2003 in Poland

If you wish to participate in this conference please fill in this form completely. 
Each organisation can register only 1 representative (living in Europe). 
Priority is given to participants under 30 years old. 
If your form arrives at UNITED before 6/10/2003, your nomination will have a higher chance of acceptance. 
Sending this form to UNITED does not guarantee that you will be selected for the conference - we receive many nominations.

Organisation:
Organisation's address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Webpage:

First name delegate: 					Family name:

Date of birth: 						Male: 			Female:

Address to send conference documents:

Special needs (vegetarian, disabilities etc.):

Do you consider yourself to be part of a minority? 		No 	Yes (please, specify):

Motivation and aims for participating (add more lines)

Please, describe the work you are doing and the projects you have been involved in. (add more lines)

Which working group would you like to attend? (Indicate two priorities, put "1" and "2" behind the relevant working groups.)
A: Migrants & refugees and 'Fortress Europe'
B: Situation of minorities in Europe
C: The danger of extreme right in Europe
D: Learning from the past - Education

Please, describe in which way you could contribute to this working group: (add more lines)

Would you need financial support from UNITED for your travel costs?	No: 		Yes:
If yes, why?
How much? (maximum: 300 Euro / under 1000 km use train or bus)

Would you take part in the excursion to Auschwitz? 			No: 		Yes:
(Monday 24/11, at extra costs)

For those who will need a  visa:

Private address of the delegate:
Place of birth:					Citizenship:	
Number of passport:				 valid until:
Polish embassy where you apply for visa:				 fax:
Personal phone / mobile phone / fax / e-mail where you can be reached in emergencies:

Only those candidates selected for participation will be contacted ± October 13, 2003

SEND this by email, mail or  fax to:
UNITED, Postbus 413, NL-1000 AK Amsterdam 
phone +31-20-6834778, fax +31-20-6834582, info@unitedagainstracism.org