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On March 21 there has officially come to an end the annual International Action «Stop Racism!»; it was held for a seventh year in many cities on a territory of the New Independent States for all those who consider actions against racism and intolerance important, in protection of human dignity, equality and variety. This year about 20 initiative groups from Russia (Moscow, St.-Petersburg, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod etc.), and also from Ukraine and Belarus took part in it.

Youth Network against Racism and Intolerance, the International Youth Human Rights Movement and the International Network «Young Europe» were the traditional organizers of this Action.

This year the events of the Action were held within the framework of the projects «Building partnership for successful non-violent youth action to promote human rights culture, tolerance and inter-cultural dialogue” under support of Representative Office of the European Commission in the Russian Federation, «Youth Archive of nonviolent actions: formal and informal education for xenophobia and racism counteraction», supported by Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and also the project «Civil organisations serving society: youth actions against racism, nationalism and xenophobia and for Human Rights and inter-cultural dialogue», supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the framework of MATRA program.

Each participant or the whole initiative group in their own way addressed the audience with a question as to what can be defined as a "norm" for them and how they judge the variety of views, opinions, behaviour patterns they observe around them daily.

For the first time this year, thanks to participants from Voronezh (Russia) and Gomel (Belarus), there was the Photohunting competition «Unity of Different», it has been held for a week, and there was suggested to find and take pictures of objects best reflecting the authors’ point of view on the variety of the world.

In Moscow and Voronezh there took place the thematic films demonstration in youth groups with the subsequent discussion as an attempt to find a parallel with real life and reflections as to what can be done by us for changing the situation.

In Murmansk from March 19 till March 25 there was the festival "Dialogue of Cultures" with frameworks photo-exhibitions "There are no Illegal People" and "Tolerance Art".

In Kazan the local initiative group has planned a seminar for volunteers on tolerance and counteraction to discrimination, and also for the children from an orphanage.

In St.-Petersburg the initiative group has planned the film discussion. Besides, the Action has found its continuation in the Uniform actions against Xenophobia on March 19-29, during which the informational and educational materials of the Action «Stop Racism!” were distributed.

Besides, in many cities of Russia (first of all in the Central, Privolzhsky and Southern federal districts), and also in Ukraine and Belarus lessons at schools were given and the educational materials, created by the organizers specially for the Action «Stop Racism!», were distributed.

Organizers of the Action «Stop Racism!»

stopracism@anti-fa.ru,
+7 4732 90 66 82