Warning: Declaration of FeedWordPress_Walker_Category_Checklist::start_el(&$output, $category, $depth, $args) should be compatible with Walker_Category_Checklist::start_el(&$output, $category, $depth = 0, $args = Array, $id = 0) in /home/rpolic17/public_html/club/wp-content/plugins/feedwordpress/feedwordpress-walker-category-checklist.class.php on line 13

Warning: Declaration of quickmenu_nav_walker::start_el(&$output, $item, $depth, $args) should be compatible with Walker_Nav_Menu::start_el(&$output, $item, $depth = 0, $args = Array, $id = 0) in /home/rpolic17/public_html/club/wp-content/themes/peekaboo/admin/common-functions.php on line 0

Warning: Declaration of Walker_Category_Filter::start_el(&$output, $category, $depth, $args) should be compatible with Walker_Category::start_el(&$output, $category, $depth = 0, $args = Array, $id = 0) in /home/rpolic17/public_html/club/wp-content/themes/peekaboo/admin/common-functions.php on line 0
Public representatives, “United against racism!” | Clubul de educație alternativă
Home   Press Releases   Public representatives, “United against racism!”

Public representatives, “United against racism!”

United against racism! Credit foto @ Silviu Plesa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 20th, 2011

The friendly football match organized on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination finished with the score of 4-4. Each participant ”scored” in the effort to raise awareness about the issues of racism, discrimination and violence.

The match took place at the Romanian national team’s training center in Mogoșoaia and was organized by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Policy Center for Roma and Minorities, the Romanian Football Federation, The National Council for Combating Discrimination (NCCD) and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bucharest.

The event was attended by over 50 representatives of the civil society, central administration, diplomatic corps commissioned at Bucharest, media, politics and the Romanian Football Federation. Among them there were: Edmond McLoughney (UNICEF representative in Romania, Machiel Salomons (UNHCR representative in Romania), Mark Oliver (from the American Embassy in Bucharest), European MP Ioan Enciu, Mihai Găinușă (Kiss FM & Prima TV), Dani Oțil (Antena 1), Mihai Georgescu (Bere Gratis), Radu Naum (GSP TV), Cătălin Ștefănescu (TVR 1), Aurelian Temișan, Miodrag Belodedici, Jean Vlădoiu, Daniel Prodan, Ciprian Prodan, Aurel Ionescu, Andrei Ionescu (Steaua București), Cezar Vasile (blogger), Marius Matache (blogger), Andrei Bogdan (blogger), Vlad Conovaru (Realitatea FM). Many of them were on the football pitch, where they were joined by a group of eight children from School 136 in Ferentari.

”These are tensed times at international level. Any gesture, any signal and any manifestation for solidarity and tolerance are highly welcomed. Football is a very popular sport and can be one of the appropriate means to achieve open-mindedness, solidarity and tolerance. We want to see as many moments like this as possible”, said Anton Niculescu, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the press conference that opened the event.

”We have tried to use sports in order to keep the children in school. We believe that sports can be very important for social inclusion and for the children from Ferentari who are here today. This event is very important, because it makes them feel like a part of the Romanian society. The fact that the Romanian Football Federation and the other partners that are involved consider that our foundation’s activities and our message against violence and racism deserves to be supported motivates and honors us”, said Valeriu Nicolae, president of Policy Center for Roma and Minorities.

”We salute this highly educative activity. The Embassy of the Netherlands enthusiastically supported Policy Center for Roma and Minorities, which is a very active organization. We would like it to benefit of more interest from other organizations and from the government”, said Her Excellency, M.W.J.A. (Tanya) van Gool, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Bucharest.

”We are happy to organize such events that raise the chances of some children to be educated and to act without violence or discrimination”, stated Daniel Prodan, director of the Romanian national football team.

”We are lucky to have such partners which support combating discrimination. I am sure that sports is a way of setting an example for children in terms of creating a public space free of violent behavior and language”, added Csaba Ferenc Asztalos, president of NCCD.

The “United against racism!” event is part of the REACT public awareness campaign that was initiated by the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and supported by the European Commission. The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness about the social issues that Roma population faces and to change negative attitudes against them.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is celebrated every year on the 21st of March. Using this day that was proclaimed in 1966, the UN General Assembly made an appeal to the international community in order to intensify efforts aimed at eliminating all forms of racial discrimination.

On April 3rd, in Bucharest, Policy Center for Roma and Minorities organizes the “Vicicitta” anti-discrimination cross-country race, part of the REACT campaign.

Media coverage

 

 

 

Comments are closed.