European guide against racism launched by UEFA

Tackling Racism in Club Football – A Guide For Clubs has been issued initially in English to herald the start of the new UEFA club competition season and is the latest step in the concerted campaign being waged by UEFA and FARE to rid the game of racism and discrimination.Concerted campaignVarious other language versions will follow in the coming months. The guide contains an explanation of racism and the different manifestions of discrimination and intolerance, such as anti-semitism or homophobia, and provides clubs with important ground rules for specific activities in tackling racism.Educational activitiesThese include educational activities, holding anti-racism days, school activities, using players and coaches to speak out against racism and influence opinion, co-operation with the media, and other ways of working together with fan groups.The guide has been developed following the second Unite Against Racism conference at the Camp Nou, Barcelona in February 2006, and is the sequel to a good-practice guide aimed at national associations following the first conference in London in 2003.The practice suggested in the new guide is tried and tested or practical enough to be adapted to the needs and operating environments of most sides.Up the agenda“In 2003, the need to tackle racism was already understood as an issue the European game had to address with vigour,” the guide says. “Since then, the political and sporting environment has moved it further up the agenda. Within the game, there has been concern about players who have been abused at the highest level; in some countries, far right and neo-Nazi activities around stadiums have become more evident, and prominent individuals have made abusive comments that have been broadcast around the world.”Government actionSuch incidents have led to concerns at a political level, with governments seeking to intervene to encourage and support the process of tackling racism and discrimination.Earlier this year, the European Parliament passed a resolution noting that protection from discrimination for reasons of ethnic origin or nationality is a fundamental objective of the European Community.The Independent Review of European Sport, published earlier this summer, also urged action against racism from the football family.Club level“Club football is at the heart of our sport,” the guide says. “The clubs themselves, their players and fans make the news week in, week out for most of the year. It is where many of the most dynamic developments in the game take place. And it is at club level that action to tackle racism bears most fruit. The main issues for clubs are identified as the need to tackle racial abuse and institutional exclusion above all, and then to ensure we are working to integrate minority and migrant communities. This guide sets out what can be done and how.Principles and advice“It would be impossible to include all examples of good practice in a document of this kind,” the guide concludes, “so the focus is on setting out broad principles and advice, with a few relevant examples. It is to all intents and purposes a starting point that will help us to reach our collective goal of a sport that is free of discrimination and an exemplar for the ideal of a multicultural Europe.”UEFA guide for clubs on promoting anti-racism and interculturalismis downloadable on www.theredcard.org