Football to beat the racists

Action Week
The 6th FARE Action Week, organised by the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network – UEFA's partner in the anti-racism movement - will feature up to one thousand initiatives by campaigners, fans, clubs, national associations, ethnic minority groups and youth groups across Europe.

35 separate countries
Launched in the 2001/02 season with initiatives in nine countries, the week of action now involves 35 nations. The range of activities are set to increase this year with new groups from Eastern and Central Europe, including the former USSR and the Balkans (Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, F.Y.R. Macedonia and Bulgaria) taking part.

Fans' involvement
More supporters' associations are now organising themselves to challenge racism. In Spain, Ultras groups have come together for the first time to plan joint activities. In France, the Réseau Supporter de Résistance Antiraciste will be working with members of fan groups across the country, organising highly visible events.

Greater engagement
In Germany, groups from various clubs will become active during their home matches. A greater engagement with minorities such as the Roma people in parts of Eastern Europe is now an encouraging feature of the activities.

Success stories
One of the many success stories this year is the partnership between the Mahatma Gandhi Human Rights Organisation, which is a respected Hungarian NGO led by ethnic minorities working with asylum seekers and refugees, and the Hungarian football authorities who have come together to co-ordinate a nationwide series of events.

Spreading the message
The Action Week is channelling the power of football to get a message across to the millions of people touched by game. Through activities at the UEFA Champions League games on 18/19 October, more than half a million fans will directly engage with a message of inclusion across 16 stadiums.

Springboard
"The Action Week is no longer a period just to dust off the anti-racism banners," said FARE spokesman Leon Mann. "It is now the springboard for continual engagement between campaigners, fans and ethnic minority groups with clubs, leagues and ruling bodies in working towards a game free from racism and inequality.

Making voices heard
"Anti-racism campaigning used to be confined to outside stadiums. We are now inside and are beginning to make our voices heard," he added.

For a detailed list of activities, go to the website http://www.farenet.org/actionweek.asp