Categorie:

Regional campaign

Title of campaign:

For Diversity. Against Discrimination & European Year of Equal Opportunities

for All

short common description of the campaign::

On 2000 the EC accepted two directives - on racial equality and equality in

employment. These directives became binding to Latvia as well when it accessed

EU on 2004.

However, the EC after some time when the directives were accepted concluded

that they’re not fully complied with and people are not completely aware of their

rights. Thus on 2003 in all EU and in 2004 in the new Member States, including

Latvia, a new information campaign "For Diversity. Against Discrimination" was

started with an aim to inform people of their equal opportunities in employment

and education regardless of their ethnic or racial origin, disability, sexual

orientation, belief or age. This was a five year campaign to be concluded on 2007

and on the last year of implementation it was accompanied with another, rather

similar campaign of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (this was a

little bit broader, not focused on employment and education only but also different

social situations, etc.).

research work done during the campaign:

When the campaign was launched a start-up meeting was held in each Member

State where the representatives from different relevant NGOs, state institutions and

other possible stakeholder organizations were invited. During the following years a

clear active program committee was formed which twice a year met and discussed

the objectives to be achieved, activities to be implemented and activities already

done. The meetings in Latvia were organized by the PR agency which was in

charge of the activities in general as well. The circle of organizations being

actively involved in Latvia varied from 10 to 15 during these years.

strategy:

The main target audiences of the campaign in all the countries, including Latvia

were:

- social groups which are mostly subject to discriminative attitude or behaviour;

- economically active people being involved in employment in any way

(employers as well as employees, job seekers, etc.);

- young people between 16 to 24 years of age;

- mass media and society in general.

The main communication channels involved general content as well as public

politics mass media, educational institutions and NGOs, organizations for

employers, employees, SMEs, etc. as well as different public events during which

direct contact with diverse stakeholders’ groups was achieved.

Activities implemented during 2007 under the framework of both connected

campaigns:

1) EU-wide journalist competition implemented in Latvia as well with an aim to

make the journalists aware of the discrimination issue as well as be more active in

covering it;

2) EU-wide photo competition and a local photo exhibition in autumn 2007 in a

central shopping-center where the passers-by had an opportunity to read short

statements on discrimination and diversity in the society as well as see the photos

depicting the same issues;

3) informative seminars organized during the International Tolerance Day in the

middle of November - seminar for the job seekers in order to raise their awareness

on their rights and opportunities, a seminar-discussion for the university students

with invited speakers representing a refugee from Belarus, persons representing an

African, Jewish and Roma communities in Latvia, etc.;

4) support to a hiking-trip for disabled people further broadcasted on the national

TV channel for four consecutive weeks;

5) opinion articles and commentaries in central mass media on discrimination

issues, etc.

Results of the campaign and evaluation::

Although both EU and Latvian officials admit that a lot of efforts should be put to

eliminate discrimination in the European society still, people have started to

realize their rights and diversity benefits.

Thus several people in Latvia have dared to defend their rights for the first time

here - the priest Māris Sants and a Roma woman Sanita Kozlovska have won the

law-suits when they were refused a definite position in work, a disabled person

Raimonds Smagars has also won a law suit against a night-club which prohibited

to enter the club with a wheel-chair, etc.

Also the Latvian state has accepted a range of amendments in legislation to reduce

discrimination in the society.