From 20 to 29 March 2017 Neuchâtel people of all generations and from all walks of life participated in around thirty events organised as part of the 22nd edition of the Neuchâtel Action Week against Racism (SACR) on the theme of plural identities. More than 20 operators, associations, groups, public services and institutions organised events in various locations across the canton.

A number of these events reached a wide audience: the opening ceremony, combined with the inauguration of an exhibition of works by artists of various origins, was organised by the Bel Horizon association and was attended by more than 200 people. At this event, the President of the Conseil d’État, Jean-Nat Karakash, reiterated the government’s commitment to the principles of equal rights and non-discrimination, on which the canton's intercultural policy is founded.

In Landeron and Neuchâtel, more than 800 secondary school students, teachers and accompanying persons attended lectures by Tahar ben Jelloun, Jean Studer and Hekmat Homsi (a musician of Syrian origin), followed by debates on issues linked to plural identities and the risks of discrimination. Throughout the week, the leisure centres in Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds also adapted their activities so they would be in keeping with the week's theme.

200 children take part in a major football tournament at the Maladière stadium

The “All equal. All different: football unit” organised an all-day football tournament at the Maladière stadium. This headline event of the week brought together 200 children, 16 junior teams from all over the canton and amateur teams, which all competed in friendly matches. Ten Neuchâtel associations provided the catering for this event, offering flavoursome dishes from all over the world to the some 1,000 people present.

In addition, several street activities run by associations were aimed at surprising the public. The films shown at the "Southern Films Festival", talks, concerts and roundtable discussions were also attended by a significant number of participants.

The "week" also received considerable support from the State of Neuchâtel, the municipalities of Locle, Neuchâtel and Val-de-Travers, the Loterie romande, the Federal Service for Combating Racism, the State Secretariat for Migration, and the Librairie Payot.

It should be noted that a number of associations, institutions and cultural players have already expressed an interest in joining this year’s partners for the 2018 edition.