European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)

Seminar with national specialised bodies to combat racism and racial discrimination

The relationship between integration and the fight
against racism and racial discrimination

28 – 29 February 2008
Strasbourg, G Building – Room G03

PROGRAMME

Moderator: Ms Winnie SORGDRAGER member of ECRI

SESSION 1: Setting the scene

9:00

Welcome by Professor Eva SMITH ASMUSSEN, Chair of ECRI

9:05 – 9:25

Integration – concepts and main challenges with regard to the fight against racism and racial discrimination, by Ms Isil GACHET, Executive Secretary to ECRI

9:25 – 10:15

Discussion

10:15 – 10:30

Coffee Break

Moderator: Mr Niall CROWLEY, Chief Executive Officer of the Equality Authority (Ireland)

SESSION 2: Integration: General trends in practice in Europe

10:30 – 10:45

The practical framework for integration in Europe

 

    - Presentation by Mr Jan NIESSEN, Director of the Migration Policy Group (MPG)

10:45 – 11:30

The practical framework for integration in a selected number of countries

 

    - France: Professor Patrick WEIL, historian and political scientist, research director at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

 

    - Denmark: Ms Helle STENUM, migration researcher, Academy for Migration Studies, Aalborg University

 

    - Romania: Mr Adrian BUNOAICA, Chief of Staff, National Council for Combating Discrimination

11:30 – 13:00

Discussion

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch Break

Moderator: Mr Claude-Valentin MARIE, Vice-President of the Haute autorité de lutte contre les discriminations et pour l'égalité (France)

SESSION 3: Integration and non-discrimination in specific policy areas – Part I

14:00 – 14:30

Employment :

 

    - Integration and non-discrimination in employment – state of play: Mr Patrick TARAN, Senior Migration Specialist, International Labour Organisation (ILO)

 

    - Good practice: the anti-racist workplace week: Mr Niall CROWLEY, Chief Executive Officer of the Equality Authority (Ireland)

14:30 – 15:30

Discussion

15:30 – 15:45

Coffee Break

Moderator: Mr Michael HEAD, member of ECRI

SESSION 4: Integration and non-discrimination in specific policy areas- Part II

15:45 – 16:15

Education:

 

    - Integration and non-discrimination in education – state of play: Ms Vera EGENBERGER, Director of the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC)

 

    - Good practice: Promoting diversity and combating segregation at school, Mr Michel VANDERKAM, Centre pour l'égalité des chances et la lutte contre le racisme (Belgium)

16:15 – 16:45

Discussion

16:45 – 17:15

Participation in public life:

 

    - Community cohesion: a tool or a goal? Assessing ideas, policies and outcomes after 2001, Mr Marc VERLOT, Director of Foresight and Head of Policy, Equality and Human Rights Commission (UK)

 

    - Good practice: practical initiatives for the integration of immigrants and ethnic minorities at the local level, Mr Duarte MIRANDA MENDES, Office of the High Commissioner for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue (Portugal)

17:15 – 17:45

Discussion

*****

Moderator: Professor Gün KUT, member of ECRI

SESSION 5: Integration and naturalisation tests and non-discrimination in access to rights

9:30 – 10:00

Integration and naturalisation tests and non-discrimination in access to rights

 

    - The Dutch experience: Ms Joëlle De POORTE, Institute for Multicultural Development – FORUM

 

    - The Latvian experience: Ms Ilze BRANDS-KEHRIS, Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

10:00 – 11:15

Discussion

11:15 – 11:45

Coffee Break

Moderator: Mr Michael HEAD, member of ECRI

CLOSING SESSION

11:45 – 12:00

Presentation of the main findings of the Seminar by the Rapporteur

12:00 – 12:30

Discussion

12:30

Closing of the Seminar