More than 290 participants gathered in Heidelberg, Germany, from 23 to 25 September to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the European Coalition of Cities against Racism at the ECCAR General Conference hosted by the city of Heidelberg. The three-day program, which focused on the UN Decade for People of African Descent and its local implementation, consisted of panels, workshops, and cultural activities. These activities marked our 20th anniversary and provided a platform for participants to discuss and exchange their good practices, reaffirming our collective dedication to ensuring that Europe’s cities remain inclusive, resilient, and committed to fighting racism and all forms of discrimination.
Representatives from 60 ECCAR member cities and various guests and speakers from civil society organisations, academics, EU officials and institutions, advocacy groups, and citizens gathered at the conference. This diverse group engaged in a wide range of topics, from addressing structural and institutional racism to the importance of local action plans against racism, combating anti-Muslim racism, antisemitism, anti-Black racism, and antigypsyism, forming alliances against right-wing extremism, and the necessity of equality data collection. The comprehensive nature of these discussions reflects our commitment to tackling racism from all angles. For the conference program, minutes, and the annexes, see here.
The three conference days were a testament to ECCAR’s members' and partners’ unwavering commitment to the work against racism. Despite the challenges Europe faces with the re-gained power of right-wing extremism, the dedication shown by the conference participants to its success is a reassuring sign of the crucial role that local work against racism plays. The conference slogan, “Don’t Let Europe Go Backwards”, encapsulates the necessity of safeguarding human rights and dignity for all. ECCAR member cities and their partners continue to fight against polarisation and hateful narratives. The conference showed how actors on the ground, whose cooperation is the cornerstone of upholding democracy in our cities, can work in solidarity and with resilience.
The General Conference also marked the re-launch of the ECCAR Award, a significant recognition of outstanding local anti-racism initiatives. From the six preselected finalists, the General Assembly voted on two impactful projects during the last conference day, which will gain international visibility and recognition from ECCAR and its Scientific Advisory Board, including UNESCO. In the category of cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, Botkyrka (Sweden) was awarded for its TikTok campaign “Reimagining Place: Participatory Communications in the Context of Diversity”, which engaged the local youth from racialised communities. In the category of cities with less than 50,000 inhabitants, Dudelange (Luxembourg) won the award for its project on cultural diversity project titled “Month of Respect, which addressed the issue of how to communicate one’s ideas and feelings respectfully. These exemplary projects not only demonstrate the significant impact of local initiatives in the fight against racism but also serve as inspiration for other ECCAR members and the general public, showing that their efforts can make a real difference in the local work, building cities for us all.
For a visual recap of the conference's events, we invite you to watch the Aftermovie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLI08gxT8Ts
