Don’t let Europe go backwards! ECCAR General Conference 2024

Heidelberg – Germany

The ECCAR General Conference 2024 under the motto “Don’t Let Europe Go Backwards” will take place from September 23 to 25, 2024. This anniversary conference, hosted by the City of Heidelberg, reflects the essence of ECCAR’s mission—the vital role of municipalities in combating racism, fostering diversity, and ensuring equal opportunities at the local level. Partnering with civil society, local communities, and international organizations, we emphasize the importance of cities in safeguarding human rights, especially at a time when minorities in Europe face increasing dangers.

With the General Conference ECCAR celebrates its 20th anniversary and will commemorate the achievements of the last two decades, providing an opportunity for inspiration, mutual exchange, and cooperation between municipalities and their partners to discuss how to combat racism and promote equality on local levels.

The General Conference will gather numerous European human rights organizations, international organizations as well as Heidelberg-based projects and networks, experts from over 100 municipalities, research institutions, and specialist agencies from all over Europe to discuss practical examples of how to shape diverse and inclusive cities to protect human rights at the local level. The programme includes numerous panels and workshops around the thematic foci of ECCAR’s working groups on anti-Muslim racism, antisemitism, antigypsyism, anti-Black racism, and equality data collection. As well as the rise of right-wing extremism all across Europe. 

A key topic of the conference is the implementation of the Decade of People of African Descent proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in municipalities - and where there is a need for action in the future. Another focus is on anti-discrimination as a municipal task. To this end, the ECCAR has recently developed a study on Standards for Municipal Anti-Discrimination Offices. The study focuses on German municipalities as key players in enforcing the right to equal treatment. 

The conference also offers an exciting evening program for those who are not attending the panels or the workshops: On 23 September, the bestselling author Tupoka Ogette will record a live podcast with her guest, Michaela Moua, the first anti-racism coordinator of the European Commission. Afterward, the Berlin artist Celina Bostic will provide the musical accompaniment. On the evening of September 24, the conference will take a look at Black European History in the form of a Keynote by Prof. Dr. Natasha A. Kelly and the short movie “Skin Politics” by the Black artistic collective ORE ARTS from Heidelberg. 

Registration for the conference is open to all interested parties and participation is free of charge. The conference will be held mainly in English, but many presentations and discussions will be interpreted to German and French.

Registration: To register for the General Conference please click here. Registration is open until 12 September.  

Programme: To access the preliminary programme  of the General Conference and all relevant information in German, English and French please click here

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