Call for Advocates for the Pact for Equality Campaign

Who we are

Avocats sans Frontières, European Alternatives and a consortium of civil society and university partners are coming together to promote equality and to fight discrimination affecting specifically migrant communities in Europe. We will work together over this crucial electoral year, and over the coming years to transform Europe’s approach to diversity. We are looking for advocates to join us!

The call

The European elections are approaching, and people with a migrant background, racialized people, women, LGBTQIA+ and other minorities continue to be used as scapegoats and are subject to hate speech. This reflects systemic discrimination still prevalent in many parts of Europe’s society and politics.

Discrimination in all its dimensions is rising in all European countries, despite the EU’s attempts to address racism, sexism, and homophobia. A recent Eurobarometer survey (n. 535) concludes that discrimination is seen as ‘widespread’ and ‘increasingly prevalent’, particularly based on the basis of being identified as Roma, on the basis of skin colour or ethnic origin, religious belief, gender identity or sexuality.

Current EU border and migration policies risk increasing this discrimination even further. We say: enough!

This is why, in the campaign period and afterwards, the voices and agency of racialized people and people with a migration background must be amplified. Together, we will call on EU election candidates to commit to a Pact for Equality, which will centre anti-discrimination and anti-racism in all EU policies, including migration, and promote regular engagement of parliamentarians with community and migrant-led organisations in Europe and beyond, and promote the upscaling of best practices from local experiences.

We are looking for individuals (artists, activists, community organisers, migrants, concerned citizens), resident in France, Belgium or Italy, who can help co-create and champion our Pact for Equality Campaign.

WHEN and WHAT

You should be available between the 24th of April and the elections of the European Parliament (over the weekend of the 8/9th June 2024) to:

–       Actively contribute to crafting the message and contents of the Pact for Equality

–       Seek to speak in the media and other public forums about the Pact

–       Record video interviews and other profiles for social media

–       Organise and participate in dialogues with candidates for the European Parliament and other campaign events

We seek to create a community of practice of campaigners, civil society actors and elected officials following the elections to continue to work on mainstreaming anti-discrimination and anti-racism topics in European policy making over the coming 5 years.

WHO

The ideal candidates to be spokespersons for this campaign would:

–       Have direct migration experience, a migration background or be part of groups at risk of racial discrimination

–       Have civil society and community engagement experience working with people with migration backgrounds,

–       Have some experience and networks in campaigning against discrimination and for migrant rights and participation

–       Have some media and/or social media experience

–       Be available for a meeting and training of all spokespeople in Marseille over the 26-30th April, planned during the European Common Space for Alternatives social forum

–       Be able to dedicate around 4 hours a week to the campaign in May and to travel according to needs related to campaigning and awareness raising events.

–    Speak English and French, Italian or Flemish.

–  We particularly encourage applications from young people, women and gender identity minorities

Advocates will receive a compensation for their involvement of 700 euros, in addition to travel costs and per diems. They should ideally live in Italy, France or Belgium.

HOW

If you would like to apply, or to nominate a potential candidate, please send an email to tackle@euroalter.com providing a short motivation paragraph by the 10th April, or as soon as possible. The European Alternatives and Avocats Sans Frontières team will then enter into contact with candidates to confirm participation.

This document was produced with financial assistance from the European Union. The contents of the document are the sole responsibility of European Alternatives, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.