The European Club Association, Unesco and FC Barcelona Join Forces to Fight Racism
The European Club Association, Unesco, and FC Barcelona join forces for the inclusion of anti-discrimination and anti-racist clauses in new contracts with football players.
· ECA (European Club Association) signs on behalf of its 140 members a Declaration promoting the inclusion of anti-discrimination and antiracism clauses in new contracts with football players.
· The idea of including anti-discrimination clauses stems from the conclusions of the project “Youth Voices against Racism”, an initiative jointly carried out with UNESCO and implemented through the European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR). The results of this project were presented at the European Parliament
· The President of the Club and vice-chairman of the ECA, Mr. Joan Laporta, chaired the signature event together with Mr. Sergei Lazarev, Chief Struggle against Discrimination and Racism Section of UNESCO, and the Secretary-General of the ECA, Mr. Michele Centenaro.
The 140 European football club members of the ECA (European Club Association) signed today a Declaration reasserting their commitment to include anti-racist and anti-discrimination clauses in new contracts with football players. This Declaration follows an invitation by FC Barcelona to promote such a clause. The idea of an anti-racism clause in athletes’ contracts emerged from the project “Youth Voices against Racism”, an initiative jointly carried out by FC Barcelona and UNESCO and implemented through the European Coalition of Cities against Racism. The results and recommendations of the project were presented at the European Parliament.
ECA members intend to promote the inclusion of such clauses in the contracts to be signed as of today with football players. The President of FC Barcelona and vice-chairman of the ECA, Mr. Joan Laporta, chaired this event, that was also attended by Mr. Sergei Lazarev, Chief Struggle against Discrimination and Racism Section of UNESCO, Mr. Michele Centenaro, General Secretary of the ECA, and the former FC Barcelona player and anti-racism activist, Lilian Thuram.
“We have always rejected any form of intolerance both in stadiums and on the field, and we see football as an extremely efficient tool to fight violence and racism, and to promote integration in our society. I strongly believe in the power of football to fight racism and discrimination” – said Mr. Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona and first vice-chairman of the ECA.
“We cannot do this work alone. We need powerful partners, such as Barcelona and the ECA”– said Mr. Sergei Lazarev, Chief Struggle against Discrimination
and Racism Section of UNESCO.
“We are very glad to join this partnership. This is our very first initiative and we’re extremely happy to be doing something concrete in favor of this good cause. So, as our slogan says: “tackle racism, join the club!”” – said Mr. Michele Centenaro, ECA General Secretary.
“I believe the signature of this declaration will count in the future. You have had the courage to go further than football, the courage to make society better” – said Lilian Thuram, former football player and anti-racism activist.
Youth Voices Against Racism
The FC Barcelona Foundation and UNESCO determined to eradicate violent and racist behaviours, joined efforts by virtue of a partnership agreement signed on November 23rd 2007. “The fight against racism in sports” is one of its main lines of action.
The project “Youth Voices against Racism” began in 2008 in collaboration with the ECCAR (European Coalition of Cities against Racism), made up of more than 90 cities from 20 countries.
Between June and September 2008, young people aged between 16 and 18 held a series of debates in nine European cities (Barcelona, Bologna, Botkyrka, Erlangen, Graz, Malmö, Nuremberg, Serres and Uppsala). As a result of these debates, a document containing 10 recommendations was drawn up at an ECCAR youth forum in September 2008, that was presented at the European Parliament on November 6th 2008.
The recommendations read as follows:
1. To include anti-racist and anti-discriminatory clauses in contracts signed with professional athletes.
2. To establish awards for the team, club or city whose players and fans show an anti-racist behavior.
3. To show anti-racist adverts and messages in stadiums during amateur and professionals sports events, as well as to use advertisement spaces within sports facilities and to promote chants and mottoes for fans to use.
4. To create anti-racist mottoes for drinks sold at the stadiums.
5. To use merchandise relating to sports to disseminate anti-racist messages such as sports clothing, flags and rubber bands.
6. To organize actions in public spaces, before, during or after sports events, to encourage followers from all teams to celebrate together.
7. To establish penalties for teams with players responsible for any racist incidents, before or after the match.
8. To launch awareness campaigns such as:
a) Messages in the media – television, radio, written press and the Internet – especially before sports events.
b) Activities to raise awareness at school, especially in the area of physical education.
c) Activities involving famous athletes from different sports.
9. To organize multi-cultural public sports events, both in open spaces, parks, squares, on the street, etc.- as in sports facilities involving different ethnic groups, to foster mutual respect and bring down racist stereotypes.
10. To encourage people from different ethnic groups, religions or other minorities to practice the sports they wish. This includes making access to public sports facilities easier and proposing dynamization initiatives.
About the European Club Association (ECA)
The European Club Association is an organization currently representing 140 football clubs from all over Europe that was created in January 2008. ECA members come from all 53 national associations, whose number of member clubs varies depending on their UEFA classification at the end of the season. It is chaired by a 15 member Board, led by Bayern Münich Chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. ECA is the sole, independent body directly representing football clubs at European level. It is fully recognized by UEFA and FIFA in a formal memorandum of understanding signed on 21st of January 2008. It replaces the G-14 group and the European Club Forum, both dissolved early in 2008.
Through the European Club Association, members enjoy powerful representation with all the major stakeholders including the European Union and real benefits.
About the FC Barcelona Foundation
Established in 1994 as a source participation for companies, and club members and followers through donations, the FC Barcelona Foundation has entered into a new stage promoted by the new Board of Directors since 2006, marked by a change in orientation aimed at becoming the main social identity of the club.
This turning-point is clearly marked by the FC Barcelona joining the “Millennium Development Goals” of the United Nations and by giving 0.7% of the club’s ordinary revenue to the Foundation so it can carry out its programs and projects, as well as by the global alliance established with UNICEF.
The mission of the Foundation is to promote an emblematic social model by developing supportive, educational and cultural actions (of its own, and in collaboration with the United Nations) to allow for the club to consolidate its social commitment as “More than a club” in Catalonia, Spain and the world.
About UNESCO
UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialized United
Nations agency, Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal : to build peace in the minds of men.
Today, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge – while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields. In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 193 Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.
For further information, graphic and audio-visual materials, and interview management:
GRUP INFORPRESS FC BARCELONA COMMUNICATION
Ricard Franco Marc Parramon Chemi Terès
Tel. +34 93.419.06.30 / +34 648.03.30.43 Tel.+34 696.86.38.45 Tel. +34 619 50 84 47
rfranco@inforpress.es marc.parramon@fcbarcelona.cat
chemi.teres@fcbarcelona.cat
· ECA (European Club Association) signs on behalf of its 140 members a Declaration promoting the inclusion of anti-discrimination and antiracism clauses in new contracts with football players.
· The idea of including anti-discrimination clauses stems from the conclusions of the project “Youth Voices against Racism”, an initiative jointly carried out with UNESCO and implemented through the European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR). The results of this project were presented at the European Parliament
· The President of the Club and vice-chairman of the ECA, Mr. Joan Laporta, chaired the signature event together with Mr. Sergei Lazarev, Chief Struggle against Discrimination and Racism Section of UNESCO, and the Secretary-General of the ECA, Mr. Michele Centenaro.
The 140 European football club members of the ECA (European Club Association) signed today a Declaration reasserting their commitment to include anti-racist and anti-discrimination clauses in new contracts with football players. This Declaration follows an invitation by FC Barcelona to promote such a clause. The idea of an anti-racism clause in athletes’ contracts emerged from the project “Youth Voices against Racism”, an initiative jointly carried out by FC Barcelona and UNESCO and implemented through the European Coalition of Cities against Racism. The results and recommendations of the project were presented at the European Parliament.
ECA members intend to promote the inclusion of such clauses in the contracts to be signed as of today with football players. The President of FC Barcelona and vice-chairman of the ECA, Mr. Joan Laporta, chaired this event, that was also attended by Mr. Sergei Lazarev, Chief Struggle against Discrimination and Racism Section of UNESCO, Mr. Michele Centenaro, General Secretary of the ECA, and the former FC Barcelona player and anti-racism activist, Lilian Thuram.
“We have always rejected any form of intolerance both in stadiums and on the field, and we see football as an extremely efficient tool to fight violence and racism, and to promote integration in our society. I strongly believe in the power of football to fight racism and discrimination” – said Mr. Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona and first vice-chairman of the ECA.
“We cannot do this work alone. We need powerful partners, such as Barcelona and the ECA”– said Mr. Sergei Lazarev, Chief Struggle against Discrimination
and Racism Section of UNESCO.
“We are very glad to join this partnership. This is our very first initiative and we’re extremely happy to be doing something concrete in favor of this good cause. So, as our slogan says: “tackle racism, join the club!”” – said Mr. Michele Centenaro, ECA General Secretary.
“I believe the signature of this declaration will count in the future. You have had the courage to go further than football, the courage to make society better” – said Lilian Thuram, former football player and anti-racism activist.
Youth Voices Against Racism
The FC Barcelona Foundation and UNESCO determined to eradicate violent and racist behaviours, joined efforts by virtue of a partnership agreement signed on November 23rd 2007. “The fight against racism in sports” is one of its main lines of action.
The project “Youth Voices against Racism” began in 2008 in collaboration with the ECCAR (European Coalition of Cities against Racism), made up of more than 90 cities from 20 countries.
Between June and September 2008, young people aged between 16 and 18 held a series of debates in nine European cities (Barcelona, Bologna, Botkyrka, Erlangen, Graz, Malmö, Nuremberg, Serres and Uppsala). As a result of these debates, a document containing 10 recommendations was drawn up at an ECCAR youth forum in September 2008, that was presented at the European Parliament on November 6th 2008.
The recommendations read as follows:
1. To include anti-racist and anti-discriminatory clauses in contracts signed with professional athletes.
2. To establish awards for the team, club or city whose players and fans show an anti-racist behavior.
3. To show anti-racist adverts and messages in stadiums during amateur and professionals sports events, as well as to use advertisement spaces within sports facilities and to promote chants and mottoes for fans to use.
4. To create anti-racist mottoes for drinks sold at the stadiums.
5. To use merchandise relating to sports to disseminate anti-racist messages such as sports clothing, flags and rubber bands.
6. To organize actions in public spaces, before, during or after sports events, to encourage followers from all teams to celebrate together.
7. To establish penalties for teams with players responsible for any racist incidents, before or after the match.
8. To launch awareness campaigns such as:
a) Messages in the media – television, radio, written press and the Internet – especially before sports events.
b) Activities to raise awareness at school, especially in the area of physical education.
c) Activities involving famous athletes from different sports.
9. To organize multi-cultural public sports events, both in open spaces, parks, squares, on the street, etc.- as in sports facilities involving different ethnic groups, to foster mutual respect and bring down racist stereotypes.
10. To encourage people from different ethnic groups, religions or other minorities to practice the sports they wish. This includes making access to public sports facilities easier and proposing dynamization initiatives.
About the European Club Association (ECA)
The European Club Association is an organization currently representing 140 football clubs from all over Europe that was created in January 2008. ECA members come from all 53 national associations, whose number of member clubs varies depending on their UEFA classification at the end of the season. It is chaired by a 15 member Board, led by Bayern Münich Chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. ECA is the sole, independent body directly representing football clubs at European level. It is fully recognized by UEFA and FIFA in a formal memorandum of understanding signed on 21st of January 2008. It replaces the G-14 group and the European Club Forum, both dissolved early in 2008.
Through the European Club Association, members enjoy powerful representation with all the major stakeholders including the European Union and real benefits.
About the FC Barcelona Foundation
Established in 1994 as a source participation for companies, and club members and followers through donations, the FC Barcelona Foundation has entered into a new stage promoted by the new Board of Directors since 2006, marked by a change in orientation aimed at becoming the main social identity of the club.
This turning-point is clearly marked by the FC Barcelona joining the “Millennium Development Goals” of the United Nations and by giving 0.7% of the club’s ordinary revenue to the Foundation so it can carry out its programs and projects, as well as by the global alliance established with UNICEF.
The mission of the Foundation is to promote an emblematic social model by developing supportive, educational and cultural actions (of its own, and in collaboration with the United Nations) to allow for the club to consolidate its social commitment as “More than a club” in Catalonia, Spain and the world.
About UNESCO
UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialized United
Nations agency, Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal : to build peace in the minds of men.
Today, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge – while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields. In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 193 Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.
For further information, graphic and audio-visual materials, and interview management:
GRUP INFORPRESS FC BARCELONA COMMUNICATION
Ricard Franco Marc Parramon Chemi Terès
Tel. +34 93.419.06.30 / +34 648.03.30.43 Tel.+34 696.86.38.45 Tel. +34 619 50 84 47
rfranco@inforpress.es marc.parramon@fcbarcelona.cat
chemi.teres@fcbarcelona.cat