Breda, Netherlands
“No to racism, xenophobia and discrimination. Every person should have equal rights and equal place in the society. We should remember 9 November 1938.”
Peter van Develden, Mayor of Breda
IN 2014, UNITED called on governmental representatives, city municipalities and public figures to take part in the campaign! We asked them to take one of these simple, no cost, steps to help change Europe for the better – a vision for the future of an intercultural Europe is essential!
Information on this year’s city campaign can be found here. E-mail us if you are a mayor, MP or other public figure that would like to take part.
“No to racism, xenophobia and discrimination. Every person should have equal rights and equal place in the society. We should remember 9 November 1938.”
Peter van Develden, Mayor of Breda
Serpil Midyatli, Kirsten Eickhoff-Weber, Tobias von Pein, Members of the German State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein
Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Director General of Democracy (DG II), Council of Europe
Councillor George Pattison, Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne
Francisco Pomares, Deputy Mayor of Malaga City
“I am a daughter of the Resistance, and of women and men who fought in Italy 70 years ago, against fascism and totalitarianism. Today, more than remembering and hoping this will not happen anymore, I committed myself to act, day by day, against all forms of fascism and discrimination in our society. Sono una figlia della Resistenza, delle donne e degli uomini che in Italia, 70 anni fa, hanno combattuto contro il fascismo e il totalitarismo. Oggi, oltre a ricordare affinché non accada più, si tratta anche di rinnovare giorno per giorno l'impegno ad agire contro tutte le forme di fascismo e discriminazione esistenti nella società. ”
Isabella Conti, Mayor of Municipality of San Lazzaro di Savena
Birgit Sippel and Sylvie Guillaume, Members of the European Parliament
“Was können wir dagegen tun? Wir können: Denken! - Unterstützen Sie unsere Projekte und engagieren Sie sich für mehr Respekt, Gleichberechtigung und Toleranz in unserer Stadt Apolda und in der Gesellschaft! Sehen! - Schaue hin, wenn andere rassistisch angefeindet werden! Hören! - Kinder brauchen Vorbilder, denn sie ahmen das, was ihnen vorgelebt wird, nach. Sprechen! - Rassismus geht uns alle an! Erzählt es weiter! Protestieren! - Nur durch unsere Einigkeit haben wir die Stärke und Ausdauer uns gegen Rassismus, Faschismus und Menschenverachtung zu wehren! Widerstehen! - Auseinandersetzung statt Verleugnung! Und Erinnern! - Aus der Vergangenheit lernen wir für die Zukunft! What can we do against it? We can: Think! - Support our projects and get involved for more respect, equality and tolerance in our city Apolda and in society! See! - Look out when others are attacked racist! Listen! - Children need role models, because they imitate other lifestyles. Speak! - Racism affects us all! Tell It On! Protest! - Only through our unity, we have the strength and stamina to defend ourselves against racism, fascism and misanthropy! Resist! - Confrontation instead of denial! and Remember! - From the past, we learn for the future!”
Rüdiger Eisenbrand, Mayor of Apolda
Michael Künzle, Mayor of Winterthur
Lord Provost of Glasgow, Councillor Sadie Docherty
Resul Tapmaz, Deputy Mayor for Equal Rights city of Ghent
Irena Guidikova, Head of Division, World Forum for Democracy Intercultural cities programme manager , Council of Europe
“Pas d'Europe à 2 vitesses en matière de droits fondamentaux. No to a two-speed Europe when it comes to fundamental rights.”
Charles Goerens, Member of the European Parliament
“As was to be expected, more populists and right-wing politicians have entered the newly elected European Parliament than ever before. By drawing simplistic pictures of a complex and globalised reality, they want us to believe that the return to an antiquated nationalistic structure and the exclusion of minorities will solve all our problems. They couldn't be more wrong - and we should tell them every day, whenever necessary. Indeed, in the face of an ever more interconnected and globalised world, of on-going crises such as in Syria or Iraq, we have the choice between a European sovereignty - or no sovereignty at all. Therefore, we need to continue our engagement in building a common European Union. And more than ever, we need to take a strong stance against right-wing tendencies and outright racism, both in Parliament and society.”
Barbara Lochbihler, Member of the European Parliament
“European Forum for Urban Security member cities are engaged in the fight against facism and antisemitism in order to guarantee that security is a basic right for all.”
Elizabeth Johnston, Executive Director of European Forum for Urban Security
“November 9 marks the beginning of the infamous November pogroms against Germany´s Jewish population in 1938, a decisive step in the process of complete dehumanization that ended in the Shoah. A continuous remembrance of these atrocious events, across the generations, is the best vaccination of (young) people against the virus of racism and hate speech in all its forms.”
Dr. Olaf Köndgen, Executive Director of the European Youth Centre Budapest
“Fight against fascism and anti-semitism is more important today than ever. Everyone has a responsibility to say no to intolerance and hate. As a politician I will never let the xenophobic forces set the agenda in Sweden.”
Erik Ullenhag, Swedish Minister of Integration, Leader of the Liberal People's Party in the Swedish Riksdag
“Never again! Hate is a dead end – we promote a city of respect and recognition.”
Itziar Maranon, City of Bern
“Our tragic European history shows too many examples where racism and xenophobia would lead to: divisions, destruction and war. And not far away from our Europe we see still today the results of hatred based on racism. So let's learn from the experience of too many people in the past and present, who suffer from racism and its consequences.”
Dr. Hannes Swoboda
Sabine Lösing, Member of the European Parliament
Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg, Member of the European Parliament
Jean Lambert, Member of the European Parliament
Jan Philipp Albrecht, Member of the European Parliament
Jozef De Witte, Director of the Belgian Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism