European Parliament: stop racism in culture, schools, media and sports

No more racism and discrimination in culture,education, media, and sports: with 21 votes in favor, 3 against, and 4 abstentions, MEPs propose regulatory measures to be adopted in EU countries aimed at combating the structural roots of racism.

As for schools, curricula should be revised to give a contextualized approach to European history and to help eliminate stereotypes that lead to discrimination. Authors, historians, scientists, and artists of different racial and ethnic backgrounds should be included in core educational materials. It also calls for the elimination of racial and ethnic exclusion that still exists in schools in some EU countries and equal access to teaching for minority teachers.

On the cultural front, EU funding should be directed to initiatives that promote a more diverse cultural sector, and member states should introduce lifelong learning programs for civil servants and state security forces aimed at eliminating racist and xenophobic behavior.

MEPs also call on the media to stop spreading stigmatizing narratives about members of particular ethnic groups. There is a need to provide programs to expand media professionals’ knowledge of diversity and inclusiveness. National audiovisual regulators should have the power to sanction programs that promote racist content and to stop EU and state funding for media that promote hate speech and xenophobia.

Finally, with regard to sports, advice should be developed to combat racism in sports both locally and at the regional, national and European levels, promoting inclusion and respect. And measures should be taken to support victims of hate crimes and violence.

“Today we have taken a clear stand and made strong demands on the Commission and member states, asking them to combat the roots of racism. Our behavior is shaped by the upbringing we receive, the culture, the information we are given, as well as the values that sport conveys to us. We must harness their power to pursue the values of tolerance, fairness and solidarity and engage in an active fight against racism,” said MEP Salima Yenbou after the vote.

Pictured is the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

European Parliament: stop racism in culture, schools, media and sports

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