Focus on roots of racist violence.

4.56.18pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Oct 2005

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP chairing a session of the Runnymede Trust conference, with Jaroslava Farkasova (People Against Racism, Slovakia), Professor Erik Bleich and Professor Tore Bjorgo

Chairing a session on European perspectives during a Runnymede Trust conference on "Preventing Racist Violence", London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford said:

"Although we have developed a particular way of challenging racist attitudes in the UK, we cannot be complacent. This issue has to be tackled on a pan-European basis. Race hate is based on the same instincts whatever country you are living in."

The conference marked the launch of the Runnymede Trust's new report challenging current UK and EU perspectives on combating race hate violence. Rather than focusing just on punishing crimes and assisting victims - important though those are - the report highlights the need to work with actual and potential perpetrators to stop them from committing racist crimes in the first place.

Sarah Ludford added:

"Effective laws outlawing race hate crime are essential, and I repeat my disappointment that the 25 governments have failed to agree that at EU level. This absence also means a lack of EU funding for grass-roots projects to identify and tackle the underlying causes of racist violence."

"A good candidate would be more programmes to help people disengage from racist groups. One called "Exit", developed in Norway to support people wishing to leave racism behind and successfully used in Sweden and Germany, suffers from lack of resources. Racial violence is a real scandal, and one the EU should be better empowered to address."

Notes

To download the Runnymede Trust's report on "Preventing Racist Violence," please go to http://www.runnymedetrust.org/