Creation of a Network for Recording Incidents of Racist Violence

A Network for Recording Incidents of Racist Violence was set up at the initiative of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and the Office of the UN High Commission for Refugees in Greece (UNHCR), and with the participation of non-governmental organisations and bodies, such as Aitima, Amnesty International, “Babel” Day Centre, Doctors of the World, Ecumenical Refugee Programme, Greek Council for Refugees, Greek Forum of Refugees, Greek Helsinki Monitor, Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants, Hellenic League for Human Rights, METAdrasi, and PRAKSIS.
Two important findings resulted in the creation of the said network: a) the absence of a formal and effective racist violence incidents’ recording system, and b) the need to bring together all entities, which, on their own initiative, record racist incidents against individuals that resort to their services.
On 1 October the Network for Recording Incidents of Racist Violence launched a pilot program aimed at systematically recording racially motivated acts of violence. A common Racist Incident Record Form is used allowing thus to get a clear and complete view on the quantitative and qualitative trends of racist violence in Greece.
The Network will run on a pilot basis until 31 December 2011. At the beginning of 2012, it will announce its first conclusions on the trends of racist violence in an effort to reveal the phenomenon in its real dimensions and make proposals both in terms of prevention as well as police and judicial response.
The Network is open to all organisations and bodies, which come into contact with victims of racist violence because of their legal, medical, social or other support services. All organisations willing to participate in the Network are kindly invited to contact either the National Commission for Human Rights or the UN Refugee Agency in Greece.
For further information, please contact:
Tina Stavrinaki (NCHR) + 30 / 210 72 33 216
Daphne Kapetanaki (UNHCR) + 30 / 210 67 26 462-3