{"id":1720,"date":"2024-06-08T13:14:06","date_gmt":"2024-06-08T11:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwgr.de\/agenda\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T17:26:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T16:26:21","slug":"agenda","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lwgr.de\/en\/agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Agenda<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

How did the International Weeks against Racism come about?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Sharpeville, South Africa: On the morning of 21 March 1960, between 5,000 and 7,000 people gathered at various locations in the small town 50 km south of Johannesburg. They responded to a call by the Pan African Congress (PAC), which had announced a five-day non-violent and peaceful protest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People demonstrated against the apartheid regime\u2019s passport laws. These regulated the \u201cright of residence\u201d of black South Africans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of black people outside the \u201chomelands\u201d was thus to be kept to a minimum, but their labour was to remain available. The demonstrators set off in the direction of the police station in the centre of Sharpeville. The police kept the peaceful demonstrators at bay with low-flying aeroplanes and tear gas. The situation finally escalated shortly after 1pm, when the police fired into the crowd, allegedly in response to stone-throwers. The people fled in panic, the police continued to shoot. 69 people were killed, including eight women and ten children. Many \u2013 the figures vary from 180 to over 300 people \u2013 were injured, some of them seriously.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Six years later, in 1966, the United Nations proclaimed 21 March the \u201cInternational Day to Overcome Racial Discrimination\u201d to commemorate the Sharpeville massacre. In 1979, this day of remembrance was supplemented by an invitation from the United Nations to its member states to organise an annual week of action in solidarity with those affected by racism and their allies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 10 December 1996, International Human Rights Day, Nelson Mandela finally signed South Africa\u2019s new democratic constitution into law in Sharpeville. 21 March is celebrated in South Africa as South African Human Rights Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1994, the Intercultural Council has coordinated the initiatives and activities surrounding 21 March in Germany. In 2008, the campaign period was extended to two weeks due to the large number of events and increasing participation. In 2014, the Intercultural Council established the non-profit foundation for the International Weeks against Racism in order to secure this important work in the long term. Since January 2016, the project\u2019s operational work has been organised by the Foundation for the International Weeks against Racism.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What is happening around us right now? <\/h2>\n\n\n
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The electoral success of right-wing populist parties, current studies and investigations (e.g. racist discrimination in access to housing), the normalisation of violence against refugees and hate speech in social media as well as daily personal experiences show how manifest racist thought structures are, how racism affects all areas of German society and how low the inhibition threshold is for this to lead to the use of violence.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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It is therefore all the more important to recognise the underlying social concepts and mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion, to deal with (one\u2019s own) patterns of thought and action and to embark together on a path critical of racism in order to change the internalised patterns of thought and socially entrenched structures of inequality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Weeks against Racism, their cooperation partners and stakeholders can provide a variety of suggestions, impulses and mutual support for this difficult \u2013 but unavoidable \u2013 task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign weeks also have the slogan: 100% human dignity \u2013 Together againstracism.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Who are we and what do we want to do in L\u00fcneburg?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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On the initiative of \u00d1urka Casanova, people in L\u00fcneburg also came together for the first time in 2015 to prepare events for the International Weeks against Racism 2016. At an initial public meeting, ideas for the approach to planning the action weeks were collected on the basis of social experience. An essential basic idea was the binding and continuous cooperation of an open planning group.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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We are the planning group for the \u201cL\u00fcneburg Weeks against Racism \u2013 For an Open Society\u201d that emerged in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the following, we present our agenda, which was developed in 2018 and is constantly being adapted, as well as our mission statement for organising the series of events as part of the International Weeks against Racism in L\u00fcneburg.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

L\u00fcneburg Weeks against Racism – For an open society <\/h2>\n\n\n
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The events organised as part of the \u2018L\u00fcneburg Weeks against Racism – For an Open Society\u2019 have the common goal of changing our society into a society that is critical of discrimination and racism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can only succeed if the organisers have dealt with the issue of racism themselves in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of us have learnt to think, judge and act in a racist way from an early age, it just wasn’t called racism.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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It sometimes seems difficult to admit that we – unconsciously or even against our good intentions – (re)produce racism. As organisers, we want to confront our racism in order to create a basis for truly solidary and anti-racist action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We would like to see diverse participation. All people, initiatives, associations and organisations in our region are invited to make their contribution to an open society.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How can events take place during the \u2018L\u00fcneburg Weeks against Racism – For an Open Society\u2019?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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  1. We have developed a mission statement. This includes the demands we place on ourselves. Those who take part in the \u2018L\u00fcneburg Weeks against Racism – For an Open Society\u2019 are also guided by this mission statement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. We have a basic understanding of the definition of racism that we would like to share with the other organisers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Based on our experience over recent years and helpful feedback, we have drawn up a list of criteria that can be effective in ensuring events run more smoothly:\n