Projects supported by the Progress programme in 2010 varied from radio advertisementcampaign and a campaign against Racism to conferences, researches and publicationsof books and brochures.
Prohibition of discrimination:
The brochure Prohibition of discrimination was published by the Human Rigths Centre (ICEHR) in 2010. The purpose of the publication is to introduce EU directives on equality independent from race, ethnic origin, religion, age, disability and sexuality, and the ideology behind it. The author of the brochure is Guðrún Dögg Guðmundsdóttir and it's available in the office of ICEHR and on our webpage.
Conference on Equality and Prohibition of Discrimination:
On the 26th and 27th of October an international conference was held in Iceland called Equality into Reality: Action for Diversity and Non-discrimination in Iceland. Participants were among others representatives of immigrants in Iceland and from the Organization of the Disabled in Iceland. The conference was a closing event for a research project carried out by the Department of Law in the University of Iceland, but was organized in collaboration with ICEHR. The purpose of the conference was to demonstrate the structure of protection of discrimination in Icelandic court of law and the situation of equality legislation inside the EU.
Your Rights – Important information for foreign women in Iceland:
The Equality Centre in collaboration with ICEHR, Stigamót and more associations and organisations published brochures containing important information for foreign women in Iceland. The brochure is called Your Rights and has been published in Icelandic, English, Polish, Spanish, Thai, Russian and Arabic.
Your Rights contains information on Icelandic society and legal system, that is, information on gender equality, residence permits, marriage, divorce, custody issues, finances, domestic violence and threats. The brochure also contains information on where to find help.
EU's Framework Directive on equal treatment in employment and occupation and Directive implementing equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin:
ICEHR in collaboration with the Icelandic Bar Association, held a course for lawyers and judges on the content of EU directives no. 2000/78/EB and no. 2000/43/EB. A workgroup within the Ministry of Social Affairs has suggested that these directives will be implemented in to the Icelandic court of law.
Teachers were Dr. Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir, professor at Reykjavik University and Lynn Roseberry, head of the law department at Copenhagen Business School.
Radio campaign:
ICEHR ran a campaign on various radio stations, all of which broadcast throughout the country. Advertisements were made promoting equality and anti-discrimination by representing race, religion, disability, age, sexuality and gender. The campaign attracted a lot of attention and gave rise to public discussion and debate.
European Action Week against Racism:
Mars 21 is the International Day against Racism and each year the UNITED association launches European Action Week against Racism around the date. ICEHR coordinates the week in Iceland.
ICEHR launched a design competition within the Academy of Arts for a logo matching the slogan of the week, Enjoy Diversity. The winning logo, made by Pétur Guðmundsson and shown here on the left, was printed on postcards, leaflets and buttons, and distributed to crowds during a show organised by and for youth to promote equality. The participating youth were given t-shirts with the same logo.
Participating associations, coordinated by the ICEHR were youth grou
ps from the Icelandic Red Cross, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, Soka Gakkai in Iceland and Seeds. Campaign events were held in three locations, Reykjavík, Ísafjörður and Akureyri. Each location organized awareness-raising events, involving activities such as dance, musical numbers, art work, games and much more.