Organisation of Diversity Day in Greece

EIR was responsible for organizing, implementing and promoting the “Diversity Day” event in Athens, Greece as part of the “For Diversity. Against Discrimination” (FDAD) awareness campaign funded by the European Commission, Directorate –General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, through the PROGRESS Programme. The Diversity Day event took the form of a one day festival for the general public that was held October 30, 2010 in Athens as a result of 4 national stakeholders’ consultation meetings during the 6 months period prior to the event.

The campaign focused on the five grounds of discrimination (Racial or ethnic origin, Religion or belief, Age, Sexual orientation, Disability ) which are covered by two EU Directives:
ü The Employment Equality Directive protects everyone in the EU from discrimination based on age, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief in the workplace
ü The Racial Equality Directive prohibits discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin in the workplace as well as in other areas of life such as education, social security, healthcare and access to goods and services
The campaign aimed to raise awareness of discrimination and increase understanding of the EU laws which exist to protect us all. It also strived to generate debate on the themes of diversity and discrimination and in particular on how people in Europe stand to gain from greater equality. Through its activities, the campaign worked to convey the message to as many people as possible that a diverse Europe is something to be valued, and that a life free from discrimination is a fundamental right in the EU. In addition it aimed to inform and empower people to combat discrimination wherever they see it in their everyday lives