The conference ended yesterday in Riga, Latvia. “Europe Together”, one of the central moments of the campaign “For diversity against discrimination” implemented by the European Union to raise awareness among the various stakeholders and public opinion on the application of the 2000 European Directives, no. 43, against ethnic and racial discrimination, and no. 78, against discrimination in the workplace, including that based on sexual orientation. .
The Black Head House in Riga (Latvia)
The meeting was attended by numerous representatives of LGBT organizations from sixteen European countries, from Portugal to Finland, from Great Britain to Cyprus. Among them was the president of Arcigay. Sergio Lo Giudice, the English Alsa Spindler, former general director of ILGA Europe, the Austrian Kurt Krickler of HOSI in Vienna and Robert Biedron, leader of the Polish organisation Campaign Against Homophobia.
The gay and lesbian delegation from Eastern European countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia) was particularly large, a sign of the changes taking place in the new EU member states.
The Italian representatives at the conference, which took place from September 31st to October 1st, were Lo Giudice, along with Gigliola Toniollo, head of the CGIL New Rights Office, Luciano Scagliotti, president of the Italian section of ENAR (European Network Against Racism), Luisella Bosisio Fazzi of the Italian National Council on Disability, Matilde Di Venere for Confartigianato, and Beatrice Rigotti of Cestim (Centre for Immigration Studies) in Verona.
A moment from the Riga Conference
The introductory session, held in the atmospheric Black Head House, opened with a pre-recorded greeting from the Baltic Republic's Minister for Social Integration. There was a touch of controversy when Ailsa Spindler asked the Minister's representative, Kristine Vagnere, why Latvia (like Poland) had enacted a law transposing Directive 78/2000, which excludes sexual orientation from the non-discrimination criteria. Vagner replied that parliament is working to find a way to overcome this anomaly and that sexual orientation will be included in the law. Barbara Nolan, head of the Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs, explained the campaign's significance, while Fintan Farrell of the Social Platform of European Non-Governmental Organizations (of which ILGA is a member) commented on the directives from the organizations' perspective.
Friday was dedicated to working sessions and presentations of best practices in implementing the directives and combating discrimination.
One of these, the Stockholm Office Against Discrimination, was presented by one of its creators, the Italian Valerio Re, leader of the Italian immigrants' association who, together with a network of immigrant associations, produced the Office's project.