The World Against Racism & Fascism international network is supporting and sending international delegations to the Resisting the Rise of Racism and Fascism conference in London (and online) on Saturday 21 October. The conference is hosted by Stand Up To Racism (Britain) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
World Against Racism & Fascism will also hold its own forum the following day, Sunday 22 October.
Across the world, governments are putting racism and scapegoating refugees at the centre their strategy – designed to distract from a cost of living crisis that they created.
From demonising and scapegoating rhetoric against refugees and migrants, to ‘push back’ and brutal detention policies, to turning our seas into a graveyard – government policy in many countries has fed into a resurgence of racist, far right and fascist mobilisations – mainly targeting refugees.
The catastrophic scale of climate chaos is an existential emergency, and this ecological crisis creates millions of climate refugees who are forced to flee for safety as their homes become uninhabitable.
The so called ‘anti-woke’ agenda is also being used by the far right to mobilise.
Governments as well as the far right talk up “Illegal” migration, ignoring the fact that for so many, there are no safe or legal routes to seek asylum.
Meanwhile, despite the huge international Black Lives Matter movement, institutional racism remains endemic, from the police and justice system, to health, education and housing. But cases of police brutality, deaths in custody and the disproportionate impact of Covid on BAME (Black and minority ethnic) communities exposed the real picture.
Since the pandemic there has also been a rise of racism towards East and South East Asian communities and Islamophobia continues to blight Muslim communities.
Internationally we see the growth of the far right – alongside racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism. We stand in the face of a massive cost of living crisis internationally and we have to oppose the racist politics of divide and rule and the growth of the far right – at a time where fascists are managing to gain political office, with fascist Giorgia Meloni prime minister in Italy. It’s time to mobilise the majority and stand up together against racism and fascism. The scale of support for refugees and opposition to scapegoating prove that anti racists are the majority in Britain.
Join our conference to discuss how we mobilise that majority and oppose racism from government and a resurgent far right.
Register here · Contact WARAF here
Resisting the rise of racism and fascism
Stand Up To Racism National Organising Conference
Saturday 21 October
@ National Education Union (NEU) HQ, Mabledon Place, London W1CH 9BD & online
Register here
Download PDF A5 doublesided leaflet for the conference here
International speakers will join Neville Lawrence father of Stephen Lawrence, alongside speakers including: Shaka Hislop former footballer and Show Racism The Red Card, Colin McFarlane actor & activist, Kim Johnson MP, Daniel Kebede NEU general secretary, Mark Serwotka PCS general secretary, Sarah Woolley BFAWU general secretary, Mick Whelan ASLEF general secretary, Riz Hussein TUC Race Equality Officer, Sabby Dhalu & Weyman Bennett Stand Up To Racism co convenors, Cas Mudde author The Far Right Today and more to be announced
Timetable:
11.15am – 12.45pm
Session 1: Refugees welcome – Stop the scapegoating – don’t let them divide us
With PCS union general secretary Mark Serwotka and others
1.30pm – 3pm
Session 2: How can we stop the rise of the new far right?
With Cas Mudde (author The Far Right Today), Riz Hussein (TUC Race Equality Officer) and others, including international speaker from World Against Racism & Fascism international coordination
3.15pm – 4.45pm
Session 3: From Stephen Lawrence to Windrush – the fight against racism today
In conversation with Neville Lawrence, father of Stephen Lawrence, actor Colin McFarlane, and others to be announced
🌎 This organising conference will bring together anti racists from across the trade unions, faith groups, politicians, campaigners and activists, to discuss and organise the way forward for a strong, effective and growing anti racist movement. Our international delegations from the World Against Racism & Fascism international coordination of anti racist movements are attending to share experiences from the global fight for a #WorldAgainstRacism #NoRacismNoFascism.
✍️👉🏿Book your place and share here
#RefugeesWelcome #StopFarRight #blacklivesmatter #ResistRacism
World Against Racism and Fascism 