The FARE Network will be working closely with UEFA, during Euro 2012 as part of their ‘Respect Diversity’ programme of activities.

A number of events and activities funded by UEFA will take place across Poland and Ukraine, in partnership with both FARE and UEFA’s Eastern European partner, the Never Again Association.

The aim of the events planned under the banner of Respect Diversity - Football Unites is to promote a positive message of diversity for all fans attending the tournament and to create a welcoming and safe environment both inside and outside the stadiums.

Activities will include
• The creation of Inclusive Zones, hundreds of buildings and spaces throughout Poland and Ukraine that are designated as being open, accessible and welcoming to all. Zones will be marked through posters and include a range of both public and private buildings.

• A series of education and training activities including a programme of school workshops and training for match day stewards to help raise awareness of racist and other discriminatory language and signs.

• Reporting racism and discrimination. FARE will be working with UEFA to ensure all incidents of racism and other discriminatory abuse that take place during matches will be reported and action taken. FARE will also have monitors at all games to help provide in-depth local and national knowledge on the displaying of any racist or discriminatory signs and banners and use of abusive chants

• A Streetkick tour. Streetkick is a mobile football pitch that provides opportunities for fans to interact through playing small sided football to help bring fans of different nationalities and ethnic origins together, along with the local community. Streetkick will be visiting a number of host cities during the tournament, including Warsaw, Poznan and Kiev.

• Activities to raise awareness of the ‘Respect Diversity’ message will take place at both semi-finals, in Donetsk on 27th June, and Warsaw on the 29th June. This will include the captains of the semi-final teams reading out messages in support of the ‘Respect Diversity’ message.

• Publication of a Euro 2012 Football Unites Fanzine, which will include information on FARE activities, messages of support from team captains and a full tournament fixture list.

FARE will also be launching its own Euro 2012 Football Unites microsite in the run up to the tournament. This will include further information about the UEFA and FARE programme of activities, the full timings and locations of the Streetkick tour and ways to report incidences of racism and discrimination.

A launch of these activities is planned to take place on the 8th June, the opening day of Euro 2012 in Warsaw.

More forthcoming events with FARE/Never Again/Respect Diversity – Football Unites participation:

11/05/2012- Discussion on football and social issues, in frames of the Warsaw Planete Doc Film Festival

12/05/2012 Anti-racist training for Euro 2012 LOC volunteers simultaneously in all the Polish host cities (Warsaw, Poznan, Gdansk, Wroclaw), conducted by Never Again members in cooperation with Euro 2012 LOC

11-13/05/2012 Anti-racist Scout Cup, co-organised by the Polish Scouts Union and the City Council in Krakow

16/05/2012 UEFA Grass Roots Day events in Lodz, including a joint press conference on anti-discrimination, co-organised with Special Olympics

16/05/2012 ‘Let’s kick racism out of the stadiums’: A seminar on football culture in Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Russia), with the participation of Football Against Prejudices (Ukraine), co-organised with the Social Movements Research Team at the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw

19/05/2012 – an anti-racist exhibition and info-point during an open-air festival co-organized with the Museum of Polish Jews in Warsaw

17/05-21/05/2012 - Ukrainian-Polish-German youth tournament with Respect
Diversity message, organised by DPJW (Polish-German governmental institution), Dnepropetrovsk

22/05 - Conference on football and racism, co-organised with EEDI and the Ebert Stichtung Ukraine Throughout May: anti-racist tournaments in Kharkiv

03-07/06 - Ukrainian-Polish-German youth tournament with Respect Diversity message and anti-racist exhibition, organized by DPJW, Lublin