EURO 2021

The anti-racist East Europe Monitoring Centre starts its operation in Warsaw this month. The newly launched centre is going to monitor, research and document cases of racism and xenophobia across the region, with a special emphasis on Poland and Ukraine. ‘The growing social significance of football in Poland and Ukraine before 2012 provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the pressing issues of xenophobia and racism in Eastern Europe’ – said sociologist Dr Rafal Pankowski, the Monitoring Centre coordinator. ‘Our starting point is racism in football, but we see it in […]

During the biggest open-air free music festival in Europe, Pol’and’Rock (4-6 August), also known as Polish Woodstock, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association organized a football tournament promoting the message of ‘Let’s Kick Racism out of the Stadiums’, involving teenage players who are refugees from Ukraine. Together with the other participants, they manifested their protest against the war. On another festival day a meeting was held with the rock band Strachy na Lachy (Empty Threats) at the information stand of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. For many years, this group has been involved […]

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution in which it calls the national sports federations and football clubs to counter the scourge of racism, neo-fascism and xenophobia in stadiums and in the world of sport by condemning and punishing those responsible and by promoting, in cooperation with schools and civil society organizations, positive educational activities aimed at young sport fans. In addition, the European Parliament ‘supports and praises social groups and civil society organizations fighting against fascism, racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance and calls for their protection’. The […]

Peter Schmeichel, Davor Suker, or Predrag Mijatović – among others those footballers will be ambassadors of Carlsberg Man of the Match Award given to the best player at the end of eve-ry match at European Championships. That means that they or other football legends will be present during the tournament in Wrocław for at least three times. A EURO legend, invited by the UEFA President Michel Platini, will be present at every match throughout the championships. He will decide which player will be recognized as the best footballer of the […]

The FIFA Football World Cup will kick off on 14 June.‎ The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association has participated in several events preceding the big event. Co-founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association Rafal Pankowski was invited by the prestigious Cambridge Union debating society to speak at a debate on the forthcoming World Cup in Russia, including the challenges of racism and xenophobia‎, on 10 May. – ‘Should we boycott the World Cup in Russia?’ – asked the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ representative during the Cambridge debate. – ‘It would be a better idea to […]

The anti-racist ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association joined forces with the African organization Fatima and the Eco-Tiras NGO for joint educational events taking place on the bank of the beautiful river Dniester in Moldova, on 12 July 2013. A multi-ethnic football game against racism was organized in the stadium of Energetik in Dubossary, a town on the territory of the unrecognized Republic of Transnistria, the site of a frozen military conflict which started in the early 1990s. Players and numerous enthusiastic supporters came from various ethnic groups living on both banks of […]

Warsaw’s inhabitants stood in solidarity with their African neighbours who were targeted by racists. The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association, together with Projekt: Polska, organized a civic action to show solidarity and paint over large racist graffiti that appeared by the entrances of the African restaurant La Mama and a nearby African shop. Both sites are located in the Muranow district, known as the area of the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto during the Nazi occupation, and they are near the Polonia Warsaw football ground. The La Mama restaurant is a key meeting point […]

The anti-racism ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association has teamed up with the Football is Beautiful Foundation and numerous other partners for a joint ‘Friends of Football Day’ series of events taking place on 8 June to celebrate the power of football to unite across differences and promote social inclusion. More than 300 football matches, community festivals and other grass-roots events were organized across Poland on the ‘Friends of Football Day’, marking the anniversary of the kick-off of the historic European Football Championships which took place in Poland and Ukraine in 2012. A […]

The Poland-Ukraine World Cup qualifying game at the National Stadium in Warsaw provided an opportunity for both nations to celebrate the legacy of Euro 2012 through anti-racism and pro-diversity activities organized by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. Thousands of fans and hundreds of journalists received Polish and Ukrainian-language leaflets with information about anti-racist activities run by ‘NEVER AGAIN’ and the FARE network. An anti-discrimination manifesto was read out on the stadium tannoy shortly before kick-off and a video reminding of the Euro 2012 ‘Respect Diversity’ message was shown on the big […]

Marcin Kornak, the chairman of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association, received two major distinctions for his lifelong work against racism and discrimination. The Man Without Barriers is an annual award given to an outstanding disabled person who breaks down barriers and stereotypes and who is a positive role model in various walks of life. The prize is officially supported by Anna Komorowska, the wife of Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, and Irena Lipowicz, the Human Rights Commissioner. It was handed to Marcin at a special gala event held at Warsaw’s Royal Castle, […]