EURO 2021

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association published the ‘Brown Book’ – documentation of racist, xenophobic and homophobic crimes and acts of discrimination in Poland in the years 2020-2023. It also covers discriminatory behaviour at stadiums and racist incidents involving football hooligans. The long-time author of the ‘Brown Book’ was the late Marcin Kornak (1968-2014), founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association, social justice activist and poet. He was the mind behind social campaigns promoting respect and diversity, among them he […]

A radical-right media outlet has attacked Poland’s top footballer Robert Lewandowski and promoted xenophobic conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic. The Warsaw-based anti-racist ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association has noted a recent broadcast on the ‘Idz Pod Prad’ (‘Go Against the Tide’) online television program which targeted Lewandowski. The channel regularly refers to the coronavirus as ‘the Chinese plague’ and promotes a conspiracy theory about its origin. Against scientific evidence, it accuses the Chinese of intentionally producing and spreading the virus. It advocates a military conflict with China and announces, in the […]

The biggest open-air free music festival in Europe, Pol’and’Rock, also known as Polish Woodstock, took place from 1 to 4 August 2019. The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association organized a series of anti-racism activities accompanying the festival. The festival line up included internationally known performers who oppose racism and discrimination such as Gogol Bordello, Skunk Anansie, Ziggy Marley, and Prophets of Rage. The last band includes former members of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill. The festival stand of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association was the venue of a […]

Co-founder of the anti-fascist ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association Rafal Pankowski was awarded the prestigious annual Human Rights Distinction by Poland’s Ombudsman Dr Adam Bodnar in a ceremony held in Warsaw’s Old Town on 25 September. The celebratory speech was delivered by Marian Turski, a Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz survivor who is Chairman of the Council for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews and Deputy Chairman of the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute as well as a member of the International Auschwitz Council. – ‘I am honoured and grateful […]

Members of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association have actively promoted the ‎message of respect for diversity through a series of international meetings in the run-up to this year’s International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism. On 26-30 October, Anna Tatar repeatedly presented the current activities of ‘NEVER AGAIN’ in the field of hate crime monitoring at the ‘United for Equality’ forum held in Paris. The meeting was convened by Les Maisons des Potes with the participation of anti-racism NGOs from 16 European countries and it featured presentations by several candidates for the […]

‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association members and friends were in attendance at the European Medal of Tolerance ceremony held in London on 9 March. The Medal was handed to international football legend Samuel Eto’o and to the FARE network of which ‘NEVER AGAIN’ is a founding member. The distinction is awarded by the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR), established in 2008 by former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor. Speeches in honour of the award recipients were made by Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia […]

An anti-discrimination football exhibition prepared by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association has been opened in the main hall of the Polish Parliament on 19 February 2014. The opening ceremony was hosted by Deputy Speaker Wanda Nowicka, Poland’s leading campaigner against discrimination and for women’s rights. The exhibition was brought to the Parliament on the initiative of Robert Biedron MP, the founder of Campaign Against Homophobia and a longtime ally of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. Since autumn 2013, Robert Biedron is the General Rapporteur on LGBT rights in the Parliamentary Assembly of […]

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, […]

The UEFA Euro 2012 semi-final matches in Donetsk and Warsaw will see the captains of the national teams of Spain, Portugal, Germany and Italy reaffirm their stance against racism as the semi-final matches tonight (27 June) and tomorrow (28 June) see the culmination of the Respect Diversity – Football Unites campaign at Euro 2012. Football supporters will be a part of the campaign, by joining the fan choreographies organised in the stands at both stadiums and which will see the word RESPECT and the national team flags appear just minutes […]