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International week of awareness-rising actions against xenophobia, neo-Nazism and antisemitism, November 9-16, 2008

"Crystal Night - Never Again!"

We invite young activists, human rights advocates, teachers and historians, journalists and media-activists, students and school-students as well as all other persons concerned to join the Week of awareness-rising actions “Crystal Night - Never Again!”
- Antinazi resistance: why us, why here and now;
- “Crystal Night”: historical note;
- How to join the Week of awareness-rising actions;
- Contacts.

Antinazi resistance: why us, why here and now

This autumn has again been marked with steady rise of the number of hate crimes and the increasing level of their cruelty in our countries. The attacks are carried out by neo-Nazis or radical nationalist organizations, young skinheads and right-wing extremists who choose migrants, refugees, foreign students and representatives of ethnic/religious minorities (more often Muslims, Jews and non-Orthodox Christians) as their victims. The number of attacks on representatives of various youth antifascist subcultures has also increased. Thus, in Russia alone two persons were killed on this ground last month.

The most essential factor of changing this situation is one’s individual choice, namely determination to combat xenophobia and violence ideology both in the society and in his or her action and attitudes.

That is why this year we find it important not only to talk about the crimes by Nazism and ideologies of hate but as well to remember and relate about the youth Resistance movement of the 1930-1940s. To remember those young people whose activity not so much changed the existing system as became the symbol of antinazi Resistance movement, showing to others that the possibility to make one’s individual choice and influence the situation was always available.

The Week’s site contains several stories of youth groups and individuals who hid deserters, Jews, regime political opponents in their homes; who painted freedom slogans on the walls of their universities and other edifices; composed and distributed antinazi leaflets or just recorded occurring events. Under the constant threat of arrest, exile or even execution this action demands daily inner choice and courage.

But we now live in peace times and in a much more free society. And we have much more opportunities to change things. So we are responsible for the current situation as well as for its change in the next weeks, months and years.

The Week of awareness-rising actions “Crystal Night - Never Again!” is the opportunity to reflect over the fact that each of us bears our own personal responsibility for what is going on in our societies. Attacks on and murders of those who look “strange”, military and inter-ethnic conflicts, hate speeches in mass media, swastikas and hate symbols painted on the walls of houses, schools, colleges – should we accept all this or try to change it?
...before it is too late.

“Crystal Night” : historical note
“Crystal Night”, or the Night of Broken Glass, took place at the night of November 9-10, 1938. It marked the beginning of the Holocaust – mass violence toward the Jewish people, which eventually led to the death of 6 million European Jews.

Besides, 5,5 million of people, marginal and homeless persons, people with mental disabilities, homosexuals, members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community, political opponents/“offenders” (such as communists and socialists), Roma and Sinti and representatives of some Slavic nations, were regarded as “enemies of the German state”.

A more detailed historical note see on www.9-november.hrworld.ru
In 1995 UNESCO declared the 16th of November the International Day for Tolerance to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this organization.

How to Join
The Week of awareness-rising actions “Crystal Night - Never Again!” is an annual week that take place from 9th to 16th of November. It is arranged by the Youth Network against Racism and Intolerance (YNRI), International Youth Human Rights Movement (YHRM) in partnership with the European network UNITED for Intercultural Action and the International Network “Young Europe” with the support of humanist project ”Epigraph” and the project “Volunteers of Human Rights”.

Bringing the topic of the Resistance to a focus this year we offer you to join the Week by arranging for any action, whether memorial, educational or informational ones, designed to pay tribute to those who you consider heroes of the Resistance or to commemorate the events they took part in. This activity may also concern the present developments essential in the light of the problems in question.

Several ideas as well as the materials for the actions of the previous years are presented on the website of the Week.

You may choose the format of your action on your own. For example, you can:
- single out the most important questions to discuss and arrange a youth discussion;
- to issue and distribute a leaflet, sticker etc.;
- to develop and conduct a seminar, workshop etc. for school students;
- to screen a relevant movie and arrange discussion;
- to do everything you find interesting and useful in this topic.

Take part in the youth competition for awareness-rising actions concerning the Resistance!
Describe the means of preparing and holding your event and send us this description along with the narration of the Week itself and the most interesting photos! The form for description of your methods will be available for download on the Website and later send to all participants of the Week.

Your experience is very interesting to others! Your accounts of organizing various actions, including the information with regard to the authorship, will be published on the Week website and collected in a printed edition.

All the participants will receive the certificates.