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CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

12/05/2016

HELPING TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE AND DEMOCRATIC EUROPE WHERE PEOPLE ENJOY THEIR FULL POTENTIAL WITH ALL THEIR DIVERSITY

CEJI has a unique capacity to understand the complexity of racism in Europe and fosters authentic cooperation between key players coming from different backgrounds.”

Samia Hathroubi, Director of Development, Coexister

WHO WE ARE

CEJI inspires, engages, trains and supports change agents to create inclusive environments in which people enjoy their full potential with all their diversity. Established in 1991, CEJI is a Brussels-based NGO working in the field of diversity education and antidiscrimination advocacy.

Our goal is to ensure that the fundamental rights of all peoples are respected. We help to create inclusive environments through innovative educational programmes. With a diverse staff and a wide range of partners working across a variety of discrimination and social issues, CEJI brings a Jewish interface for intercultural relations and solidarity actions.

Through its work, CEJI allows us to understand, to analyse and to believe in intercultural dialogue, in its values, and to show that education allows inclusion and living together in a better world.”

Liliane Seidman, Vice-President of CFJB/LJVB, European President of International Council of Jewish Women

OUR APPROACH

Our work affirms the uniqueness of each person’s identity, supporting the UN Declaration on Human Rights. Intercultural Dialogue is our modus operandi. It is the process through which we implement our advocacy strategy as well as our educational activities.

Some people change because they see the light, others because they feel the heat”

R.Stuart-Kotze, Founder of Behavioural Science Systems

The hand-in-hand approach of education and advocacy as a key strategy in CEJI’s mission should not be underestimated.

Education tends to illuminate minds and inspire action. Advocacy supports legislation and policies. We need both light and heat to create the world we aim to see.

‘‘CEJI is unique in its ability to reach across communities and professions. Its landmark programmes on hate crime are a creative tour de force. They have transformed attitudes about what is possible when working to make hate crimes visible and ensure justice and protection for victims across Europe’’

Joanna Perry, Co-Chair, International Network for Hate Studies Advisory Board

EDUCATION

Training is a key for social transformation, shaping attitudes and building capacities to enable individuals to create inclusive environments in all their spheres of influence. CEJI develops innovative training programmes that are easily transferrable across borders. We train educators across a variety of sectors, harnessing the multiplier effect and planting the seeds of transformation across the European Union.

More than 10,000 multipliers have been trained over the last 25 years with CEJI’s programmes, impacting an unquantifiable number of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education contexts. Schools, NGOs, public authorities and community groups are among those touched by one or more of CEJI’s programmes.

Their methods and programmes are always innovative and sound. CEJI truly works for an inclusive Europe. When you say Tikkun-Olam, you say CEJI”

Ronald Eissens & Suzette Bronkhorst, Magenta Foundation and International Network Against Cyber Hate (INACH)

JEWISH ENGAGEMENT

CEJI multiplies the ‘‘Jewish contribution to an inclusive Europe’’ by engaging individuals, local Jewish communities and European Jewish organisations in our activities. Intercultural engagement generates greater solidarity in times of crisis. The future of Jews in Europe will be secured by strengthening the resilience of communities and changing the wider environment in which they live. CEJI is successfully engaging non-Jewish communities in the fight againstantisemitism.

From early CEJI initiatives such as the European Encounters seminars and the Shiurim, to the more recent project Generate: For a Jewish life based upon everyone’s contribution, to the participation of Jewish organisations in Facing Facts! to improve hate crime monitoring, CEJI is strengthening the engagement of Jewish communities in the construction of an inclusive and democratic Europe.

“CEJI is perfectly placed to deliver the Facing Facts! project because it is an outward facing organisation, something of a rarity in the Jewish communal world.”

Mike Whine, Government & International Affairs Director, Community Security Trust

“We need CEJI to remind everyone in the European Institutions of what is the nature of antisemitism today, which is morecomplex today perhaps than it has ever been… Their openness to understanding and promoting solutions forother types of discrimination only enhances the main focus ofthe organisation.”

Claude Moraes, Member of European Parliament since 1999

ADVOCACY

With rising intergroup tension and violence, policymakers must speak out against all forms of bigotry while strengthening anti-discrimination and hate crime legislation. We call upon public authorities to invest in education and training to foster social cohesion. In order to reach our full potential, as individuals, collectives, nations and as a European Union, we must work together to eliminate the legacy of discrimination.

CEJI is proud of its history as part of the original Starting Line group which helped shaped Article 13 of the Amsterdam Treaty, guaranteeing the right to nondiscrimination. Collaboration in coalitions is essential at CEJI to achieve broad-based political change, such as our continued support of the Interparliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism.

“I have personally advocated CEJI’s work but have also seen it adopted by the EU Commission, Council of Europe and the OSCE amongst others. I find them to be an extremely effective and motivated organisation who provide leadership and consistently deliver on their commitments. I consider CEJI to be amongst the most effective civil society organisations.”

Paul Giannasi, Head of UK Cross-Government Hate Crime Programme, UK Ministry of Justice

‘‘Through its innovative training projects, CEJI contributes to a better society where all people can live without fear and discrimination. These projects are of great importance for our target group, the Jewish communities in Central- and Eastern- Europe.’’

Muriel Leeuwin, Director Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund

‘‘CEJI truly embodies activism that aims to establish a better society for everyone based on a foundation of Jewish values. Their moral compass and professional approach constitute a strong voice in the European discourse. We are proud and consider ourselves lucky to find such a strong partner in CEJI.’’

Benny Fischer, President of European Union of Jewish Students

“CEJI has been a valuable civil society partner for the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup in fighting  discrimination in the EU. Through its training and awareness raising campaigns, CEJI has been at the forefront of combatting not only antisemitism but other forms of discrimination”

Alfiaz Vaiya, ARDI Co-ordinator

“CEJI staff has shown continuous professional and personal support to the cause of anti-racism and made efforts for antisemitism to continue being part of the anti-racism movement in Europe.”

Michaël Privot, Director, European Network Against Racism (ENAR)

‘‘CEJI also provides safe spaces in which law enforcement officers, institutions and civil society can meet, exchange and build trust.”

Patrick Charlier, Co-Manager of UNIA

‘‘What we have learned with CEJI greatly enabled our ability to have positive conversations on sexual orientation, gender identity and faith in our own organisation.’’

Evelyne Paradis, Executive Director at ILGA Europe

“CEJI was the first European organisation which not only brought together Jewish and Muslim NGOs, experts and religious leaders, but also actively created an atmosphere of trust, goodwill and exchange of ideas which were put into creating practical manuals to combat antisemitism and islamophobia.”

Bashy Quraishy, European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion

© CEJI, 2106