Fussball-WM Blog

We’ll blog about "football against racism", speaking with federal chairmen of youth initiatives against right wing violence and racism, for vlogs and blogs against hate speech. We’ll blog about german supporters who -over and over again- are asked to help showing racism the red card; professionals in the fight against right wing extremism.

Good advice is in demand more than ever before when it comes to measures to fight the growing violence from the far right. It is to show that right wing violence can not rely on a silent majority here in Germany. A music project against prejudice and racism is planned. We have to see it as Germany‘s humanity, a country of "neighbourly love" for instance, and of humanity. The Soccer World Cup 2006 is a big chance against the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD).

fussballwmblog.de’s editor Norbert Ordyk expressed his optimism about activities against racism during World Cup Friday. "I believe the football against racism, which takes a positive message from the top of the FIFA and German World Cup Organising Committee."

Ordyk’s dark-skinned friend Eric Peter Pyne (member of Student’s Parliament in Münster) had suffered bitter experience of discrimination. "People said insulting words because I’m not white!".

FIFA announed yesterday the football against racism during and beyond the World Cup, opened here with the first match between Germany and Costa Rica, together with German World Cup Organising Committee and Non Government Organizations (fussballwmblog.de, for example).

According to FIFA press spokesman Alain Leblang, at each of the 64 games, a banner covering the entire centre circle will be displayed from the stadium`s opening until the end of the official pre-match protocol, bearing the slogan "A time to make friends" combined with the anti-racism message "Say no to racism".

In addition, anti-racism video spots will be aired at all FIFA World Cup stadiums. All TV rights holders have received five-second mini-spots at no cost for integration in their programmes related to the event.

FIFA will also dedicate all quarter-finals on 30 June and 1 July to a special activity on the pitch to give the participating teams the chance to raise their voices against this blight on society in a message to be aired around the globe.

Piara Powar, director of UK Fare (Football against Racism in Europe) partner "Kick It Out", said: "Hospitality, tolerance and mutual respect must have the highest priority."

The World Cup, with more than 30 billion accumulated spectators worldwide, is the ideal platform to send a clear rejection of any form of discrimination and to contribute to preventing racist incidents during the tournament.