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The Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR) and the Research Centre for Minority Groups (KEMO) are long standing partners in scientific, academic research and public discourse and intervention. As key actors in their respective fields in Greece, HLHR and KEMO provide unique and innovative perspectives in the thematic areas of fundamental rights, rights of immigrants and minorities and related social phenomena, such as racism, discrimination and social inclusion/exclusion. The HLHR-KEMO NFP cooperates closely with the Greek Ombudsman and the Greek Forum of Migrants, as RAXEN subcontracting partners. i-RED, Institute for Rights Equality & Diversity joined the NFP as a partner in late 2008.
Hellenic League is the oldest Non Governmental Organization for human rights protection and promotion in Greece. The League was founded in 1953. Its board members are eminent personalities from the political and academic field. The League plays a key role as a major point of reference for the civil society of human rights in Greece. The members of Hellenic League compose an interdisciplinary pool of experts. Their fields of expertise range from legal studies and political sciences to history and sociology. The League has published a sheer number of press releases and it has organised numerous public colloquies for different human rights issues in the last ten years (see, www.hlhr.gr ), while has published one book: “Fifty years (1953-2003) of human rights in Greece”. . Since its very foundation, the Hellenic League is the affiliated member of the Iternational Federation for Human Rights (Fédération Internationale des Droits de l’Homme) and represents the Federation’s human rights network in the country. It enjoys steady links and a particularly close cooperation with minority bodies and individuals. League’s web pages are an actual internent portal for the information regarding the human rights in Greece. Furthermore, much of the League’s output is readily available on its internet site, making its scientific material easily accessible for the general public. The League has long standing relations with the KEMO as there are many common members between the two institutions, both in their leadership and their pools of experts. Additionally, they share common approaches and methodology in their fields of interest.
The members of KEMO compose an interdisciplinary pool of experts. Their fields of expertise range from legal studies to history, linguistics, anthropology, migration studies, sociology, et.al. For a comprehensive KEMO members list cf.: http://www.kemo.gr/en/03.html In its various activities, KEMO has established a particular legacy of combining the academic scholarship with public intervention and public awareness. This is feasible due to KEMO’s long term cooperation and contacts with minority and immigrant grassroots organisations. It is an organisation which is particularly receptive to international input and civil society cooperation regarding the minority phenomena. On the list of KEMO’s activities the variety of co-organised events such as conferences, projects, Greek-Turkish co-operation programmes etc. are particularly noticeable. It has an extensive publishing record: Kritiki publication- “KEMO Study Series” (9 books) and other publications, (3 books). For a comprehensive presentation of the KEMO publications cf.: http://www.kemo.gr/en/05.html It enjoys steady links and a particularly close cooperation with minority bodies and individuals. KEMO’s web pages are an actual internet portal for what concerns minority information in Greece. Also much of the Center’s output is readily available on its internet site, making its scientific material easy to accessible for the general public. KEMO is based in Thessaloniki, in Northern Greece, in the vicinity of the geographical concentration of the major minority groups in the country, as well as a main entrance point for immigrants. This is also particularly useful because Northern Greece is a focal location in Greece for issues of ethnocentrism.
defence of discrimination victims on all grounds of diversity and social identity. i-RED is the result of the need for a research institute that will join forces of interdisciplinary scholars and will have a political impact through its scientific work in favour of migrants and minorities effective or potential racism & discrimination victims and of the protection and effective enjoyment of human rights in Greece and Europe. The underlying concept of i-RED’s approach to research and policy analysis is that academic production and the way it is projected to the public sphere are two interwoven processes. i-RED is coordinating the RED Network.
Federation of Albanian Immigrants’ Associations - Association of Greek Sudanese Friendship - Moldavia Community - Pan African Union - KASAPI Philippinos’ Union - Migrant Women Network - Egyptian Workers Union - Palestinian Workers Union - Congo Community - Pakistani Community - Bulgarian Community - African Women Union - Nigerian Women Union - Nigerian Community - Tanzania Community - Ethiopian Workers Union - Ethiopian Community - Bangladesh Community - Ukrainian Community - Association of Syrian Kurds - Morocco Community - Indian Community - Kenya Community - Sudanese Association - Nubian Association - Afghanistan Community - Guinea Community - Gambia Community - Libyan Community - Sierra Leone Community - Afghanistan Women The GFM has been a long standing partner of HLHR-KEMO. It was a part of the Greek partnership led by HLHR for the European Migration Dialogue Network. In 2005, HLHR-KEMO in cooperation with the GFM organised The National Migration Dialogue I & II with immigrant representatives as keynote speakers. This was observed in Greece for the first time since the beginning of the new migration wave of the 90s in the country. It contributed significantly to the major shift of public discourse, increasing the visibility and the voice of immigrants. |
KEMO’s
work plays a key role as a major point of reference for the civil society of
minorities and all the pertinent research in Greece. Set up in 1996, it the
first research centre in the country that deals with the systematic study of
the minority phenomenon. 
The
Greek Ombudsman is an important independent authority assigned the task of
safeguarding and promoting the equal treatment principle. The Greek
Ombudsman has the mandate of investigating discrimination acts and omissions
made by the public administration on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin.
In its first Annual Report as an Equality Body (March 2006) the Greek
Ombudsman stressed that this law ‘constitutes a landmark for the
promotion of the principle of equality and the protection of human rights’
and furthermore, ‘strengthens the role of the Greek Ombudsman’s
office with new competencies, which are expected to contribute to more
effective pursuit of its institutional mandate’. In the first two years
of the anti-discrimination legislation, the Greek Ombudsman has been the
only Equality Body conforming to the Paris principles and fully operative by
examining a number of relevant complaints and submitting an Annual Report.
Two Deputy Ombudsman of the Greek Ombudsman Office are main experts of the
HLHR-KEMO RAXEN NFP.
The Greek forum of Migrants is a main actor on migration
issues in Greece and is representing immigrants as a coalition of the
following Immigrant Communities and Associations: