Helping Hands Graz/Project Anti-Discrimination Office Styria

National Network
Austria
Address

Stigergasse 2/3
8020 Graz
Austria

Telephone
+43 316/714137
E-Mail
buero@antidiskriminierungsstelle.steiermark.at
E-Mail (2)
grabovac@antidiskriminierungsstelle.steiermark.at
Organisation Type
Non-Governmental Organization
Year of Establishment
2012
Fields of Activity
  1. Human rights
General Information
The Anti-Discrimination Office Styria is a Helping Hands Graz project established in May 2012 and financed by the Styrian government and the city of Graz. The budgetary resources amount to  250,000 Euros per year. It is a single point of contact, clearing, advising and monitoring and has 5 staff member. Each case will be collected, documented and recorded in a database. One main objective beside the case consultations and the documentation is also raising awareness for the issues connected to discrimination in Styria through workshops for affected people or public campaigns. The Office is available to all people living in Styria, institutions and organisations that are active in the non-discrimination work (network partners), as well as responsibility makers in politics and administration. The innovation of such Antidiscrimination Office lies in the variety of grounds, gender, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, belief, political or other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Mission and Objectives

The mission of the Anti-Discrimination Office Styria is to strengthen antidiscrimination work and to raise awareness of the Styrian population. People who feel discriminated against have the opportunity to lodge their complaints. The case is then recorded, possibilities of intervention pointed out, and support given by the Antidiscrimination Office and other specialized offices. The objectives are Low threshold: Our goal is that those who visit our office will not have to bother with admission prerequisites. The Antidiscrimination Office should, through its supervision work, serve as a contact point for the public. In that way, its activities, as well as concerns raised by individuals, will become evident. A second goal is searching, not to wait for people to come find us, but to make people aware of our counselling work as a preventative effort. Active contact with institutions, organisations, communities, etc. Extensive discrimination protection for everyone: We are the contact point for all people: for those who experience discrimination, and for those want to defend themselves against it. Regionally represented and also Networking, complementary and co-operational

Main Projects / Activities

The Anti-Discrimination Office Styria has set since its establishment several measures and created a sustainable basis for cooperation with consultative institutions. The Office carries out annually about 600 consultations. During the last 4 years the Office led more than 100 workshops, discussions and lectures on anti-discrimination achieving and encouraging so many people as possible to defend theirselves and offering protection and empowerment for those who are involved. The Office initiated also regularly public campaigns and actions in public spaces: 2012 the campaign "Show your face against racism" which aimed at promoting civic courage and a non-discriminatory everyday life in public transport. Around 3000 persons (some celebrities from sport, TV, Music and the large population) joined in the action! In 2014 followed the campaign "How are we doing? Together!“ in cooperation with the public television ORF Styria. 7 TV-spots for 7 discrimination grounds were developped and broadcast during 7 weeks. The goal of the campaign was to show the different grounds of discrimination and make people aware that we can all be affected by discrimination as well as we discriminate against and also to give concret impulses for the equal treatment of all and set an effective stand against discrimination. Actions like „45 ballons with suggestions against racism“ (2013), a video „Styria against racism“ with the song „Happy“ of Pharell Williams (2014) the flashmob „Dance against racism and discrimination“ (2015) or a Facebook action „Start living without racism“ (2016) were performed on the occasion of the International Day against Racism.
Our Homepage www.antidiskriminierungsstelle.steiermark.at and our Facebook page www.facebook.com/keinediskriminierung offer central plattforms for all the news about our campaigns and activities, but also provides updated informations on the issue of non-discrimination. Besides developing informationmaterial (leaflets, brochures) and attending to specialized events the Office publishes regularly press releases and statements on various topics around the theme of anti-discrimination.

How can you contribute to the Network in your country?

One of the four pillars of the Anti-Discrimination Office Styria is Networking Initiator and Engine. In order to address antidiscrimination collectively, as well as to strengthen the partners and build up competences, the Anti-Discrimination Office is establishing since 2012 a wide and sustainable antidiscrimination network with various Institutions in Styria and also other Austrian provinces. It has succeeded to sensitize relevant actors from politics, institutions and organisations but also civil society for the project methodology needed to reach the target groups. It can be considered that the participation of the Office in numerous events and other public relations contributed raising awareness for the topic.

Why do you want to join the ALF Network?

Joining the Anna Lindh Foundation is for the Anti-Discrimination Office Styria a great opportunity to expand its network on an international level, as nationalistic and right wings movements worldwide show the importance to stand up together against racism and discrimination.
The ALF Network offers a platform for sharing information with other civil organisations or wining good practice examples for the work in the own country. Furthermore the Anti-Discrimanation Office Styria can transmit its know-how and expertise about the issues of Integration, intercultural dialog, equal treatment and non-discrimination

Contact (1) Full Name
Daniela Grabovac
Job Title
Head of the Office
Head of the organisation
Daniela Grabovac