Footballer Andrei Arshavin is the latest high profile celebrity to back the Council of Europe’s ‘Speak Out Against Discrimination’ campaign on the Campaign's newly launched website.
The 28 year old Arsenal and Russia midfielder said that football is "a sport which gives every player the chance to compete on the basis of ability. This is how life should be."
The endorsement is a boost to the 16 September launch of the campaign in Moscow and is the highlight of the organisation’s newly redesigned anti-discrimination website.
The campaign is supported by several celebrities around Europe and abroad, including Alexander Rybak, Singer, violonist and actor (Norway); Andrei Arshavin, Football Player (Russia), N. Peter Kramer, Secretary-General of the Association of European Journalists (Belgium); Lilian Thuram, Activist (France); Arsène Wenger, Football manager (France); Dervis Konuralp, Swimmer (United Kingdom); Luise F. Pusch, Writer (Germany); Mamuka Gorgodze, International rugby player (Georgia); Esma Redzepova, Singer (Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia); Pemi Zouni, Actress (Greece); Barbara Blake Hannah, Author and film-maker (Jamaica); Jenny Skavlan, Actress (Norway); Lilian Thuram, Activist (France) and others.
The campaign supports the media sector’s own efforts to play a constructive role in an increasingly multicultural environment. While fully respecting the independence and autonomy of media professionals and media organisations, the campaign pursues three interrelated objectives:
1. To encourage the media to communicate information on discrimination and on anti-discrimination mechanisms to the general public and (potential) discrimination victims;
2. To better prepare media professionals for working in a multicultural Europe;
3. To facilitate the access of professionals with a minority background to all sectors of the media industry.
The Council of Europe will host the 3rd International Journalism Conference on 7-9 October in Strasbourg. Over 150 journalists, editors, press magnates, students and teachers of journalism, researchers and members of the public will discuss principles and practices which may help to improve standards in the news media.