Ghana win the World Cup

We are not bookies taking bets as to Ghana winning the World Cup. They already have won it. At least the Ghanain Irish community have done it in beating Algeria in the Sari World Cup at AUL grounds in Clonshaugh on the weekend of 27th and 28th May.
While the team stormed to victory, Baba Issake (Pictured holding the ball) picked up an additional accolate winning the Player of the Tournament Award.


Pics - Mandy O'Neill

Ghana won on penalties 4-2 after the game finish 0-0. Meanwhile Romania won the World Cup Plate beating Slovakia in the final of this event whilch was less contested with a 6-0 win.

According to tournament organiser Gil Berkowich: "Overall we had about 130 matches in these 2 days, which went pretty well, especially with the fact that the pitches are in a very desolate location.

From the many great feedbacks that I have had since,I can definitely tell you that the people participated have had great of deal of fun".













Action from the Swiss - Costa Rica game. The Swiss players were from various parts of the picturesque alpine state while the Costa Ricans were homebred representatives also of Pavee Point Centre for Travellers in Dublin.

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Red Card roll out in Europe

Education rather than penalties is seen as the way forward towards kicking racism out of football, so says Tony Higgins of the International Footballers Union Fifpro and Secretary of the Scottish Professional Footballers Association.












For full story click here:
www.fifpro.org

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Drogheda sees red at racism

Paul Doolin and local Drogheda United legends Simon Webb, Declan O' Brien and Shane Robinson were joined by scores of youngsters from the town to Show Racism the Red Card today.











Pictured are left to right Shane Robinson (Drogheda Utd), Garrett Mullan (Show Racism the Red Card), Simon Webb (Drogheda Utd) and Declan O' Brien (Drogheda Utd) with local school children.














They were in attendance at United Park for the local launch of the Drogheda United Show Racism the Red Card poster. They were joined by Lukasz Wawrzyniak, Manager of the Polish Eagles who won the Brian Kerr Interncontinental League and Kemi Toba, a Nigerian with Drogheda United FC Ladies.

Following the 15 minute Show Racism the Red Card DVD and presentation of the website the panel participated in a Questions & Answers session with local young people on racism in sport and society.













Youngsters from Youthreach Drogheda, St. Paul's Senior National School, Rathmullen
Scoil Aonghusa, St. Joseph's NS, Mell St. Ita's School, Crushrod Avenue, St Patrick's NS, Bothar Brugha didn't have to think to hard about what questions to ask the players.

While Fabio had to address a number of questions such as choosing which was the most glorious moment he has had in football and studiously avoiding questions about players pay, the focus of the questions on racism provided plenty of food for thought.

One young person aged perhaps less than ten wondered how they should address a group of bullies giving racist abuse to two of his classmates. Others followed with questions in a similar vein until finally one young girl asked what should a pupil do about racist bullying in class if they feel that the teacher is racist.

A rich mixture of nationalities was represented at the event reflecting the diversity of the town which has had a long history of foreign nationals residing either side of the Boyne. Drogheda United were keen to demonstrate the clubs intentions of opening the grounds to people of all nationalities in the town. They provided club shirts and tickets as prizes for best questions, in which the panel was the judge.

For an audio report on today's event click on this link:www.rte.ie/2fm/newsbeat

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Racist attack on Polish wearing Celtic shirts

A racist attack in Londonderry's Waterside is believed to have been started because a Polish immigrant couple were wearing Glasgow Celtic shirts in a Protestant area.


Katrina Kordula, of the Polish Welfare Association, said that the attack at Emerson Street was one of the worst she had ever seen. In the attack on their home over the weekend a Polish couple, their two-year-old child and three male relatives had to barricade themselves into bedrooms while a gang armed with a hatchet rampaged through the house destroying the furniture.

Katrina Kordula said yesterday that the whole side of the stairs had been ripped out and the television, "which they only purchased last week, has now a massive gaping hole in it. The internal doors, every single on of them, has been smashed. I have never seen the like of that before."

Waterside DUP councillor William Hay said that the wearing of Glasgow Celtic jerseys was no excuse for what had happened. "None whatsoever, that bully boys and thugs could go in and wreck a family home in the way this was wrecked should not have happened," said Mr Hay.

The Polish family have now been moved to another location in the city.

Source of story: www.belfasttoday.net

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Drogheda United lead the way to Show Racism the Red Card

Everyone is getting behind Drogheda

Venue: United Park, Windmill Road, Drogheda

Time: 1:45pm

Date: 25th May 2006

Concept: FAI Cup Winners, All Ireland Setanta Cup Champions and eircom League leaders Drogheda United partner with education project to launch anti- racism team poster











School students from around Drogheda will join local legends and players from Poland and Nigeria in a question and answer forum. The panel will include:
Paul Doolin (Drogheda United Manager)
Declan 'Fabio' O Brien (Captain)
Shane Robinson (Drogheda United player)
Kemi Toba (Drogheda United Ladies)
Lucasz Wawrzniak (Manager of the Polish team which won the Brian Kerr Intercontinental League)

Paul Doolin said today: “There is no place for racism in football or in society. We are a club going forward and we want to everyone to be welcome in our grounds. We are delighted to be part of this initiative”.

Club Captain Declan 'Fabio' O’ Brien added: “As players we have a responsibility to lead by example. Ireland is a changing country and Drogheda is a changing town. Racism is not acceptable amongst players on the pitch and we abhor racism in any shape or form off the pitch”.

Shane Robinson said: “As a member of the PFAI Anti-racism committee, our association are one of the driving forces behind this campaign. We recognise the importance of the players role in delivering the anti-racism message through sport and education. The PFAI look forward to developing future partnerships with the rest of the clubs in the eircom League ”.

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West Ham Captain Reo-Coker worries about the BNP

Nigel Reo-Coker the young captain of West Ham United speaks to Paul Kimmage of the Sunday Times the week before the FA Cup final on music, news and racism.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2093-2168586,00.html

Rest Of Story HERE

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Sari World Cup

Picture by Steve De Paoire
The Irish based Brazil team on parade at Dalymount Park for the Sari World Cup due to take place at Dublin's AUL grounds on 27th/ 28th May.

Rest Of Story HERE

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Anti- racism education programme may be rolled out to all of Scotland

The formula is simple enough. Children aged 11 to 13 watch a video featuring the sublime talents of black footballers such as Thierry Henry and Shaka Hislop. There follows a workshop and discussion and finally a coaching session and kickabout with Gerry Britton and Derek Ferguson, well-kent figures from the Scottish game. The object of the exercise is to challenge racism and negative attitudes towards asylum-seekers and refugees.




It has proved remarkably effective, with almost 75% of children who previously held negative views about race emerging from the project with a more positive and understanding attitude. Significantly, schools with the smallest proportion of children from an ethnic minority background initially exhibited the most racist attitudes. Ignorance breeds hostility and closed minds.

The idea is the brainchild of Show Racism the Red Card, a small Tyneside-based charity that has recruited to its cause a number of high-profile black players, as well as influential senior figures in the game, such as Sir Bobby Robson. If the idea wins Scottish Executive funding, it may now be rolled out across Scotland. The lesson of the pilot project is that football, a sport that has suffered more than its fair share of racism, is an excellent vehicle for tackling it, especially if the lesson is delivered by former players who still enjoy celebrity status.

The same applies to sectarianism. It is a fact of contemporary culture that celebrities have the power to sell ideas and challenge ingrained attitudes. The other lesson to be learned is that, if anything, it is in areas where there are fewest black and brown faces, where this form of education is most urgently needed.

Are 11 to 13-year-olds the right age group? Recent pioneering work by the Strathclyde Violence Reduction Unit suggests that attitudes to violence are formed before a child reaches school age. Remarks reported yesterday from Lord Ouseley, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, suggest that some children are exhibiting racist attitudes by the age of three. The view that children are "colour-blind" until around the age of six may need to be challenged. It could bring a whole new meaning to the idea of children learning their colours.


Source: The Herald

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Denmark has won the bid to host the 2007 Homeless World Cup

Denmark has won the bid to host the 2007 Homeless World Cup, the annual street soccer tournament uniting teams of homeless people from around the globe to kick off poverty. This world-class sporting event is now set to take place in Copenhagen in July 2007.




Mel Young, Co-founder and President, The Homeless World Cup, announced Denmark’s win today acknowledging that with four excellent bids presented to the bidding panel the decision was a difficult one to reach:

"Denmark put forward a first class bid. The organisation; support and financial backing from the Danish Government and Copenhagen City; and mechanisms proposed to ensure smooth running of the Visa process for the players promises outstanding results. We congratulate Denmark for winning the bid. The Homeless World Cup gets better every year and Copenhagen has the opportunity to demonstrate yet again that football has tremendous power to make a major impact on people’s lives. Football changes the world."

Sport promoting social inclusion is becoming a big issue in Denmark and Eva Kjer Hansen, Ministry of Social Affairs, is looking forward to the event in Copenhagen immensely:

"I am convinced that sports can improve the self-esteem and life quality of homeless and other socially marginalised people. Sport is an efficient way of creating and developing social communities. This is why sport must be accessible to all. The Homeless World Cup in Copenhagen will demonstrate to the world that socially marginalised groups are able and want to take their responsibility for lives and do something themselves. This is why I am looking forward to welcoming the players to Denmark in 2007."

A street soccer stadium will be erected in the city square in front of City Hall welcomed by Mikkel Warming, Mayor of Copenhagen: "I’m extremely pleased that Copenhagen will host The Homeless World Cup. The tournament focuses our attention on homelessness and gives Copenhageners an opportunity to meet homeless people in a new setting. To see them as real people who have goals and resources, just like everybody else. I hope that we can help to break down prejudices, while also giving both players in the field and the audience some fun."

Ombold Football League, which works to give homeless and socially disadvantaged the opportunity to play football, and the Street Paper "Hus Forbi" created the bid to beat off strong competition from Italy, Germany and Poland.

Following huge success in Austria 2003, Sweden 2004, Edinburgh 2005 the Homeless World Cup is becoming recognised as an annual event on the global sporting calendar and will set Cape Town alight from 24-30 September 2006.

Supported by Nike and UEFA since it’s inception several world-class football teams support homeless World Cup teams. England is supported and coached by Manchester United and Spain has links with Real Madrid, Portugal with SL Benfica. Worldwide recognition for sport making a major positive impact on social exclusion has come from UEFA with the Monaco Cheque (previous winners include the Special Olympics and Football against Racism).

The Homeless World Cup is significantly transforming lives and communities around the world. The feeling of belonging, the challenge of working in a team, the process of regaining a health- oriented attitude towards life, self esteem and last but not least the experience of fun has seen significant change in players. Over 77% of players change their lives forever. They move forwards to find regular employment, come off drugs and alcohol, pursue education, improve their housing, and even play for semi-professional and professional football clubs. It also changes the attitudes of the public towards homeless people who are treated as heroes during the tournament and acknowledged for their courage and determination whilst encouraged and supported in transforming their lives.

The Homeless World Cup was co-founded by world leading Social entrepreneur Mel Young and Harald Schmied created the concept in 2001 at the Annual International Network of Street Papers Conference (INSP) in Cape Town.

For more information about the Homeless World Cup log on to www.streetsoccer.org


Source: Street Soccer

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Neo-nazis target the World Cup

A hard core of violent Polish fans led by neo-Nazis is emerging as the biggest hooligan threat to the World Cup, displacing the traditional troublemakers from England and the Netherlands. “It will be the battle for Berlin,” Andrzej said, with a crooked, toothy grin.


Clasping a can of beer and singing obscene anthems, he is one of the estimated 250,000 Polish supporters who will be travelling to Germany next month, with or without a ticket. We met the 38-year-old mechanic outside the Lech Poznan Stadium before a low-key encounter with Dyskobolia, a local rival, but the talk was of war, blood and the settling of scores on an international level.


Poland play Germany on June 14 and whatever the outcome on the pitch, passions will be stirred among the two largest hooligan contingents at the tournament.

As in every Polish game, ritualised chants echoed across the stadium but there was anger too, waiting to be exported across the border to Germany. “Don’t want no education,” bellowed the crowd in a warm-up song borrowed from Pink Floyd. “Don’t want no thought control.” Police calculate that there are between 2,000 and 2,500 potentially violent Polish hooligans. But the figure is guesswork.

Each region has its own figures. There is no central list, little monitoring and no clear overview. “Only about 5 per cent of the fan community are really hooligans,” Jaroslaw Kilinski, head of Wiara Lech, the Poznan supporters club, said. “The Germans are exaggerating the problem.” But 5 per cent of 250,000 adds up to more than 12,000 thugs, enough to change the balance of the hooligan problem during the World Cup. By comparison, 100,000 England fans are expected, with more than 3,000 forced to stay at home under banning orders.

The dynamics of Polish hooliganism could be observed in the Poznan cage. About six organisers, none of them wearing fan regalia, slipped through the barred entrance — resembling the exercise yard of a high-security prison — and controlled the mood of the terraces. Using mobile phones to co-ordinate with other parts of the stadium, they whipped up or calmed the fans. After the match, they disappeared into the crowd. According to Marcin Kornak, the head of the fan-monitoring agency Never Again, they were almost certainly linked to far-right groups.

“The hooligan scene has become a prime penetration target for organised neo-Nazis,” he said. The far-right group Blood and Honour has infiltrated the fan clubs of Wroclaw, Gdansk and Lodz. Each club in Poland, according to Filip Janczak, of the Poznan Supporters Association, has a hooligan cell, often just a handful of young men. It swells for grudge matches up to 400.

Training video clips on the art of kicking to cripple have been put on the internet. In lock-up garages, hooligans have gathered arsenals of axes, knives and chainsaws.

There are many border crossing points between Poland and Germany and the police know the identity of only a few offenders. Last November 100 Polish fans fought Germans in the forests of Brandenburg outside Berlin. Trouble is likely at the game on the 14th and it is already being billed as 'The Battle of Berlin'.


Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

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Intercontinental Champions League Final

It's Poland V South Africa this Sunday for 3pm at Dalymount Park in the final of the Inercontinental League. Thousands are expected to show the vocal support in what is the climax of a champions league format event which was launched by SARI in January 2006.












The tournament under the patronage of Brian Kerr has brought together people of many nationalities living in Ireland. The South African team who have reached the final are based in Cavan. They overcame Ireland's Libyan community to meet the Polish team who edged out rivals also from Poland at the recent May Day Intercultural Festival.

This match will be the platform from which the alternative World Cup when when all the 32 participating countries in this year World Cup in Germany will parade with their National Flag and National Soccer outfit. Teams of those from the 32 countries in the world cup are being formed amongst their diaspora in Ireland.

Ireland might not have qualified for the World Cup in Germany but those living in Ireland from Austrailia, Angola, Ukraine and the rest that make up the 32 will compete over 27/28th May to win the World Cup in Dublin.

Unique to this world cup however is the entry of a Israel/ Iran team who will battle together to win this somewhat different World Cup on May 27-28th 2006.

Further information is available through the Co-ordinator Gill Berkowich who is contactable via berkowichg@zomax.ie
Or www.sari.ie

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BBC report- 5years on from the Oldham riots

BBC Five Live carried an interesting report on the situation in Oldham five years on from the race riots of May 2001. While meetings have been had and consultancies consulted the situation appears to be on tenterhooks as whites and Asians live parallel lives in the same town. Poor facilities, segregated schooling and high unemployment, poor employment opportunities and the activity of racists contributed to one of the most explosive scenes in recent history in the northwest town.


BBC Five Live broadcast a feature on the aftermath of the riots Five Years On. Go to the listen again feature on www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive and look for Worricker on Sunday 11am 7th May 2006.

Rest Of Story HERE

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UK local elections see right racists win

Supporters of the far-right BNP claimed the party was "on its way" after seizing 11 of the 13 seats it contested in Barking and Dagenham in east London, and getting councillors elected in Stoke-on-Trent, Sandwell and Solihull in the West Midlands.

The British National Party's dramatic gains in Barking and Dagenham meant it has become the first council in the country to have the BNP as the second biggest party.


The BNP has doubled its number of council seats from 2004 winning 46 seats this year. Just five years ago the BNP was on the verge of extinction and activity by the fascistic party had faded to a shadow of its former self. Under new leadership by Oxbridge graduate Nick Griffin the party has made steady progress in membership and in electoral base.

In 1993, the BNP won and lost the following year their first councillor. This experience appeared to give reason for complacency amongst anti-racists and others. The BNP had been defeated organisationally with mass demonstrations outside their headquarters and electorally the only seat was lost within a year.

Fastforward to 2001 and by standing in more than 33 seats, they won 47,000 votes. In 2005, the BNP won 193,000 votes in 119 constituencies. These results are in first past the post elections but in certain areas the BNP polls very strongly. In 2004, under the more favourable list system, they won 800,000 votes in the European elections. In the Stoke mayor election of 2005, they won 19% of the vote.

The relevancy of this rise to Ireland is in the similarities between Britain and Ireland. Moreso the BNP are keen to assist the development of an Irish Nationalist Party. They have carried articles in their publications on Ireland and have attempted to organise Irish racists.

If the days of the skinheaded uneducated youth are behind them, what now for the BNP. Campaigns in the 1990s characterised them as Nazi's and had ample references to support this view. The murder of Stephen Lawrence saw a massive demonstration of public opposition to the organisation of fascists. Now that they have donned the suits, the question for all of us is have they changed their political spots.

Though the BNP have ditched the docks in favour of the suits, they are still recognised as a fascist party. David Cameron MP Leader of the Conservative Party urged voters to vote anyone but the BNP. In the middle of the campaign east London MP Margaret Hodge highlighted the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on the potential support of the BNP.

The report suggested that 1/4 might vote BNP. The Unite Against Fascism campaign which organises the Love Music Hate Racism concerts says in its evaluation of the BNP that it is only a matter of time before the BNP make the breakthrough they need.

The growth in the BNP arises out of alienation and disaffection for the mainstream parties. Work is more insecure than ever, while housing has become beyond reach for large sections of working class people. It is part of a process where a section of society is looking for an alternative.

The 1997 general election was the culmination of a process of local and general elections which saw the Conservative vote fall and Labour vote rise. The disaffection with Labour is seen most clearly in its traditional areas and this is where fringe parties such as the overtly racist BNP are picking up support.

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Give Racismen det Rode Kort

On May 1st, the Danish Football Player’s Association launched it’s anti-racism campaign within the football world and the society in general. The launch was attended by
-Minister of Integration, Rikke Hvilshøj
-President of the Danish Trade Union Confederation Hans Jensen
-Danish Football Player’s Association; Thomas Lindrup, AGF, Michael Gravgaard, FC Copenhagen, Martin Retov, Brøndby IF and the director of the Danish Football Player’s Association, Mads Øland.

The three campaign legs:

The campaign is divided into three legs:

- Visibility
- Schools
- Businesses/work places

The starting point of the campaign is the opinion and the dedication of the players. In the Danish stadiums we have had occasional racist incidents with monkey chants against coloured players, which is of course unacceptable. We have also seen that different groups with racist viewpoints have tried to infiltrate the fan groups in Denmark, which is also unacceptable. The Danish players want to take a stand and want to eradicate racism and racist remarks from football. The aim is also to spread information on positive coorperation between ethnic minorities within the football community, for integration in football and in the society as such.



The visible part of the campaign will start on the stadiums on May 7 2006.

The school campaign will start within a couple months in collaboration with the Danish Trade Union of Teachers. We will visit different schools together with football players and campaigners and also together with the teachers union with educational material to be used on the long term in the teaching of youngsters.

The campaign in businesses and work places will be set up in cooperation with the Danish Trade Union Confederation as well as different companies who will make agreements based on the campaign. Already three major companies in Denmark, Arriva (a bus company), Adecco A/S and Lynx Media have signed up with the campaign. The intention again is to visit different work places with footballers and campaigners in order to inform on the positive aspects for the work places of having people of different nationalities working together to the better of the team.


Mads Øland, director of the Danish Football Player’s Association, with the Danish Minister of Integration, Rikke Hvilshøj

Statements

In the press conference the Danish Minister of Integration, Rikke Hvilshøj, stated: “It is a very nice and good project of which I am expecting very positive results. It is very important to send a clear signal that discrimination and racism in no way will be accepted. We are now showing racism the red card”.

Morten Wieghorst, the Danish ambassador of the Danish anti-racism campaign “Show racism the red card,” stated:

“I’m 100 % against racism. Unfortunately racism also takes place in Danish football. I’m happy to give my contribution to fight racism and to enhance integration and pluralism in football and in society as such”.

Cathrine Paaske Sørensen, Danish female national team player, stated:

“Racism in football is a growing problem in all European countries. In Denmark we have seen the same development. I think it is necessary that we, the players, stand up against this development. Racism is unpleasant and wrong and that is why I’m supporting the campaign”.
The Campaign is being supported by www.fifpro.org

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'Faz' making waves at Sligo

FAHRUDIN KUDOZOVIC is currently making some Atlantic-sized waves around Rosses Point and beyond.

The 21-year-old Bosnian native has been ever present in the Sligo Rovers midfield since his arrival last season and is currently having a large bearing on his team's heady position in the eircom League Premier Division.


Fahrudin, or 'Faz' as the locals call him, was coaxed to Sligo by Sean Connor, having been at Derby County for seven years and Notts County for a short time, but there is a more serious side to his and his family's arrival in this part of the world and it involves Europe's last major war, the Balkan conflict.

Civil war

Originally from Vlasenica, around 70km from Sarajevo, Kudozovic spent his first eight years in Bosnia. The civil war that plagued the region in the early 1990s caused his family to flee, first to Slovenia and then to England where they still live.

"I remember everything," reflects Kudozovic. "The last year I was there the war had started and all the men had to go out to guard houses and go on night watch. My dad, uncle and grandad all went, it was a scary time. Ordinary people had to pick up guns and patrol, but before it really spread to our region we had evacuated.

"My grandad died during the war, but that was through sickness and food not being available. But my uncle was in a concentration camp for the duration of it and we had assumed he was dead because we hadn't heard anything from him. Then when the war ended he was released as part of a prisoner exchange programme."

Luckily none of Kudozovic's extended family were directly affected by the genocide, but they have been displaced all over Europe and beyond as a result of the war. Kladanj is now home whenever they return, which they all try to do every summer.

The Irish experience has been fruitful and with Sligo's promotion to the Premier Division, Kudozovic has been able to test himself against the "best players at the best venues" in the domestic game.

Last week he came face to face with his friend and countryman, Cork City's Admir Softic. The two first encountered each other while at Derby. As usual, though, all pleasantries were put to one side last night.

"I'm happy with how we are playing, but not with the type of goals we are conceding," says Kudozovic of Sligo's start to the season. "As far as general play is going, though, we are not conceding too much from that.

"We just need to put more goals on the scoreboard. Coming up from the First Division people may have written us off, but we are happy to prove them wrong. With the start we've made there is a great atmosphere."

Sean Connor is undoubtedly instilling a belief in his players and, judging by the attendance of 3500 at the Showgrounds last Saturday night, the town too. It's a club full of Irish and now Eastern promise.

Eoin Dunne, Irish Independent

www.unison.independent.ie

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Profile on a service: Refugee Information Service

Arriving in Ireland to apply for refugee status can be daunting. The application can take up to two years. The Refugee Information Service was established by the Citizen Information Centres and the Refugee Council to assist in specialist services. Garrett Mullan met with John Mc Dermott of the service to find out a bit more.

In 2004 the RIS assisted people from 90 different countries. The top 10 were Nigeria, Somalia, DR Congo, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Pakistan, Iran, Russia and Cameroon.

The five information officers based in Dublin conduct outreach advice clinics in Tallaght, Rialto, Rathmines, Blanchardstown and Amiens Street. They also provide training and information for staff and volunteers in other organisations to help make information known as widely as possible.

The top 5 queries those using the service have are in regard to Family Reunification, Social Welfare, Citizenship rights, Residence and Visas. Other issues arising include queries about rights to education, travel,employment and accommodation.

More information about the RIS is at www.ris.ie

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Priests and Imams to play ball in game of two faiths

Militants acting in the name of Islam, Christianity and Judaism are at loggerheads across the world. But in Berlin at least the great religions hope to settle their differences on the football field.


With just over a month to go before the World Cup, a team of imams will play a team of Christian priests. “It’s been difficult to find a rabbi who will referee on the Sabbath,” sighs the Rev Christopher Jage-Bowler, “but we are trusting in God.” Switching the game from next Saturday to Friday has been ruled out by the Muslim side, since this is their day of prayer.

The Christian clergy, meanwhile, have a problem with Sunday. The 44-year-old vicar, mastermind of the seven-a-side match, is confident that the problems will be resolved before kick-off. The imams are ready to abandon their Kufi hats and the vicars will leave their cassocks in the vestry in favour of orthodox football kit.

The aim is to link the game with a workshop on racism in football sponsored by the British Government. Leading black players will gather in the British Embassy to discuss how to involve more Muslims. Anyone hoping for a thumping victory for Christianity on Saturday should take note of a similar experiment held in Leicester, where imams and Christian clergy played a game to raise money for charity. The imams had a clear lead at half-time and lent several Koran scholars to the Christian side to prevent a humiliating defeat for the vicars. In the end, Islam thrashed Christianity 6-0.

The under-12s game was also won by the Islamic side after sudden-death penalties. The choice of referee in Berlin remains a critical point — the Leicester game was refereed by a member of the local Hebrew congregation — since some tricky decisions may have to be made: should the yellow card be shown for blasphemy? The game is being staged at a highly sensitive moment in Christian-Muslim relations in Germany. The cartoonist of the newspaper Tagesspiegel had to go into hiding after he depicted the Iranian national team as potential suicide bombers.

Across the German Muslim community nerves have been frayed by new citizenship tests to check whether Muslims can conform to German cultural traditions. Aspiring Germans are asked to explain what is meant by the Holocaust. They are also tested on their attitudes to “honour killings” and arranged marriages.

Mr Jage-Bowler was struck by how few points of spontaneous contact there were between the Muslim and Christian communities in Berlin. Since the World Cup is being marketed in Germany as a cultural melting pot, the vicar — a colourful character in the Berlin expatriate community and a former Moët & Chandon tour guide — thought that football would break down barriers. This inspired him to contact Imam Harun Bulat, of the Sehitlik Mosque, which has a large Turkish congregation. “I’m hoping it will become a regular event,” the vicar said. “It is, after all, a beautiful game.”

www.timesonline.co.uk

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Migrant workers experience in London

Britain's hotels are wholeheartedly recruiting migrant workers, currently around 60% of the industry's workforce. Migrant workers bring with them excellent skills; many were in hospitality before coming to work in Britain. They're promised good wages and a chance of promotion and success. This five-star hotel is a "home away from home. We are one big family," so a jobs guide induction tells its migrant workers.



But this widely advertised hotel's "way" doesn't feel like home to the migrants working in its restaurant section and stewarding department. Inside its magnificent, 19th-century building, constant bullying, harassment and verbal racism is the workers' daily experience. "You fuckers!" screams one line manager. "Don't be stupid like the Poles!""It's like working in a country within a country," says one sacked worker. "Our eyes have been opened by the abuse."

Another central London five-star hotel is refusing to compensate its abused waiters. One of them, Ahmet (not his real name) from Morocco, was overworked, bullied and racially harassed as the management uses local chefs as line managers to keep newcomers intimidated. Ahmet became ill after being shouted and screamed at, and spoken to with fingers pointed at his head for six long months. He burst into tears at work, and had to go on medication and seek counselling.

His colleagues also suffer from racial bullying, one of them physically abused by long-time customers the hotel is keen to keep. "These are the top luxury hotels. Just imagine the rest of them," says Julio Haro, race equality officer of GMB's hotel and catering branch. Unfortunately, he adds, mistreatment and poor working conditions are not the exception but the norm in the hotel sector.

It's all about cutting costs, says Salah Kerim, a former employee of several four- and five-star hotels and the ex-chair of the TGWU's hotel branch. Kerim came to London from Egypt 30 years ago to work as a waiter. "The cost-cutting drive is spreading like a disease and workers are finding it hard to cope." The hotel trade has long been dogged by its slave-labour reputation, with wage levels below even that of farm labourers.

The TGWU says 80% of Britain's hotels are not paying their workers more than the national minimum wage. Some employers use tips to bring wages up to the minimum. For waiters, it means a weekly pay packet of around £160. Half of the hotels - from three-star hotels to B&Bs - are paying workers less than the minimum. Migrant workers' hourly rate is, on average, £1 lower than that of British workers. Long working hours are common in hotels.

Many workers have to work double shifts and overtime goes unpaid or underpaid. Other common abuses include: the absence of employment contracts, no sick pay, no holiday pay or distorted forms of holiday pay (such as holiday pay being incorporated into wages), delayed payment of wages, no breaks, line-management bullying and unfair dismissal.

Migrant workers are at the sharp end of these chronically abusive practices. Their unfamiliarity with life in Britain makes them doubly vulnerable. Jan Mokrzycki, chair of the Federation of Poles, whose members comprise 100 Polish organisations in the UK, says that the abuse of employment rights is so prevalent that it is illegalising the Polish workers.

He explains: "In the hospitality sector, they're expected to overwork beyond their capacity - such as working 14 hours a day - and not get overtime pay. Most of them are employed by agencies who pay them much lower than the normal rate, some below the minimum. In such cases, agencies do not give payslips or register the workers, therefore forcing them to become illegal." Raj Gill, secretary of GMB's hotel and catering branch - with a membership of 1,500 hospitality workers of Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, West Indian and British nationalities - says that the exploitation by Britain's intermediaries (usually registered, legitimate employment agencies) has been a huge problem that the union is seeking to address.

"The outsourcing of hotel staff, mostly housekeeping staff, has created a two-tier system where migrant workers are on worse terms," he says. Kensington Close Hotel was sold by Six Continents to the privately owned group, Cola Hotel Group. Cola outsourced its permanent housekeeping staff to employment agency Calibre International under transfer of undertaking regulations last September.

The TGWU says that the hotel tried to prevent the union from being part of the consultations and that it had to threaten employment tribunal proceedings to allow union representation. The hotel's resident manager, Sven Lippinghof, refutes this allegation, saying that no staff member was denied representation either by a colleague or union during the consultation. The transferred workers are being paid £11,500 a year, according to two employees (one of whom has now left Calibre). "There's no question of a pay rise," says the ex-worker.

According to the TGWU, the 40 or so newly recruited agency maids - Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian and Mongolian workers - were being paid a piece rate of £2.08 per room, but in the past two weeks this has fallen to £1.40-£1.60 per room. As a result, some of them can end up earning less than they would on the minimum wage. Others are earning just £20 a day, while trainee maids worked up to three days "training" without pay.

"All our staff are paid the national minimum wage or above," says O'Mahony. "Some of our staff wish to undertake one or two days' introduction to the Kensington Close Hotel before their commitment to working there, and we recognise employees' statutory rights to join a trade union under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Consolidation Act 1992 and, therefore, would not discourage any member of staff from joining if they wish to. We value our staff as they are our biggest assets and ensure that they are happy at work."

TGWU official Hugh O'Shea says: "Some hotels and agencies simply don't care, because they know there is a steady supply of migrant workers. 'If the Polish workers are all gone, there will be the new workers from Bulgaria in future.' That's the thinking. They can just continue to recruit new workers. "As a union we should be able to enforce employment law and call in inspection on hotels. But we haven't been able to do so in Britain. When we demanded inspection, the Inland Revenue told us they were interested only in illegal immigration, not the minimum wage." Many migrant workers simply quit their jobs as the conditions became unbearable. The culture of intimidation of union members means that leaving the workplace seems much easier than trying to change it.

Historically, this is an industry with very low union penetration, with membership running at no more than 10 to 15%. It's a vicious circle: poor working conditions lead to high turnover of the workforce, which in turn keeps poor working conditions intact.

Bernard is from Ghana says: "My advice to those working in hotels? Join the union, work with campaign groups, and fight for your rights."

www.guardian.co.uk

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Ukraine boss racist remarks condemned

In bemoaning the lack of professionals in the Ukrainian league, former European player of the year Oleg Blokhin has been criticised for crude racism.

Oleg Blokhin, Ukraine's coach of the national team but, believe it or not, an MP to boot. 'The more Ukrainians there are playing in the national league, the more examples there are for the young generation.

'Let them learn from Shevchenko or Blokhin and not some zumba-bumba whom they took off a tree, gave two bananas and now he plays in the Ukrainian league. When I played, if we lost it was not easy to walk the Kiev street. There were many friends out there who could beat you up for that. Is there any sense in beating up a foreigner? OK, so you beat him up, next thing he does is pack up and go.'

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Mayday Intercultural Sports Festival

The Annual Crumlin SARI Mayday Festival was a great success. 16 teams representing many countries played ina 7 a-side tournament while others played Gaelic football, hurling among many other activities available on the day.

The semi-finals of the Intercultural Champions League brought a greater focus to the event with Libya V South Africa and Poland V Polska battling it out to win entry into the Cup Final at Dalymount Park on Sunday 14th May 2006. Full report to follow.

Rest Of Story HERE

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