Dutch-French axis opens up new perspectives on discrimination

ACMUS
"The Award, the Code, the Monitor", "The Umbrella" and "The Shakers" ACMUS is a rather heavy name on the transnational partnership that was founded between the Umbrella project and the two projects in the Netherlands and France.

A nationwide organisation for the Youth in 900 towns makes up the backbone of the French project the "Shakers". They direct their efforts toward helping unemployed and socially marginalized youths. They also educate youth leaders. For example the "Shakers" will turn an old, run-down, closed tire factory in the middle of France into a youth centre for creative arts for young people with immigrant background.

In the Netherlands, employers are required by law to report plans for diversity to the authorities. Three members of the federation of local anti-discrimination bureaus and one private consultant have formed the Equal partnership. They aim to reduce obstacles in the labour market that hinder equal participation of minorities. They combine the partner´s experience in stimulating employers´, attention and commitment to this cause and gaining more (qualitative) insight into the issues at stake. In an Equal project they will now develop a code of conduct for integration. Companies will be monitored and at a yearly event, good examples will be shown and a prize will be awarded.

The Umbrella project will cooperate with these projects by arranging meetings for benchmarking and on sight studies and a conference on corporate social responsibility in June 2003.