Indicator history

The Hellenic League for Human Rights is the oldest Non Governmental Organization for human rights protection and promotion in Greece. The League was founded in 1953, in the aftermath of the Greek civil war including in its board eminent personalities from the political and academic field. The League, since its foundation, is the affiliated member of the International Federation for Human Rights (Fédération Internationale des Droits de l’Homme) and represents the Federation’s human rights network in the country. The dictatorship of 1967 banned the functioning of the Greek League for Human Rights and its members were persecuted until the end of the regime. The president of the League, Professor Phaedon Vegleris, was the basic witness before the European Court of Human Rights at the notorious Greek case against the military regime, which culminated in the expulsion of Greece from the Council of Europe. The League recommenced its activities in 1974.
Since 2007 HLHR with the Research Centre for Minority Groups (KEMO) is the Greek National Focal Point on Racism and Xenophobia (RAXEN network), in cooperation with the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). HLHR-KEMO cooperates with the Greek Ombudsman and the Greek Forum of Migrants as subcontracting partners. http://www.hlhr.gr/hlhr-kemo/hlhr-kemo.htm

The Greek Helsinki Monitor, founded in 1993, monitors, publishes, lobbies, and litigates on human and minority rights and anti-discrimination issues in Greece and, occasionally, in the Balkans. It monitors Greek and, when opportunity arises, Balkan media for stereotypes and hate speech. It issues press releases and prepares (usually jointly with other NGOs) detailed annual reports; parallel reports to UN Treaty Bodies; and specialised reports on ill-treatment and on ethno-national, ethno-linguistic, religious and immigrant communities, in Greece and in other Balkan countries.

The Network of Social Support for Refugees and Migrants was founded in 1995, with the aim of taking coordinated action against racism and nationalism and standing up for the rights of migrants and refugees. Through structures of hands-on solidarity (support bureau, greek classes, etc.) as well as through interventions, both political and social, we stand up for better living and working conditions for migrants in Greece. We meet every Monday at 9:00 in the Migrants’ Place where, along with migrants and refugees, we organize our activities.

“Deport Racism” Movement was established in 2007. It is a common organization of immigrants and Greeks against xenophobia, racism and fascism. For equal rights to all immigrants and refugees.
Activities include:
 denunciation and publication of racist attitude and discrimination practices by authorities
 participation in the antiracist and immigrants movement, for legalization and equal rights, against racist attacks, for the marginalization of racist and fascist organizations
 legal assistance for victims of racist violence
 antiracist campaigns
 communication with authorities for immigrants’ and refugees’ issues
 social support for immigrants: including legal assistance, greek language lessons and health issues
 cultural events organization, participation in antiracist festivals
 cooperation with labor unions, antiracist organizations, immigrant communities and local authorities

The Greek section of Youth against Racism in Europe is a youth organization, with immigrants-asylum seekers and second generation of immigrants’ branches. Its members are concentrated in 12 Greek cities (amongst them Athens and Thessalonica). The majority of the members are school and universities students and of course immigrants. Some of their campaigns were: 1) after a 4 years campaign for the rehabilitation of the victims of the worst ever racist murderous attack in Greece, both victims (Tomy Koffi Marcus and Timothy Abdul) were granted with humanitarian residence permits and welfare benefits for disables. 2) Release of more than 70 undocumented immigrants who started a hunger strike because they were “forgotten” for months in detention, after our solidarity campaign 3) The cancellation of the European Fascist camping that 5 European neo-fascist organizations were planning to have in Greece (September 2005). The same for many other public activities that Greek fascists were organizing just to apply their propaganda of hate, etc. Annually they organize an Antiracist camping during summer with 4-500 participants. They participate in the Greek Social Forum and the Coordinating Committee of Antiracist and Immigrants' Organizations, which were at the forefront for the establishment of the Antiracist festivals that are now taking place in several Greek cities. Their most important campaign for the next period is for the rights of the second generation of immigrants. The title of the campaign is “we have a dream…” and second generation of immigrants themselves run this campaign.

Thessaloniki Antiracist Initiative is a grass root organisation active in political support and manifestations in favour of immigrants and minorities and towards the protection of their rights. The range of such voluntary 7activities includes protests, festivals, press releases and conferences, visits and manifestations in detention camps and other sites.