The Stockholm Office Against Discrimination

1
The Stockholm Office Against Discrimination

• Valerio Re
• Project leader

2
Introduction

• The SIOS
• The grounds of discrimination in Sweden
• The ombudsman in Sweden
• Guidelines of the Stockholm OAD
• Stockholm OAD mission statement
• Practical work in the field
• Some statistic
• QA

3
Harry S Truman

• If you cannot convince them,
• confuse them.

4
SIOS The cooperation group for ethnical
association in Sweden.

• The Assyrian national association, Chilean,
  Eritrean, Finnish-Swedish, Greek, Iranian,
  Italian, Kurdish, Portuguese, Polish, National
  Congress Roma International, Somalian, Serbien,
  Spanish, Syriac (Aramaic), Turkish national
  association.

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SIOS Mission Statement (part of)

• SIOS has three main objectives to work with
  minority issues like mother language, culture and
  education, to pursue a diversity policy that
  mainstreams the entire society and to strengthen
  the cooperation for members organisations common
  interest. This work is done by rising opinion,
  increasing awareness, statements, training and
  different projects.

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The legislation Grounds of discrimination

• Gender (only in the labour market, but a new law
  is coming)
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Ethnicity
• Religion
• Coming soon
• Age discrimination

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The ombudsman

• The ombudsman is an authority appointed by the
  governement.
• Equal Opportunities ombudsman (JämO).
• Ombudsman against ethnic discrimination (DO).
• Disability ombudsman (HO).
• Ombudsman against discrimination on ground of
  sexual orientation

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The Stockholm OAD guidelines

• Run by NGOs
• Independent from national or local authority
• Own facilities
• Easy to reach, to contact even for disabled
• Independent from political parties and religious
  organizations (like the SIOS)
• Flexible organization
• Works with all four discriminations ground

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The Stockholm OAD mission statement

• To give advice, support and information to anyone
  who feels has been discriminated, or harassed or
  bad treated on any ground.
• To be active in the creation of a network of Ngo
  organizations in the Stockholm area, in order to
  support in different ways the victims of
  discrimination.
• Be present on the field, as much as possible, in
  the 26 municipalities of the Stockholm area.
• Be an effective tool in the struggle against
  discrimination and for the integration of the
  minorities in the society.

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Practical work in the field

• Open every working day (5 days a week)
• The first approach is always by phone
• Booked meeting in our facilities (time consuming)
• File a complaint to the ombudsman (or other
  authority)
• Contact with the involved unions
• Time is a crucial factor, depending on the case
• Follow up the complaint
• Give personal support to the victim through the
  process

11
Statistic

• Number of cases around 100
• Men 45
• Women 55
• It takes time to inform about the new law and
  convince the victim of discrimination to file a
  complain.

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Statistic

• Ethnic 82
• Religion 1
• Disability 5,2
• Gender 5,2
• Sexual orientation 1
• Age 4,1
• Other 1

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Statistic

• Labour market 57
• Housing 6,2
• School system 9,3
• Medical care 2
• Services 6,2
• Social security 8,3
• Other

14
Chief Justice Earl Warren (Supreme court)

• There was an invidious view which is now held by
  many you cant wipe out racial discrimination by
  law, only through changing the hearts and minds
  of men.
• Warren disdained that as a false credo. True,
  prejudice cannot be wiped out, but infliction of
  it upon others can.