Last year's widely noted international conference on the Holocaust is being followed up this year with a conference even more tangibly concerned with everyday strategies for combating and preventing ultra-nationalism, hate crime and intolerance against homosexuals and ethnic minorities

Politicians, researchers and experts from several countries will gather for a couple of days in common search of ways of combating and preventing racist and anti-democratic ideas. The Swedish Government is hosting this conference. However, they did not invited Swedish Saami organisations to actively take part in the conference. Neither is the Swedish Government going to address the ongoing racism against the Saami, who are the indigenous people of Scandinavia

"PROTECT THE WOLF - SHOOT THE SAAMI!"

In 1999, a person in Stockholm was reported to the police for driving around with a sticker on his car: “Protect the wolf ­ shoot the Saami!”

This sticker is widely spread in Sweden (several thousand copies), especially in Nothern Sweden where the Saami live. However, the prosecutor rejected the case. According to the Swedish freedom of the press act, the case was prescribed. This means that the label is still in use. People in Sweden can call for genocide against the Saami without any risk for legal action

RACISM AND HARASSMENT AGAINST THE SAAMI IN SWEDEN

Should the Saami be forced to deny their ethnic identity? Racist threats against the Saami are more and more common in the Swedish society. It is not possible for Saami in Kiruna to have a sticker with the Saami flag on their car. Saami are not using their traditional costume when going to town. They fear to be beaten up. Road signs in Saami language are being destroyed as soon as they are set up. These Saami road signs are used as targets. It is like it has become acceptable to attack the Saami

75% OF THE SAAMI IN SWEDEN EXPERIENCE HOSTILITY

75% of the Saami state that they experience hostility from the Swedish society according to a 1998 survey carried out by the Swedish ombudsman against discrimination (DO; “Ethnic discrimination against Saami”). Around 50% say that the hostility has increased in Northern Sweden (in Sápmi, the Saami country). 30% of the Saami have been directly exposed to degrading terms of abuse and 20% have been harassed at the workplace. 60% say that antagonisms between the Saami and the Non-Saami populations have increased during the last 5 years. However, no-one of the consultated Saami did notify the harrassment to the police

In 2000, the Swedish Government ratified the European Framework Convention on the Protection of Minorities and the European Charter on Minority Languages. Saami, Finnish, Tornedal, Roma and Jewish people are recognized as national minorities in Sweden.

Through the ratification of the conventions, Sweden is obliged to support and protect the five minority languages: Saami, Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib and Jewish. Sweden is responsible for preventing the Saami from racist attacks and harrassment
It is very sad that the Swedish Goverment does not want to address obvious racism against the Saami at this important conference.

We really hope that the issue of racism against the Saami people in Sweden will be discussed

We also hope that Saami people are invited to the conference to talk about their situation in Sweden

With kind regards, on behalf of