Over two days of powerful conversations and workshops, we took part in a key gathering Anti-Racism and Diversity Week 2025, where the need for a united, intersectional approach was front and center. From panels on gender justice, civic space, and workplace equity to roundtables on collective resistance and cross-movement solidarity, we reflected on the urgency of building alliances to confront racism and rising far-right threats across Europe.

In a CSO subgroup meeting with Member State representatives working on National Action Plans Against Racism (NAPARs), we focused on discussing structural racism, community participation, and combating hate speech. We highlighted the importance of ongoing dialogue, inclusive engagement of grassroots groups, and spaces for critical reflection, while also learning from inspiring local practices in Malta, Finland, and Italy.

At the official meeting of Permanent Anti-racism CSO forum in January 2025, we advocated for stronger racial justice measures, including improved equality data collection, protection of civic space, and greater diversity within EU institutions. We also emphasized the need for meaningful consultation in evaluating the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan (2020–2025) and called for the creation of a dedicated unit to address the rise in anti-Asian racism across Europe.

Hyunjung and Lily participated in the DAAD working group on anti-Asian racism, a two-day event at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin initiated by Richard M. Lee from the University of Minnesota. During the discussions, we shared findings from our AVE Survey II, complemented by qualitative insights from “Our Voices, Our Stories”, Lily's documentary, and quotes from Sung Un Gang's podcast “Bin ich süßsauer?”. These contributions provided a understanding based on the lived experiences of Asian diasporas, leading meaningful dialogue on addressing anti-Asian racism in Europe.

Our group attended the recent Migration Policy Group (MPG)’s event focused on their policy brief addressing structural racism and its systemic impact. The event featured insightful discussions by expert speakers on enhancing the European Commission's National Action Plans against Racism (NAPAR). We contributed perspectives from our ongoing work, emphasizing the importance of intersectional approaches to combating racism and fostering inclusive policies at both national and EU levels.

We attended the 7th meeting of the Permanent Anti-Racism Civil Society Forum, hosted by the European Commission. Key discussions included the impact of far-right political gains on EU anti-racism policies, the implementation of the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan (ARAP) 2020-2025, and Member States' progress on National Action Plans Against Racism (NAPARs). We inquired about current monitoring mechanisms and shared our readiness to contribute to future consultations. The meeting emphasized coalition-building, accountability for political commitments, and the importance of combating polarization to strengthen racial justice frameworks.

We attended the forum focusing on the shrinking civic space for anti-racism civil society organizations (CSOs), addressing challenges such as legal restrictions, funding limitations, and targeted attacks. Key discussions included the findings of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency's 2023 report, strategies to protect civil society, and concerns over the EU Migration Pact's impact on human rights defenders. We raised critical issues about representation and inclusion in policy discussions and reiterated the need for stronger collaboration between CSOs and Member States.

Our organization participated in the Visitors Programme of the Federal Republic of Germany (Auswärtiges Amt), which included guests from Washington, the USA. Key participants included public officials and leaders from White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders). We engaged in discussion on anti-Asian racism with Sung Un Gang (Bin ich süßsauer?) and Hyunjung Lee from Asian Voices Europe. These activities highlighted cultural exchange and community-building efforts to combat racism and promote diversity.

We participated in Fent Xarxa per l’Antiracisme (Networking for Anti-Racism) at Districte Administratiu, which focused on institutional collaboration with the social sector. The event, hosted by the Generalitat of Catalonia, featured discussions on the "Commitment for a Country Free of Racism" and its 70 transformative measures. We engaged in a dialogue session and exchanged insights with other organizations on how social actors influence public policies in their respective countries.

Our organization attended the International Conference on Anti-Racism in the European Union: People of African Descent in the European Union: Recognition, Justice and Development, hosted in Barcelona as part of Spain's EU Council Presidency. The event focused on structural racism, anti-racist legislation, and the representation of people of African descent in public office and media. Highlights included the presentation of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ (FRA) second report, Being Black in the EU, which detailed persistent racism and discrimination across 13 EU Member States. Discussions emphasized the importance of disaggregated data collection and proactive policies to combat structural racism.