During the encounter held with the students of the UOC, SOS Racism presented the “1=1 All Citizens” campaign that calls for immigrants to be given the vote

Eduard Vinyamata during the presentation 17/03/2007 As part of the encounter held with the UOC students on Saturday, March 17, 2007, SOS Racism presented its “1=1 All Citizens” campaign in this university setting.

This campaign looks to focus on and reassess the concept of citizenship, linking it to residency rather than nationality. The idea is to make steps towards recognising those living and working in Catalonia, whilst making progress as society as a whole in terms of equal rights and opportunities and in terms of overcoming discrimination. Although citizenship does not only mean the right to vote, it is a vital part thereof. Forms of participatory democracy complement rather than replace this right. It represents a decisive democratic achievement which is also highly symbolic. Universal democracy and real integration cannot exist if the right to vote is denied to part of the population.

The event consisted of a presentation of the Campus for Peace and Solidarity given by the director, Eduard Vinyamata, to those in attendance (students, collaborating teachers and other members of the UOC community).

In turn, Isabel Martínez, Spokeswoman for SOS Racism, described the campaign and their fight for the right to vote since the early 1990s. She went on to explain that the organisation was going to focus on universities in 2007, as these are the institutions where people gather who should be interested in the question of the state of democracy.

• Related links SOS Racism Campaign