THE INTERNATIONAL CULTURE FORUM & THE CENTRAL FEDERATION OF IMMIGRANTS IN SWEDEN (ICF)

ICF is a non-profit, politically-independent organization which has worked since its establishment in 1980 to safeguard human values, tolerance, democracy, and the equality of all people – both locally and internationally.

We act against prejudice, discrimination, racism, anti-Semitism, and contempt for mankind, and we work to attain diversity, integration with the majority population, and respect for mankind.

ICF includes both ethnic and multi-cultural associations. We work with a broad base to make our key issues visible. We initiate debates, inform decision makers, participate in media, arrange conferences and seminars, and steer various social and cultural projects.

About ICF

Leo Kantor, Chairman of the Forum

ICF is a non-profit, politically independent organisation that, since its establishment in 1980, has been working against contempt for mankind, racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia, in order to safeguard human values, tolerance, democracy and the equality of all people.

The International Culture Forum works locally and internationally, stimulates public opinion, musters the forces of the intelligentsia, initiates debate, arranges seminars and conferences, and works with schools, adults and young people, universities, organisations, the mass media and cultural organisations.

In Sweden we have the support of over 35 different national organisations with a total of approx. six thousand members, representing countries such as UK, USA, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Serbia, Pakistan, India, Bosnia, Gambia, and others.

Among our ordinary or support members are people of the Jewish faith and Romanies, as well as those rescued from the Holocaust and the second generation of Holocaust survivors.

For many years, and in association with other organisations, researchers, journalists, cultural workers and politicians, we have initiated a series of activities in Sweden and in other European countries aimed at promoting our objectives and propagating our message. The following are just a few examples:

• We organised the worlds first documentary film festival, entitled "Human dignity. Tolerance and the Holocaust as seen through the medium of the Documentary Film", with films from 20 countries.

• We arranged a conference dealing with tolerance in association with the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation concerning the situation of Romanies in Budapest, Hungary.

• We lead various study trips to Dachau, Auschwitz, Majdanek and Theresienstadt.

• We organised the collecting of documents from victims of the Second World War for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

• We arranged the first conference in Sweden on racism and racial discrimination, with the participation of the Chairman of the United Nations Committee Against Race Discrimination, Professor Michael Banton, and the head of the historical section at the Auschwitz Museum.

• We arranged a series of seminars dealing with the conditions of immigrants in Sweden, immigration, questions concerning migration, integration, and questions relating to the Common Market. We have called attention to the situation of women in Russia, Poland and the Ukraine.

• We have worked with such issues as drug dependence among juveniles, AIDS-related problems and prostitution in Eastern Europe.

• We award International Publicist Prizes to journalists, authors, film-makers and researchers who, through their work, have striven to safeguard human rights, tolerance and respect for their fellow human beings. Many of Sweden's leading intellectuals, authors and journalists, such as Bibbi Andersson from the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm and film director Krzysztof Zanussi, have attended our awards ceremonies.

In order to promote what is good and combat what is evil, especially Neo-Fascism, violence, extremism, anti-Semitism and the general contempt for mankind, we have established a broad contact network of researchers, politicians and journalists in Europe and Sweden, and we enjoy a well-functioning relationship with governmental authorities and other organisations. We participate actively in international exchanges, meetings and conferences.

Write to us, contact us, work together with us - Leo Kantor