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21 08 2007 Belgrade_ Following a number of racially-, ethnically- and politically–motivated incidents at football matches, Serbia’s Soccer Federation has announced a campaign against racism and xenophobia before a qualifying 2008 European Championships match against Belgium.
In a statement on Tuesday, the federation said it would distribute leaflets and ask players to wear shirts bearing the slogan "Stop Racism".
The federation has also decided not to organize transport for fans going to the match in Brussels on Wednesday, though thousands of Serbs living throughout Europe are expected to attend the game.
In recent years, Serbian soccer fans have become notorious for racism and violence at sports venues, prompting UEFA to ask Serbia to restrain its fans’ behavior or face the threat of its national team being kicked out of European competitions.
Zoran Panjkovic, sports editor for Belgrade’s B92 TV and radio, said the initiative "is good, particularly as the [Brussels] match is being played in an European Union country with a large Serb expatriate population".
He added: "I hope … the message will reach those who will be cheering Serbian team." The Serbian media has been looking for the national team to improve its chances of qualifying for the 2008 European Championships with a victory on Wednesday.
At the beginning of 2010 BIRN network published Digging Deeper - A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans, written in cooperation with Sheila Coronel, Director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and professor of professional practice at Columbia University, New York.
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