France

Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l’Amitié entre les Peuples (MRAP)

The Movement Against Racism and for Friendship between Nations (MRAP) has its origins in the French Resistance: it emerged from the National Movement against Racism, founded secretly in 1941 to save Jewish children from deportation and to thwart the racist ideology of the Vichy regime. Since then the MRAP has taken action against other forms of racism, notably those connected to the colonial wars. It works with others for peace in the world and for the right of nations to decide their own destiny.
In France, the organisation campaigns against all forms of racism, for migrant rights, family rights, the respect of asylum rights, and the right for all foreign residents to vote. It fights against the ideas of the far right and in particular against the National Front party.

The MRAP gets involved in legal issues by helping victims of discrimination and racist acts but it prioritises preventative action. Thanks to it public education mandate, it intervenes mainly in schools. It also has Consultative status at the UN. The MRAP promotes local anti-racism projects and has several hundred committees spread over France.

Clearly opposed to the death penalty – as to all inhumane and degrading acts – it first rallied against capital punishment in the United States because of its racist application there. It demands the release of Mumia Abu Jamal, an African-American journalist sentenced to death who the organisation classes as a political prisoner. The MRAP joined Together Against the Death Penalty’s struggle at the time of preparations for the first World Congress against the Death Penalty which took place in Strasbourg in 2001. It is a founding member of the World Coalition.

Date founded

1949             

Structure type

NGO             

Contact informations

43 boulevard Magenta
75010 Paris
Phone +33 1 53 38 99 99
Fax +33 1 40 40 90 98