ENAR appoints new Director
Kim Smouter joins the leadership team to take ENAR to new heights
ENAR has appointed Kim Smouter, a Dutch national of mixed African and European descent, to join the leadership team of the leading pan-European voice against racism.
Kim previously worked for ESOMAR, the global voice for the research and insights sector as its Head of Advocacy and Professional Standards promoting ethical data collection and use by pollsters and market research. The new director has been appointed with a strong mandate from the Board to strengthen the movement’s reach and impact at a critical time in the fight against racism.
Kim Smouter said, “We want to take ENAR to the next level by embracing our role as a convenor of all agents interested in transforming our societies from ones that systemically discriminate to a society that systemically includes. That’s a long-term vision that requires the involvement of all actors from grassroots civil society organisations, to public authorities, to business. ENAR has to be a broad inclusive alliance, spearheaded by the organisations that are at the apex of the fight against racism, our members. I’m very excited about our plans to modernise how ENAR works, collaborates, and keeps the momentum in Europe towards a more inclusive future for all of us.”
The new director brings a unique perspective, having straddled the worlds of business, civil society, and public sector and will be looking to ensure ENAR plays a key part in emerging spaces like bias in the digital space, in addition to current areas of focus in the wake of the Black Lives Matter and the Ukraine situation where blatant racist incidents have prevented the safe evacuation of racialised minorities.
“Despite a great deal of media attention and a corresponding increase in awareness, we still see blatant examples of racism and a knee-jerk reaction to pretend that these incidents are not real or being overdramatised. It took a lot of effort from grassroots organisations to raise awareness of what was happening on the EU borders with Ukraine, and this happens everyday. We have to continuously keep the pressure on using all available channels at our disposal,” Kim concluded.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Nabil Sanaullah, ENAR Communication and Press Officer
Mobile: +32 (0)475 988 585 – Email: nabil@enar-eu.org – Web: www.enar-eu.org