RÚV reports that the Association of Women of Foreign Descent in Iceland (WOMEN) has encouraged the City of Reykjavík to take recent allegations against Icelandic Family Aid (Family Aid) seriously in allocating financial grants to aid organizations in the coming year.
Statement WOMEN was published in response to the recent allegations of racial discrimination by Family Aid. Allegations of discrimination came mostly from former volunteers of the organization.
Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, chairwoman of the Reykjavík City Welfare Council, says that the council will take the WOMEN’s statement very seriously and is confident that the statement will be taken into account when it comes to the distribution of grants in the future. The matter is expected to be discussed in the city council today.
As reported, in 2010, Indicator sent a short transcript of an interview that Fréttablaðið’s journalist had with Ásgerður Jóna Flosadóttir, the director of Fjölskylduhjálp. In this fragment, which only reports the first minute of the conversation, Flosadóttir explained that although Fjölskylduhjálp is determined to help everyone in need, the organization sometimes decides to prioritize Icelanders.
This latest issue has already attracted considerable attention, but the mayor of Hafnarfjörður is already done to ask for family help for their contribution to the organization again following news coverage of the case.