{"id":8504,"date":"2020-10-30T15:26:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T15:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrmi.lt\/en\/?p=8504"},"modified":"2024-02-16T16:46:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T16:46:15","slug":"online-seminar-active-european-citizens-against-hate-speech-took-place-on-5-october-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrmi.lt\/en\/online-seminar-active-european-citizens-against-hate-speech-took-place-on-5-october-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Online seminar \u201cActive European Citizens Against Hate Speech\u201d took place on 5 October 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

The seminar gathered experts and other stakeholders from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia with the aim to discuss the current situation and challenges in regards to hate speech, outline best practices on how to tackle online and offline hate speech, how to empower young people and promote civic participation of migrants and minorities in addressing  hate speech and promoting tolerance.<\/span><\/p>\n

56 participants took part in the online event organized by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights from Riga and partners, among them, the Human Rights Monitoring Institute, including 20 participants from Latvia, 9 from Lithuania, 9 from Romania, 7 from Croatia, 5 from Bulgaria, 5 from Estonia, and 1 from UK – representing different <\/span>human rights organisations, NGOs working with vulnerable groups (minorities, migrants, refugees etc.), youth organisations and youth workers, experts, policy makers, and civil activists.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the first session of the seminar two experts gave keynote speeches. First keynote speaker \u2013 Anhelita Kamenska, director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights (also representative of ECRI in respect of Latvia) \u2013 spoke  on \u201cTrends of hate speech – international context and policies.\u201d Ms. Kamenska exemplified the dangerous link between hate speech and hate crimes in their most egregious form \u2013 genocide (Holocaust, Rwanda, Rohingya in Myanmar) and outlined the causes and consequences of hate speech and groups most affected by hate speech. She spoke about the definition of hate speech, and provided an overview about the policies and mechanisms to sanction online and offline hate speech at global,  European and national level. She detailed the work of the Council of Europe Committee against Racism and Intolerance, including ECRI monitoring reports on countries involved the EUact project. Ms. Kamenska stressed the importance of combating online hate speech through monitoring activities and alternative and positive narratives mentioning examples of some initiatives. One such example includes EU Code of Conduct which was signed by some the largest IT companies and the European Commission in 2016 (Facebook, Twitter, Youtbe, Microsoft), and the results of the monitoring work in EU Member States. She also highlighted some of the recent initiatives by the European Commission in combatting hate speech, including EU Anti-Racism Action Plan 2021-2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second keynote speaker \u2013 Nicholas Startin – Head of Department for Politics, Languages and International Studies (PoLIS) at the University of Bath, UK, co-founder of the UACES research network on Euroscepticism \u2013 gave a speech on \u201cEuroscepticism and far-right populism – how it affects the society and its effect on young people.” Mr. Startin explained the notion of Euroscepticism, its origins and definitions, and gave an overview about the far-right movements in relation to different manifestations of Euroscepticism. He also explained how Euroscepticism and far-right narratives are interrelated and  their impact. Mr. Startin illustrated it with an example of Brexit and how these narratives fueled xenophobia and hate crimes in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the second session \u201cRealities of hate speech in participant countries” the participants worked in four parallel groups. The participants were divided by regions they represent \u2013 two groups included participants from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, two from Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria. Each group was facilitated by project partner organisations. During the working groups the participants discussed groups affected by hate speech in their countries, to which factors it is connected, outlined measures needed to be taken to combat hate speech and shared their experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group on Baltic countries concluded that groups most targeted by hate speech are migrants, including refugees, dark-skinned people, LGBTQ+, Muslims, Roma, and Jews. Interethnic hate speech between the ethnic majority of the population and Russian speakers is prevalent in Latvia and Estonia. Hate speech in all the three countries is widespread online, as well as in public places in the form of slurs by different people. Nationalist or far-right parties often fuel hate speech towards different groups through political discourse and different policy initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group on Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria concluded that most affected groups are migrants and refugees, LGBTQ+, Roma, Jews and other ethnic groups, such as Serbs, Bosnians and Albanian minorities in Croatia. Women are also targeted by misogynist hate speech. The main factors that incite hate speech are connected with the lack of information or direct contact with minorities, political discourse, promotion of ideas for the protection of traditional national values, and media biased narratives.<\/span><\/p>\n

The following measures were outlined for combating hate speech and intolerance:<\/span><\/p>\n

During the third session of the seminar \u201cSharing good practices\u201d participants worked in two parallel workshops.<\/span><\/p>\n