An important mandate of the equality bodies is developing effective communication strategies to combat the pressing issues of hate speech and hate crime. To this end, representatives of equality bodies in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions participated to an online workshop. The workshop aimed to raise awareness about hate speech and promote constructive alternatives and counternarratives.
Key tools that foster inclusive dialogue in the context of rising hate speech incidents in the society were presented to the participants, including the Human Rights and Hate Speech Toolbox. Experts emphasised the need to use data-driven insights from research and public monitoring to create targeted campaigns addressing specific forms of hate speech and discrimination, adapting narratives to different audiences.
This event builds on previous Council of Europe initiatives to strengthen collaborative strategies in addressing hate speech in the above-mentioned regions. The European Network of Equality Bodies (Equinet), shared insights from successful initiatives in the field.
Interactive sessions encouraged the exchange of experiences, best practice, and opportunities to strengthen regional co-operation.
Visit the online toolkit for human rights speech of the Council of Europe and the European Union.
Read more about our work on the Partnership for Good Governance thematic web page on promoting equality and non-discrimination.
This event is organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies”, which are respectively parts of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programmes “Horizontal Facility III for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.
