A thematic event on raising awareness and combating discrimination was carried out in the context of Council of Europe week in the Republic of Moldova on 12 July 2023 in the format of Living Library - the storytelling sessions that reflected cases and situations of discrimination and hatred against three vulnerable groups. Experiences and real stories were shared and presented by the following “Living Books”:
- Maria Scorodinschi – a victim of domestic violence, who shared her life story about surviving hatred and violence since childhood. Maria has become a benchmark of the fight against domestic violence and has been included in the BBC's list of the 100 most inspirational women in the world.
- Albina Ciuprin & Anhelina Culic – shared their story regarding the prejudice against LGBTI people, based on their own experiences of discrimination and hatred on the criteria of sexual orientation.
- Natalia Radița – a Roma women who faced discrimination in relation to employment rights, but also confronted hate speech and intolerance as a candidate in local elections, on the motive of her ethnicity.
Following the storytelling sessions, the participants at the event - representatives of state authorities and civil society organisations in the anti-discrimination field, as well as of the international community in the Republic of Moldova, had an exchange of impressions and views on the stories heard, focusing on the challenges that are to be addressed for preventing and combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes, possible solutions for improving relating responses mechanisms in the Republic of Moldova.
In conclusion of the Living Library, the importance of continuing and increasing cooperation of all relevant actors was highlighted, for the ultimate goal of a better protection of victims of discrimination, especially those from vulnerable groups in the Republic of Moldova.
This event was organised in the framework of the of the project “Combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova”, part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Partnership for Good Governance, “co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.
