Back Speak peace, be the change!

A new publication on hate speech, produced within co-operation programmes of the European Union and the Council of Europe, is now available online.

"Speak peace! Hate speech is not an option" explores the concepts of hate speech, its manifestations, its risks for human rights and democracies. This booklet was developed for any person, civil society organisations and others who feel the need to understand the phenomenon of hate speech better and wish to do something to combat hate speech, taking a stance against it in diverse societies they live in. It provides explanations about hate speech as well as proposals for actions to prevent and fight hate speech.

Currently available in English, the publication is being translated in other languages, to accompany the campaigns aimed at combating hate speech and other activities of the organisation in the field, including when supporting youth mobilisation and civil society activism. "Speak peace! Hate speech is not an option" is now available in an online version on the Horizontal Facility, Partnership for Good Governance and Council of Europe Anti-discrimination websites and will be broadly shared online and presented at virtual events organised during the pandemic.

This brochure was developed within joint programmes of the European Union and the Council of Europe, the Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) and the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey (HF), in particular the action “Promotion of diversity and equality in the Western Balkans” (HF) and the project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Eastern Partnership” (PGG).

 Read the publication "Speak peace! Hate speech is not an option" available in English, as well as Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Romanian, Russian and Ukrainian.

Eastern Partnership 17 March 2021
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was 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” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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