Back Listening local needs, ahead of supporting vulnerable groups against hatred at local level in the Republic of Moldova

Listening local needs, ahead of supporting vulnerable groups against hatred at local level in the Republic of Moldova

Hate speech and hate crime are phenomena faced by many individuals and communities, especially the most vulnerable in the society. Hate and incitement to it is spreading throughout Europe, the Republic of Moldova being no exception. Those more vulnerable in the society, such as Roma community members, persons with disabilities or LGBTI persons are among the most exposed to hatred, facing difficulties in seeking protection.

The Council of Europe together with the District Council of Calarasi has organised a round table on "Supporting vulnerable groups against hate and bias-motivated violence at local level" which brought together representatives of local authorities, social workers, community mediators, police representatives and Civil Society Organisations from Calarasi district.

The results of the discussion in Calarasi brought to the same conclusions, enabling exchange of experiences and identifying needs in this area at the local level. The participants highlighted the importance of activities organised at grassroots level, such as capacity building for all relevant actors, and confirmed the willingness to take part in the further activities that will contribute to awareness raising, promoting and protecting citizens in need of some kind of support.

This meeting was a follow up to the previous signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe’s project "Strengthening Equality and Diversity in the Republic of Moldova" and the Calarasi District Council, which foresees establishment  of working group of relevant local actors that will contribute to the implementation of activities designed to provide assistance to victims, prevent and protect citizens against all forms of discrimination and hatred, in particular to vulnerable groups at risk of bias-motivated crime.

This event is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the regional project “Combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova”.

Calarasi, Republic of Moldova 21 September 2023
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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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