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Inclusion and antidiscrimination
Combating discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in the Eastern Partnership
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Project news
Welcome to our end of year newsletter! This newsletter is part of the regional project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech”, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance phase II. Past months project beneficiaries and partners met in Chisinau for the first project’s regional event. A meeting to discuss the draft Law on national minorities in Armenia and a national training in Belarus were conducted. National reports on the data collection procedures on discrimination, hate crime and hate speech were finalised in the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia and the legislative review on Moldovan equality legislation was carried out and findings were presented to relevant stakeholders at a round table. Preparations for spring 2020 are already on their way, starting with a training seminar in Azerbaijan on practical application of European standards on anti-discrimination and equality, and presentations of the recommendations stemming from the analysis of disaggregated data collection on discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Ukraine. Prior to all that, from the PGG regional Anti-discrimination project team, we send you seasonal greetings and wishes for a joyful new year.
Our beneficiaries’ testimonials
Project partners and speakers at the First regional meeting with a thematic focus on strengthening the capacity of equality bodies/Ombudsoffices and NGOs to inform the wider public about available redress mechanisms to discrimination, hate speech and hate crime, and to specifically reach and communicate in adequate ways with women and men from vulnerable communities, recorded messages explaining the aims and outcomes of the project's first regional event. The equality bodies/Ombudsoffices and NGOs representatives gathered to enhance their capacity to raise awareness among general public and members of vulnerable communities about available redress mechanisms for discrimination, hate speech and hate crime. For instance, by studying a case example from Moldova of an awareness raising campaign about elderly people’s rights conducted by Platform 60+. The event was preceded by the official launch of both the regional project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries” and the national project "Strengthening the capacities of the justice sector actors to deliver justice in line with European standards, in particular to fight discrimination".
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Creating tolerance towards vulnerable groups in Belarus
A public survey on discrimination in Belarus was conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in the framework of our regional project. It assessed the public opinion on discrimination and the need for
stronger legislation in this field. The main findings indicate there is a need to explain concepts such as discrimination, prejudice and stereotype among the general public, while experiences of discrimination are identified primarily in the field of employment. It concludes that there is support for strengthening state mechanisms in providing redress, and it recommends to develop an awareness-raising policy and to conduct campaigns to inform the general public, especially vulnerable groups, about their rights.
Stand up against hatred! New online courses explain how
The new online course on online hate speech will navigate you through what hate speech is and why it is so difficult to define. You will get an understanding of
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the harm hate speech causes on individuals and on society as a whole and be equipped with practical tools to start your monitoring and/or counter-speech activity. This mini course, emerging from the experience of the eMORE project, aims to give you an overview of existing advocacy tools and to help you in creating step-by-step your own advocacy plan to fight against hate speech.
Launch of the first Equality Week in Georgia
In Georgia, within the ‘I Choose Equality’ awareness-raising campaign the first Equality Week was held to mark the International Day for Tolerance (16
November). Equality Week aims to increase tolerance by raising awareness about the importance of diversity and equality for peace and prosperity in Georgia and provides information on available redress mechanisms for the victims of discrimination.
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Why are International Days marked?
International days are occasions to engage and inform the general public on issues of concern, to mobilise social and political will as well as resources to address community dialogue, equality and inclusion, while illustrating how a human rights-based approach can tackle challenges both for member of the majority and the minority groups in a community, such as:
This spring we invite you to mark these international days:
Inclusion: cultural and educational festival
How to shape a culture of inclusion in urban space? The Inclusion Festival was held from 23 to 30 September 2019 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. For the fourth year in a row, this festival moves the city to the popularisation and implementation of new inclusive practices. This year the festival was held under the slogan "Culture Leisure is allowed." The initiators aimed to problematise the possibility of cultural leisure (visiting theaters, museums, galleries, cultural centers) for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Within the framework of the festival, inclusive projects were presented: nine audio guides for three museums in Kharkiv and the region, an open-air flash mob for the promotion of sign language, the "Human Factor" art-exhibition and theatrical performances featuring people with disabilities. The festival’s educational program was also powerful, with discussions, trainings and informational meetings attended by representatives of museums, universities, public organisations, as well as international experts and activists such as Karina Chupina, Council of Europe expert on disability issues, and the Polish initiative “Deaf Respect” "led by Aga Ositek and Oscar Vishnevsky. The festival events were reported on in more than 30 national and local  media outlets. The festival is organised by the Kharkiv Regional Association "Public Alternative".
National minorities conference in Ukraine
Culture, languages and economic participation of national minorities in Ukraine was discussed and promoted during a 2-day conference which took
place in Uzhhorod, Ukraine on 11-12 December. The event was organised by the Department for Religious Affairs and National Minorities Issues (Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports) with the active participation of the national minorities from the region of Zakarpattia.
Send us your good practice for the next issue of the Newsletter at anti-discrimination@coe.int specifying in the subject line “Newsletter items” by end of December 2019.

This newsletter is part of the PGG project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in the Eastern Partnership countries”, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

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This newsletter has been produced as part of a project co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.
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