Description
The project addresses the growing incidents of hate speech targeted mainly at the Roma,Turks, homosexuals and asylum seekers. The project aims at reducing dissemination of hate speech in public, creating a sustainable communication mechanism between the stakeholders and setting up a broad AntiHate coalition. First, a study of hate speech will be carried out including the legal framework, the practices of the EU Member States. Second, an informal AntiHate network will be set up. Third, the incidents of hate speech in public and in the media will be monitored. Fourth, 5 round tables will be held in Sofia and the cities with mixed population. Finally, a hate speech index with the main definitions of hate speech and hate crime will be developed. The project will benefit the minorities, the media, the decision-makers and the public. The partner will help with its expertise and will disseminate the project results among the media and competent institutions.
Summary of project results
We witness growing escalation of hate and transition from hate speech to hate crime. The majority of the public is not aware of the fact that the use of hate speech is crime under the Penal Code. The main goal of the project was to help reduce the dissemination of hate speech in public. In the course of the project the issues related to the spread of hate speech in the public space in the country were analyzed in detail. The analytical material prepared, Hate Speech in Bulgaria: Risk Areas, Vulnerable Subjects upgrades and further enriches the current sociological and other surveys on the subject. Successful communication and partnerships with institutions and interested organizations were set up in parallel and a broad Anti-Hate civil coalition was formed. In parallel with the building of the Anti-Hate coalition, our team took part in the initiation of an agreement for non-use of hostile and discriminatory speech during the official election campaign at the local elections in 2015 (signed by representatives of political parties, the media and media organizations, PR organizations and the Council for Electronic Media). For more information, please, visit:
http://antihate.europe.bg и
https://www.facebook.com/antihate.bg/
Summary of bilateral results