Description
The initiatve is a response to acts of verbal and symbolic agression resulting from racist attitude. The project is focused on eliminating the hate speech, and in particular racist graffiti, from the Cracow public space. The organizers will monitor and document the hate speech incidents, and create a system of prompt reaction to them through mobilising communities and local government. To this end, it is planned: to establish 20-person team that will clean racist graffiti and propagate (through Internet and directly in schools and local institutions) activities against the hate speech, to launch massive information action on the methods of combating hate speech using the Internet, to cooperate with district and city authorities, as well as with local non-governmental organisations or civic committees in order to build a system of prompt intervention, using tools developed under the project (shame map, condemning discrimination in social media, cleaning racist graffiti).
Summary of project results
"According to studies by professor Krzemiński (1992, 2002, 2012), anti-Semitism rates in Poland are among the highest in Europe. When engaging in local monitoring, the Association identified considerable volumes of anti-Semitic graffiti on the walls of the Cracovian districts of Kazimierz and Podgórze. The response of authorities is usually brief, and includes no effort to involve local communities in hate speech prevention activities. Anti-Semitic graffiti and social tolerance for its existence in public space result in a disadvantageous climate to minorities in Cracow. The purpose of the project was to eliminate anti-Semitic graffiti from Cracovian public space and to empower local communities with a view to enable them to react on their own. More than ten anti-Semitic slogans were removed from walls around the city. An online set of guidelines was drafted and delivered to individuals potentially interested in joining such activities in the future. Volunteers capable of diagnosing and monitoring hate speech in public space were trained in a series of workshops. Thirty-two volunteers were trained to monitor anti-Semitic slogans on city walls and organise repainting campaigns. More than 20 slogans were identified, and 14 were removed. Seven meetings were held to promote the project and knowledge on how to fight anti-Semitic graffiti. Intervention letter samples and anti-Semitic graffiti response guidelines were drafted. Two clips (for promotion and instruction purposes) were shot. An open letter to administrators and owners of tenement houses featuring anti-Semitic graffiti was drafted. Four multicultural workshops were delivered for 75 pupils of schools in Cracow. Direct project beneficiaries included approximately 200 residents of Cracow (more than 30 volunteers, 75 pupils, approximately 100 meeting participants). Project-related web content (clip and project website) reached more than 1,000 recipients."
Summary of bilateral results