Description
The need to fight against hate speech and discrimination becomes more and more important in the Slovak society. The project focuses on these issues during promoters' regular activities offered to public and NGOs. Within the project, Voices will implement: 1. 2 national conferences Jump (Bratislava, Poprad) about active citizenship, hate speech combating, etc. with active involvement of participants; 2. 6 workshops in various towns throughout Slovakia focused on topics such as brand-building, social media, conflict resolutions, the way to deal with hate speech in online and offline world, cooperation between NGOs and companies, etc. Topic will be selected by local NGOs to address the real needs. 3. 6 tailor-made consultations will be provided to one of NGOs participating in the workshop in each of above mentioned towns. Each consultation will take 30 hours and will consist of direct work with the reps. of NGO and of online consultation. Target group are NGOs.
Summary of project results
The need to fight against a hate speech, discrimination and racism becomes more and more important in the Slovak society. Not only extremism groups as such are an issue, but large part of public is low-informed, manipulated and is not able to recognize propaganda what makes society polarized. That is why the project was aimed in raising awareness about these approaches and explaining how to eliminate them in everyday life of active citizens and in work of NGOs. These goals were fully accomplished by main project activities. The most distinctive activity were two popular TEDx-like conferences JUMP Slovakia which presented positive cases of eliminating of hate-speach, poverty and exclusion. Many positive case studies were showed from many areas of life, from work with homeless and drug users through integrating of Roma, prserving of authentic culture, activating of young people, volunteering to trasnational tolerance and reliminating of a hate speech. Almost 350 persons participated in the conferences and students of 13 high schools in whole Slovakia watched the conferences via live video. One of the conferences (in Bratislava) was supplemented with workshop on elmination of hate-speech in media, fight with racism and others. However, no less important were 6 workshops in several regions of Slovakia (109 participants from 63 local organisations) focused on eliminating of hate-speech, manipulation, conflict solving, positive communication and others. Experienced trainers explained and practised various approaches how to tackle with negative manipulation, how to use social networks, how to communicate to public, etc. In addition, six NGOs in various sites of Slovakia were consulted and assisted (always personally and via skype) in development strategy making with emphasis on positive communication and presentation of organisation. Though partner no donor countries was involved in the project, Norwegian expert on hate speech was key-speaker of JUMP in Bratislava.
Summary of bilateral results