Working with civil society to counter hate crime

Civil society plays a vital role in addressing hate crimes, as these groups and organizations are often the first point of contact for victims, who may be reluctant to turn to local authorities. We work closely with civil society to help strengthen knowledge of the issues surrounding hate crime, ensuring that victims can be helped in the most effective way.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODHIR) provides this support through regular training events for civil society across the OSCE region. These events bring together different civil society representatives and focus on raising participants' awareness of hate crime. The training activities make clear the importance of effectively identifying and acting on hate crimes through monitoring, reporting and working with local authorities.  

For example, civil society representatives from all over Poland met in Warsaw to participate in a training event organized by ODIHR in February 2015. This activity not only provided a learning opportunity for participants, but also created a vital space for civil society to meet, interact and share ideas.

Are you working on the issue of hate crime and interested in learning more? Watch the video below and then email us at tndinfo@odihr.pl for more information.

Reminder: 30 April is the deadline for submitting civil society contributions to ODIHR's annual hate crime reporting.