What can we do about hate and how can we enhance mutual respect in our societies?
According to several sources, Europe today is experiencing an alarming increase in hate speech and hate crime. All forms of hatred undermine society as a whole and threaten the foundations of our democracies. While free expression is a fundamental right and a cherished value in the EU, human rights law acknowledges that it must not be exploited to incite hatred and violence.
The European Citizens Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society brings together 150 randomly selected citizens to look at the root causes of hatred and the ways to address them, with the aim of producing recommendations on how to build bridges across fractured groups and communities.
The 2023 Communication “No Place for Hate: A Europe United against Hatred” by the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy proposes an increase in efforts to fight hatred in all its forms by reinforcing action across a variety of policies, including security, digital, education, culture and sport.
What can we expect from the Panel?
The Communication “No Place for Hate” specifically calls for the creation of a pan-European space of dialogue, bringing together citizens from across the EU to discuss ways to move from hatred and division to the shared enjoyment of our European values of equality, respect for human rights and dignity. The European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society is one of the answers to that call.
The Panel will aim to identify possible policy actions and all relevant players that should be involved at different levels, including decision-makers, civil society, the private sector and citizens.
The final outcome of the Panel will be a list of recommendations that will notably support the European Commission’s future work on tackling hate speech and hate crime. The recommendations will serve as a guide to help the EU and its Member States to move from hatred and division to the shared enjoyment of European values, as enshrined in the Treaty of the European Union. These include a respect for human rights and dignity, and a society where tolerance, non-discrimination and pluralism prevail.
Timeline
The European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society will take place over three weekends between April and May 2024
- 5-7 AprilSession 1 - Brussels
- Developing a common understanding of hatred by unpacking perceptions and testimonies surrounding hate
- Identifying causes and drivers of hate today
- Discussing potential fields of action in which hatred can be tackled in society
Recordings 7 April 2024
- 26-28 AprilSession 2 - online
- Stocktake of Session 1 and refinement of ideas by theme and topic
- First phase of formulating recommendations
- 17-19 MayClosing session - Brussels
- Drawing conclusions of debates and recommendations to the European Commission
- Explaining next steps – impact on policymaking and feedback moment
