ODIHR coalition-building workshop in Warsaw brings together activists to promote best practices in reporting hate incidents

Efforts to address anti-Semitism, discrimination and intolerance through coalition-building and to create networks and coalitions to better report on hate incidents were the focus of an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 20 and 21 June 2018 in Warsaw.

Through a series of panel discussions and interactive group-work sessions, activists working on preventing and reporting hate crimes explored coalition- and network-building methods and common issues and concerns, which can best be addressed by joining forces at both the national and regional levels. The participants – 19 men and 22 women – also discussed means of widening the reach of their initiatives.

"The goal of this event is two-fold: to bring civil society together to help build strong and diverse coalitions to address intolerance and discrimination; and to gather input on how to improve hate crime data collection and reporting,” said Cristina Finch, Head of ODIHR's Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department.

The event is the third in a series of workshops organized as part of the ODIHR project, Turning Words into Action to Address Anti-Semitism. The project promotes dialogue between different communities, focusing on specific topics and contexts for coalition-building. Its recommendations are intended to contribute to building more cohesive and inclusive societies for all communities in the OSCE region.