Addressing anti-Semitism, discrimination and intolerance through gender-sensitive coalition building focus of ODIHR event in Barcelona

Efforts to address anti-Semitism, discrimination and intolerance through coalition building that addresses gender and interlinking forms of discrimination was the focus of an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) from 21 to 23 June 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.

Fifty civil society activists, experts and practitioners from 26 OSCE countries shared best practices and challenges in building civil society coalitions that emphasize gender equality, as well as other forms of discrimination, including anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.  

"The goal of this event is two-fold, to bring civil society together to help them build strong and diverse coalitions to address discrimination, and to gather input for the creation of a coalition-building manual that ODIHR will publish to assist civil society in these efforts,” said Cristina Finch, Head of the ODIHR Tolerance and Discrimination Department.

Through a series of speakers, panels and interactive group-work sessions, participants examined ways to strive for gender equality in their various fields of human rights activism. Participants discussed means of widening the reach of their initiatives, while also strengthening civil society networks that aim to support universal human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination.

The event, entitled "Gender and Intersectional Activism: Coalition-Building for a More Tolerant Society,"  is the second in a series of workshops organized by ODIHR's  Turning Words into Action to Address Anti-Semitism project that 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.