10 December, 2016
EPEKA Gallery, Maribor

The Association EPEKA, a social enterprise, and Romani kafenava dobrota, a social enterprise, are organising a roundtable discussion on World Human Rights Day and hate speech in the premises of Romani kafenava, the first Roma restaurant in the EU to operate on the principle of social entrepreneurship.

World Human Rights Day is celebrated every year on 10 December. It is the day on which the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948.

This year, the theme of World Human Rights Day is ‘Stand up for Someone’s Rights today!’ or ‘Stand up for the rights of others now!’. Many people today are watching with fear where the world is going. Disrespect for basic human rights continues to be widespread in all parts of the world. Extremist views, populist movements, the spread of intolerance and hatred are increasingly common and sow fear. Human rights and values are under threat. It is up to all of us to revive humanity, compassion and goodness in people.

Education, especially informal education, and public debate are key to achieving a society based on individual freedom. Here it is necessary to understand in particular the two articles below of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Article 29

  1. Everyone has duties towards the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
  2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law, the exclusive purpose of which is to secure the compulsory recognition of and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and to meet the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
  3. These rights and freedoms shall in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30
Nothing in this Declaration shall be interpreted as conferring on any State, group or individual any right to take any action or to do anything which would tend to destroy the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

It is important to remember that learning about human rights and how to apply them in everyday life is a lifelong process in the development of society. The World Wide Web – the Internet – has accelerated this process at the speed of light, with information coming much more quickly as a result. New online tools, social networks and others make this transfer even faster.

All this also allows negative phenomena such as hate speech, which is full of intolerance, hatred, fear, and which threatens human rights, including the right of choice and individual freedom, to spread much more quickly. Hate speech promotes intolerance, discrimination, undermines human rights and fails to provide a constructive contribution to public debate. As the campaign against hate speech in Germany says: Hate is not an opinion (Hass ist keine Meinung).

That is why the Association EPEKA, a social enterprise, is organising a round table in Romana kafenava on how to respond to the current issue or challenge of hate speech in contemporary society. It is clear that hate speech is not a human right because it violates other human rights and destroys human dignity. Nor should there be a neutral response to hate speech, because by ignoring it we show our attitude and position. There is only being for or against hate speech.

The Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., will present at the round table the online project Against Hate Speech Online among the Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., members and other interested parties, which we are implementing on social networks, followed by a debate on the topic.
You are cordially invited and welcome.