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Solidarity Activist Camp
Solidarity Activist Camp
Start date: May 1, 2016,
End date: Oct 31, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
International Youth Exchange 'Solidarity Activist Camp' July 2016, Lithuania 'Eurobug, International Youth Work Training and Collaboration Limited' Ireland organizes international youth exchange ;Solidarity Activist Camp'. This project is a collaboration action with No Hate Speech Movement Ireland and the Institute for Policy Research and Analysis in Lithuania. Youth exchange will bring together 30 young people and 8 youth workers/ youth leaders from Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Italy and Turkey. Solidarity Activist Camp' is based on the context of 'No Hate Speech Movement' aims and objectives: reducing the levels of acceptance of on-line hate speech; raising awareness of hate speech on-line and the risks it poses for democracy and young people; involving young people in learning, living and acting for human rights, on-line and off-line; promoting media and Internet literacy; mobilizing a network of on-line youth activists to defend human rights; supporting and showing solidarity to people and groups targeted by hate speech on-line; advocating the development of and consensus on European policy instruments combating hate speech; developing youth participation and citizenship, including Internet governance processes.As the Internet has become a global space for creativity, communication and participation, the Internet users, and young people in particular, have a right to perceive their on-line interactions as benefiting from the freedoms of expression and information. However, reality tells us that the on-line world is also a space where the values of human rights are often ignored or violated. Among others, hate speech on-line has become a major form of human rights abuse, with very serious consequences for people, both on-line and off-line. Young people are directly concerned as victims, targets, active and passive agents. But hate speech affects all of society. 'Hate speech, as defined by the Council of Europe, covers all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or other forms of hatred based on intolerance, including: intolerance expressed by aggressive nationalism and ethnocentrism, discrimination and hostility against minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin.'A growing link between anti-sectarianism and hate speech is evident with significant increases in racism, homophobia and Islamophobia being linked directly to anti-sectarianism. The sense of security in the space we all inhabit was shucked to extreme in 2015 and already at the start of 2016. No Hate Speech Movement believes that we underestimate the power and consequences of no hate speech and seeks to mobilize young people for a culture of human rights to combat hate speech. The advantage of the No Hate Speech Movement is that it fights all levels and types of hate speech, sending a clear message about expected behavior to perpetrators. Solidarity Activist Camp' is built on the interactive workshops, experience and ideas shared spaces, inter-cultural learning activities and inputs about No Hate Speech Movement. The main aims of this project are challenging racism, religious intolerance and islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, disablism and all forms of intolerance that can and is shared on-line and exploring presenting a counter narratives that fights the prevalence and tacit acceptance of hate speech; thus making activism for equality and inclusion more effective. We believe that young people, who will take part in this training will become ambassadors for NHSM and social change in their communities, countries and internationally.Objectives of the youth mobility activity are directly linked to the objectives of the project: 1. Mobilizing youth activists and challenging racism, religious intolerance and islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, disablism and all forms of intolerance;2. Presenting a counter narrative that fights the prevalence and tacit acceptance of hate speech in all its forms - ensuring that no minority group is left out even when conflict arises between minority groups such as differences based on religion, sexual orientation, membership of particular ethnic groups, etc;3. Looking at 'how we can build solidarity across all marginalized groups in our activist work.