Solidarity LAB
Start date: Aug 1, 2015,
End date: Dec 31, 2015
PROJECT
FINISHED
'Solidarity LAB' training course
8th-15th November, 2015
The Republic of Ireland
This project 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.'
By creating this project we are aiming to look at 'how we can build solidarity across all marginalized groups in our activist work'. We are seeking to mobilize young activists from different countries to come together and to challenge racism, religious intolerance and islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, disablism and all other forms of intolerance. We believe that young people, who will take part in this training will become ambassadors for change in their own countries through the process of dissemination of 'Solidarity LAB'.
This TC will bring together 43 people from from Ireland, Lithuania, UK, Greece, Georgia, Spain, The Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Albania, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Hungary, France and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; representatives from 15 organizations.
The main objectives of 'Solidarity LAB':
To challenge racism, religious intolerance and islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, disablism and all forms of intolerance that can and is shared on-line and to develop new , creative tools in four main workshop groups: music, video, ICT and human rights, that would make activism for equality and inclusion more effective.
The main aims of 'Solidarity LAB':
• To provide participants with a safe space to share their experiences and skills in the areas of equality , human rights and social inclusion in national and international contexts;
• To stimulate discussions on the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018);
• To support participants while developing new tools for making activism more effective by using music, video, ICT and knowledge of human rights;
• To raise knowledge of historical struggles for peace and freedom between South and North of Ireland;
• To stimulate pro-activity, citizenship and participation around young people in Europe and neighboring countries;
• To explore how we can build solidarity across all marginalized groups in our activist work, especially where there is conflicting ideas.
We believe that by taking part in this TC, people will develop the knowledge of: No Hate Speech Movement Campaign and social media; historical struggles for peace between South and North of Ireland; hurtful past of Belfast; opportunities and possibilities that Erasmus+ program offers to young people; developing creative tools for making activism for equality and inclusion more effective; the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018); human rights, equality and social inclusion in general terms and LGBT, religious division, Travelling Community in Ireland and Roma in greater detail; networking, mobilizing and capacity building in international youth work field.