Together Against All Forms of Intolerance and Exclusion

By Ivana Golijanin

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Everyone plays a key role in promoting mutual respect and inclusion, thus supporting the building of societies that foster respect for the rights and dignity of every person, regardless of their ethnic affiliation, gender, religion or belief, or any other identity. The European Union has built its foundations on the values of respect for human dignity, democracy, freedom, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. An inseparable part of European values is the insistence on pluralism, tolerance, non-discrimination, and solidarity. In just half a century, the EU has become an important factor at all levels of the global social community.

In line with this, the EU and the Council of Europe support projects that focus on strengthening its primary principles in countries trying to become part of the Union. Activities that are part of the educational project for primary and secondary school students from the Sarajevo municipalities of Centar and Stari Grad on hate speech, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, led by the Jewish Cultural, Educational, and Humanitarian Society "La Benevolencija", with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, and in cooperation with the TPO Foundation, contribute to the continuous work on the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, not only into the EU but also into a modern society free from all forms of exclusion and intolerance.

Work on fostering a culture of inclusive tolerance and respect is of existential importance for the future of Europe. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) play an active role in combating hate speech, hate crimes, and other forms of intolerance, and projects that educate society on these topics are of great importance for them and for the integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the EU.

After the first topic "Hate Speech and its Consequences", lecturers discussed antisemitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia with students, and ways in which we can/must fight against their prevalence in public and private spaces. It clearly emerged how important the role of education is in preventing discrimination and hate speech.

It was established that hate speech that incites violence, especially online, represents a growing problem, particularly on the internet where it is considered the main way of expressing antisemitism, hatred towards Muslims, and other forms of racism and xenophobia.

The education system has proven to be key in attempting to curb intolerance and emphasize the values of respecting others, as it reaches all children from an early age. However, it was found that knowledge on certain topics is greatly lacking, and that there is generally no specific critical approach to the mentioned concepts and phenomena. After a series of lectures in primary and secondary schools, professor of gender studies Zilka Spahić Šiljak stated:

"In secondary schools, gymnasiums, it is evident that teachers work with children and that children are ready for dialogue and discussion on sensitive topics of discrimination. However, they know very little about antisemitism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, which indicates that these topics need to be included in the curriculum to sensitize young people to these issues. The situation in primary schools is different. In addition to children knowing almost nothing about these topics, the general climate is such that the attention of students is very low, they are not taught to express their opinions, and they generally react with strong emotions. What surprised me was that children aged 13 and 14 are full of prejudices, traumatized by family losses in the past war, and under the influence of ethno-national narratives, they are unable to think critically about the discrimination faced by other people, not just them and their families."

All forms of racism and hatred are a common problem for the entire society, and it is considered that a joint adaptation process is key in order to fully contribute to the society in which they live.

"If we didn't mention the Holocaust, people would forget that the Holocaust happened. We have never spoken about these topics to this extent, neither educationally nor within families. Perhaps much would be different if certain things had been acknowledged in time, and if we had called them by their proper names. If you don't explain to anyone what happened here, that people were killed and persecuted simply because they were not of the dominant religion or nationality, intolerance will continue to grow," said Eli Tauber, advisor for culture and religion of the Jewish community in BiH, after a lecture at the First Bosniak Gymnasium.
Lecturers shared worrying data on discrimination based on religion and ethnicity, and agreed that BiH society as a whole is caught in a very slow process of recognizing and acknowledging its radical views.

"These workshops have shown that it is necessary to work specifically with children and teachers in primary schools, in order to reduce and eliminate stereotypes and prejudices on which xenophobic attitudes are formed. Life in monoethnic and monocultural environments does not give children and young people the opportunity to develop understanding for genuine dialogue, so it is important to open the doors of these closed environments so that new ideas can refresh young minds and open new horizons of knowledge for them," emphasizes Spahić-Šiljak.

This certainly includes building inclusive communities where each of us must contribute to a pluralistic and tolerant society based on common values. Education is key in preventing antisemitism, hatred directed against Muslims, and other forms of intolerance. It is extremely important to establish the idea of coexistence at an early age, towards which students and teaching staff will then relate without prejudice, by developing creative ideas that will bring sensitive topics closer to children and help them strengthen their critical thinking skills.

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The association "La Benevolencija" is a beneficiary of the joint program of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022". The views expressed in this text are the responsibility of the author and do not represent the official views of the European Union and the Council of Europe.