OSCE/ODIHR event showcases impact of small projects to address hate crime and intolerance in Ukraine

The impact that small, well-devised projects can have to effectively address hate crime and intolerance was at the centre of an event held in Kyiv on 2 December 2016. Participants discussed the results of five projects financed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and shared experiences and good practices to strengthen their efforts and co-operation with ODIHR and the local authorities.

"Civil society groups have a deep understanding of the society in which they operate. Financing small projects provides a unique ability to leverage that knowledge and ensure that we can combine our efforts to affect change on the ground," said ODIHR Hate Crime Officer Ales Giao Hanek.

“Implementing the project helped us realise the importance of educating youth on bias-motivated violence and intolerance. By raising awareness of the issue, children come to the realization that hate crimes can affect them as well,” said Veronika Myshkivska, Head of the Zhytomir Regional Association of Social Workers, which implemented education programmes for youth in collaboration with local civil society groups and schools.

Other initiatives included advanced monitoring and legal counselling efforts by the human rights centre Nash Svit, the use of contemporary theatre to overcome stereotypes and help prevent bias-motivated violence by the Poltava branch of the Social Service of Ukraine, roundtable discussions leading to the creation of a handbook for interfaith dialogue by the Public Movement “Faith, Hope, Love”, and an awareness campaign held in close co-operation with the National Police by the “No Borders Project” of the Social Action Centre NGO.

The projects were funded as part of ODIHR’s project on "Strengthening dialogue among civil society and with key government stakeholders in Ukraine on human dimension issues".