The People’s Advocate Office and the Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality

 PUBLIC CALL 

on the cessation of the use of xenophobic discourse

 In connection with the appearance, in the information space, of statements, comments and opinions addressed to refugees and representatives of different ethnic and linguistic groups, People’s Advocate Office and Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality come with a public appeal to the general population, public figures, politicians as well as to the media.

The institutions point out that in the context of the humanitarian crisis, generated by the events in Ukraine, hate speech can have drastic effects, from the outbreak of inter-ethnic conflicts to hate crimes. These lead to considerable and long-lasting degradation of public order and interethnic coexistence and are very difficult to remedy.

The institutions vehemently condemn the public speeches and demonstrations, motivated by xenophobia.

In this context, People’s Advocate Office and Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality recommend:

To all people:

• not to promote xenophobic messages or discriminatory expressions against refugees, ethnic and linguistic minorities;
• to use a respectful language in relation to people in vulnerable groups;
• not to spread messages that call for hatred or incite violence;
• not to stigmatize the affected persons and their family members.

To politicians and public figures:

• not to use stereotypes and prejudices in public expressions and not to allow xenophobic and discriminatory discourses against refugees and ethnic and linguistic minorities;
• to avoid addressing sensitive issues and to promote a balanced public discourse, without inciting hatred or violence;
• to react confidently to xenophobic messages that appear in public, in the media and online.

To mass-media:

• not to allow xenophobic and discriminatory speeches against refugees and ethnic and linguistic minorities;
• use language that promotes the inclusion of all groups in society;
• to responsibly reflect with appropriate explanations and critical reflections the sensitive topics that target a certain group, in order to avoid stigmatizing them.