OBJECT OF THE ACTION:
Throughout the realization of proposed campaign, project partners plan to undertake the following various activities:
1. To monitor and systematically analyze statements and public conduct of politicians, and to signalize to state organs, political parties, international organizations and relevant governments which of the documented behavior (in statements or conduct) represents hate crime or hate speech.
2. To systematically follow articles in all of the printed media and a number of pilot TV productions, mainly those having political or political-entertaining character, to analyze the content of such media coverage, to produce reports, and inform relevant organs and institutions on observed trends of intolerant behavior, with recommendations for changes and/or assisting victims by use of the available legal means.
3. To recommend to state organs and its administration means and ways to prevent intolerance and/or to implement measured that promote tolerance into its system and practices.
4. To write regular three-monthly reports widely available to all the interested institutions and individuals.
5. To produce annual reports on trends, developments, and practices.
6. To organize conferences and expert discussions.
7. To recommend and assist changes of laws and introduction of new legal measures into the existent legislature.
8. To assist victims by maintaining sustainable legal aid.
9. To form specialized analytical expert teams for monitoring media and statements of politicians, on one side, and a PR team for promotion of idea of tolerance, on the other.
10. To form national board of the project.
11. To form international board of the project.
12. To aim to final goal of forming of an independent bodies for the promotion of equal treatment that will promote tolerance and fight against hate crime.
LOCATION OF THE ACTION: Belgrade, Serbia.
THE RESULTS OF THE ACTION
Part of the REPORT ON DISCRIMINATION IN MEDIA PRODUCED WITHIN THE REALIZATION OF YUCOM’s PROJECT
INSTEAD OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The experience gathered during the course of this research has shown that the sole initiation of measures available and starting of legal procedures can not eliminate hate speech nor stop further discrimination and violence, but that these measures and procedures can, if been realized professionally, represent a good cause for discussion on the problem of intolerance and discrimination, and can open many other questions related to violations of human rights.
It is currently impossible to form any definite conclusion or attitude toward the success of legal procedures started, for they are all in a procedural stage. It is obvious that in majority of these cases not even merits of the charges submitted were discussed, which still does not provides ways to change the system of values without accusations that these moves are merely attacks on freedom of speech. We believe that the current legislature, particularly the Public Information Law, should be amended in this aspect, while, on the other side, judges should be educated not to refuse charges just for lack of recognition of their substance.
The other relevant authority, the Ministry of Culture and Media, proves to have clear enough problem – the Ministry does not have a capacity and is not acting in accordance to its’ authority for supervision, prescribed by the law. It is our opinion that pressure should be increased when dealing with this Ministry, in order to make sure that they will not fail to react in the future, and that those reactions will not be politically influenced in any way.
The biggest problem of our research proved to be dealing with the RRA, which was formed so as to have a complete independence from ruling policies, but obviously functions under the influence of political power, and is not showing any willingness to independently accomplishes its’ authority. This problem stays completely open to be solved in the future.
Finally, this research has pointed to the problem of ordinary citizens who, in our opinion, will not be able to protect their rights, violated by discrimination or use of hate speech, using the available instruments and measures, and not to be accused for attacking freedom of speech at the same time. Here, YUCOM also insists on education, of journalists, and of citizens, in order to overcome this obstacle
Download: REPORT ON DISCRIMINATION IN MEDIA IN SERBIA
