On
May 27, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Ms. Anahit
Manasyan delivered an opening speech at a roundtable discussion dedicated to combating
hate speech in the higher education sector.
The
event was held at the French University in Armenia and organized in close
cooperation between the Human Rights Defender’s Office, UFAR (Université
Française en Arménie), and the program “Promoting Equality and
Non-Discrimination in Armenia” project. The project is co-financed by the
European Union and the Council of Europe, implemented by the Council of Europe
within the framework of their joint "Partnership for Good Governance"
project.
Participants
included representatives of state bodies, partners from the Council of Europe,
academic institutions, and students. A special lecture on combating hate speech
was delivered for students by Council of Europe international expert Mr.
Federico Faloppa.
In her speech, the Defender noted that the
fight against hate speech should be carried out not only through legal
liability measures, but also by forming a platform for constructive dialogue in
the educational system.
"Our
monitoring shows that many lecturers and specialists use public discourse that
contains elements of discriminatory and hate speech. We definitely need to
fight against this," noted Ms. Anahit Manasyan.
The
Defender specifically emphasized that educational programs do not contain sufficient
information on the field of equality, anti-discrimination and hate speech. In
her opinion, the problem is often caused not by people's desire to spread
hatred, but by the lack of proper knowledge. If the gaps in the educational
system are filled, this will also contribute to the formation of an atmosphere
of tolerance and solidarity.
Ms.
Anahit Manasyan also emphasized the importance of clearly establishing rules of
conduct and ethical standards for the academic community, noting that some
universities have already adopted, but they are not yet widely used in practice
and there is no proper control over the observance of ethical standards.
Concluding
her speech, the Defender expressed her gratitude to local and international
partners for their joint work and support in this important area of human
rights protection.
“We
are talking about an area where it is nearly impossible to overcome the
challenges alone. It is encouraging that we have both effective cooperation and
a strong commitment to combating hate speech,” the Defender noted.
Opening
speeches were also delivered by Ms. Salva Nakuzi, Rector of the French
University in Armenia, and Ms. Angela Longo, Head of the Anti-Discrimination
Cooperation Unit of the Directorate General for Democracy and Human Dignity of
the Council of Europe.
The
event speakers included Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan and Council of Europe
experts Mr. Federico Faloppa and Mr. Ara Ghazaryan.
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