Preventing and Investigating Hate Crimes: Minorities’ Rights Training

Mr. Mousa Arada, vice-prsident of “Together With The Law” Social Organisation, took part in the training “Minority rights: international standards and advocacy tools” organized in Kyiv on October 12, 2013 within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Minorities Network project.

 

The participants not only studied international standards in the field of Human Rights protection along with acting national and international legislation, but also learned some advocacy tools for protecting such groups within the NGO Human Rights protection activities.

 

According to the statistics, about 100 minority groups are present in Ukraine (ethnic, religious, other social groups, including several criteria minorities), about 5 of them are the largest.

 

The Training facilitators stressed the importance of those minorities getting organized for a more effective joint protection of their common interests. Together they can help each other preserve their identities and get more involved in the social life.

 

The trainers repeatedly stated — both during the lecture and the workgroups — how important it is to remain unprovoked and act within the framework of current legislation; restraining from threats, insults and any forms of violence.

 

The groups spent more than 6 hours for studying hate crimes. The trainers explained the difference between hate crimes and hooliganism, procedural fades important to observe when approaching the police and Human Rights NGOs, and the sequence of legal proceedings.