CoE INGOs President Dr.Rurka to Eurofora: Clear Criteria needed to Distinguish Free from Hate Speech

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/-  -"We must have Clear Criteria" on the Distinction between legitimate and protected Freedom of Speech, from one side,  and dangerous, often prohibited "Hate Speech", from the other side, replied the New President of CoE's Conference of International NGOs, Dr. Anna Rurke (2015-2018) to "EuroFora"s Question on whether the direct of indirect presence of "Violence", in one way or another, could, eventualy, help, according to ECHR's classical case-law, to solve the Problems of "Gray Areas", reportedly growing recently, as it was earlier observed by keynote participants in a COE's 3 Days-long PanEuropean Symposium in Strasbourg on how to Struggle against new forms of "Hate Speech" Today, particularly at the Internet, (See also Infra).

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            -  Even if Rurka made a reference, in her Reply, inter alia, also to a Call launched previously by the very active President of LICRA, (the French NGO against Racism and Anti-Semitism), Alain Jakubowicz, who, as she reminded, "spoke about the need to use more Clear Categories", closer to the real Facts, (f.ex. by avoiding to speak merely about "Discrimination", when it's obvious that, in fact, it's all about "Anti-Semitism", etc), nevertheless, it's mainly the French Ombudsman, former Minister of Culture and Chairman of CoE's "EurImages" Fund for Cinematographic Creations, Jacques Toubon, who described a recent "Boom" particularly on "Racist expressions transformed into Commonplace", as if they were simples Platitudes, through an apparently anodynous, but, in fact, potentialy dangerous "Banalisation" process, as he said, mainly "at the Internet".
 

     - This was also noted, earlier, at the Opening of CoE's 3 Days-long Anti-Hate Speech Conference, by the experienced PanEuropean Organization's Deputy Secretary General, Mrs Battaini-Dragoni, who observed from the outset that "during Recent Years, Young People have been actively engaged by the CoE in the Fight against Hate Speech", while, Today and Tomorrow, various very Practical Seminars and Training Workshop had already Started, focusing mainly at the Internet, and including, f.ex., the use of Tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and other Social Networks, "Cyber-Violence", "Neo-NAZI Speech", "Counter-Speech", etc., as well as the relevant "Legal Framework" and real "Application of Legal Principles", etc.

     + In addition, Battaini-Dragoni pointed also at the creation of an "International Network against Cyber-Hate", and anounced that CoE's Anti-Racism and pro-Tolerance Watchdog, "ECRI", is currently "Preparing a New Recommendation against Hate-Speech, which is expected to be adopted Before the End of 2015", while the COE has also created, recently, a" Hate-Speech Observatory", and CoE's Committe of Ministers has decided "to Continue further" the overall PanEuropean "Campaign", (which was, meanwhile, Extended even Beyond the 47 CoE's Member States, also to Mexico and Morocco), particularly "after the Terrorist Attacks in Paris, Denmark and Belgium" since the beginning of 2015, in order to track also any "emerging Extremism", before it becomes too late.

    - Meanwhile, she  called to be careful vis a vis the above-mentioned, "recent Phenomenon" of a kind of "Subtle" and more "Hidden", "apparently Innocent", and "Difficult to Unmask", but, in fact, Dangerous", so-called "Neo-Racism", according to the name given "by several MEPs, (Comp. Supra). However, "CoE's campaign hasn't any intention to Limit the Freedom of Expression, and it's not at all against the expresssion of Dissending Political Opinions", the PanEuropean Organisation's Deputy Secretary General ensured. It only focuses "against On-Line Hate" and "against Bullying at the Internet", (another Issue of real importance in practice, concerning Brutal and/or Vicious, systematic Verbal Aggressions of Mobsters against a Targetted Person), as she explained.

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    - LICRA's President Alain Jakubowicz (Comp. Supra), called Young People to Fight such phenomena, both in everyday life and at the Internet also by Speaking out openly and massively against them, and defended the use of Courts and Judges in order to Curb real "Racism" and/or "Anti-Semitism", etc, instead of "Hidding behind" some, comparatively, more lenient formulas, such as that of simples "Discriminations", "Attacks", etc., which don't reveal the Real Facts, as he criticized, (applauded and hailed by NGOs' representatives as having served as one of the "Motors" of the Anti-Hate Speech movement).

    - Inter alia, the New President of CoE's PanEuropean Civil Society body : the Conference of International NGOs, Anna Rurka, said that, on the occasion of her wish to See how Human Rights are really applied in People's everyday lives, (See also Infra), she had observed, indeed, several Phenomena of that so-called "Banalisation" of Hate Speech, (Comp. Supra), not only at the Internet, but even "inside Schools", where Educators should Help Students to "Free" themselves from such risks. Moreover, Rurka advanced the idea that, particularly Young People, need to be given a chance to learn how to face such and other "Conflicts" inside a "Public Space", be its Social or Political, and lead Debates, instead of falling to the trap of Deception (f.ex. vis a vis some Traditional forms of Democracy), etc., (See also Infra).

    - French Ombusdman/Defensor of (Citizens') Rights, Michel Toubon, (Comp. Supra), denounced, inter alia, also a recent "Explosion", as he said, of "Anti-Semitic" views, throughout Europe, "from the Urals to Finistere", as well as an "Astonishing Percentage" of "People who believe, according to recent Polls, that it wouldn't be possible to Conciliate Islam with the Republic, neither to "Integrate" the concerned individuals. To all this is added, at the same time, a more and more violent "Jihadist"propaganda, recently, which pushes towards a dangereous"Radicalisation".  etc. Toubon Warned, in particular, against allowing to repeated "Discriminatory practices" and Hate Speech aiming to belittle certain "Fragile" Groups, to appear as a kind of Social "Norm", by cultivating adequate reactions of Citizens-Activists, ready to engage in a "Verbal Fight" aimed at De-Legitimazing and "Subverting" that Hate Speech, as well as by helping to ensure an "Equal Access to Justice" for all Victims, including the weakest, for at least an elementary Legal protection.

    - The President of CoE's Assembly, Anne Brasseur from Luxembourg, denounced mainly the fact that "Intolerance and Hate Speech" have recently become "not only some Isolated Incidents", but rather something which risks to "Undermine Democracy", as she Warned. In addition to the recent adoption of relevant Resolutions, (as, f.ex. on Political Extremism and some Far Right Groups, as well as on "Radicalisation", etc), PACE has also created an "Alliance of Parlamentarians against Hate", which will hold its 2nd meeting in Strasbourg at the end of June 2015. But what is needed is also the emergence of "Non-Political" Activists, able to add their Voice against Hate Speech in real practice, as a kind of "Social Relays", she concluded, pointing at CoE's Annual "World Forum for Democracy", and thanking f.ex. the relevant Youth Movement, which is present these days in Strasbourg with many among its representatives of Civil Society.

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    + Precisiely, the recently Elected New President of CoE's PanEuropean Civil Society body, Anna Rurka, (Comp. Supra), who also holds a PHD on Education and works as Senior Reseacher at West Paris' University 10, at Nanterre-Defense, has extensively published mainly on Children, Families and Education, as well as Social Workers, Fight against Exclusion, etc,

    told "EuroFora" that she hopes INGOs could help for a Better Respect  of People's "Human Rights",  which "are currently under pressure in many Countries", throughout PanEuropean CoE's 47 Member States.

    + This goes "for all areas", i.e., f.ex. "also vis a vis Social, Political, a.o. Rights", as she added.

    In this, latest regard, another interesting Dimension of her Projects is to develop further concerned Citizens' and, more largely,  Civil Society's  Participation in Decision making processes, which stands obviously near "EuroFora"s own project, as well as "EuroFora" CoFounder's earlier University Research in Publlc Law, and meets CoE's recent queries on the Evolution of Democracy with New Forms of Citizens' consultation and participation throoughout the PanEuropean and International areas, (including, f.ex., via its Annual "World Forum for Democracy", etc).

    Inter alia, Rurka, who comes from Poland, has already cited in her published work also the famous German Philosopher Jurgen Habermas (from nearby Frankfut's University) and his Book on Discourse or Debate Ethics., who is also Known as writer of a fundamental text on "Structural Changes in the Public space" (alias : "StrukturWandel der Offentlichkeit"), that "EuroFora"s Co-Founder has abudantly used in the Past for the preparation of a Master and State Thesis in Public Law, as well as for a landmark Book on his Dialogues with famous University Theologist Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected, later-on, as Christian Catholic Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican... Benedict, as his Historic 2006 Speech at Revensburg University highlighted, followed, later-on by another Text on Stoic Philosopher Zenon, on 2010, has notoriously supported the view that, by using Free and Enlightened Dialogue in order to try to Convince Interlocutors with Rational Arguments and correct Facts, one shows Respect to his/her Human Personality and Freedom.