10 October 2022

Organisation Drom will launch a new European project in 2023

The Project “EQUAL TOGETHER” brings together civil society of some of the most vulnerable minorities in Bulgaria: Roma and LGBTIQ communities. Its goal is to support and empower their response to intolerance, discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes and to facilitate a greater role of CSOs and activists in reporting. It will also consolidate the work of the Bulgarian Hate Crime Recording Coalition. Activities: 1. Empowering CSOs of vulnerable communities to respond to intolerance, discrimination, hate speech/hate crimes. Rolling out five regional practical trainings for CSOs/activists focusing on specific widespread problems identified during the needs assessment (e.g. evictions, lack of IDs/address registration, educational discrimination, hate speech, hate crimes that will provide practical tools for action. The project will also have a particular focus on hate speech and hate crimes (increased awareness of the new ECtHR standards in fighting political anti-minority hate speech). 2. Strategic advocacy before the Bulgarian local and national authorities in connection with discrimination faced by the ethnic and LGBTIQ communities, about outstanding obligations and deficits in hate crime legislation. Minority-lead ad hoc advocacy in response to cases of intolerance with the public authorities. 3. Awareness raising campaign to raise understanding of hate crimes/enhance reporting. Results: - Increased capacity of vulnerable Roma and LGBTQI communities to network, address intolerance, discrimination, hate speech, hate crimes. - Increased capacity to use the mechanisms of national and EU anti-discrimination legislation. - Increased reporting on hate speech, hate crimes, discrimination by CSOs via special platform. - Enhanced capacity of local CSOs, activists, community leaders, lawyers, to respond to cases of discrimination and hate speech targeting minorities. - Development of training practical toolkit. - Strengthened role of Bulgarian CSO hate crime recording coalition.

Partnering organisations:

BULGARIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE ASSOCIATION BG (Coordinator)

CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS Sweden Affiliated

Organization Drom BG

SDRUZHENIE ASOTSIATSIYA INTEGRO BG

LIBERALNA ALTERNATIVA ZA ROSMKO GRAZHDANSKO OBEDINENIE BG

ROMSKA AKADEMIYA ZA KULTURA I OBRAZOVANIE BG

MLADEJKA LGBT ORGANIZATSIYA DEYSTVIE BG

The project will commence in January 2023 and will be implemented in the course of 2 years.