The anti-hate speech campaign “Block the Hatred. Share the Love!” concluded Friday that “A worrying rise of hate speech, be it ‘face to face’, online or in traditional media poses serious threat for the cohesion of our democratic society, especially for vulnerable groups and communities. All participants agreed that this must be stopped, and all have an important role to play.

The launch gathered opinion leaders, activists and high representatives of public authorities, who raised their voices against hate speech and pledged to promote an equal society, without hate and discrimination. 

Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana Jutta Gützkow opened the event, stressing the importance of fighting hate speech and moving towards a tolerant and diverse society.

“We call on all of you, whether you are here in the room or connected on-line: Speak out against hate crime, contribute your share to the “Block the hatred. Share the love” campaign so that the motto “WE are ONE” is meaningful and relevant," was her statement.

Meanwhile, Head of Political Section to the European Delegation to Albania, Alexis Hupin, emphasized the importance of enforcement in the process of fighting hate speech. 

“I would like to invite you to continue this fight together, to condemn cases of hate speech, to report cases of hate crimes and to count on each other in making Albania a better place, free of discrimination, free of hatred and equal opportunities for everyone," he underlined.

Blerina Gjylameti, Member of the Parliament of Albania addressed the event, focusing on the harsh language in the political arena, including in Parliament which fosters a conflictive milieu. She stressed that political parties but also the media must concretely take into consideration the Code of Conduct and not only have it on paper. 

The “Block the Hatred. Share the Love!” campaign is an awareness raising movement introduced in the Western Balkans last year to inform and engage local communities in the fight against various forms of hate speech, targeting vulnerable groups and individuals such as LGBTI persons, immigrants, people with special needs and ethnic minorities. 

The campaign will continue in the months ahead with a series of public events promoted via ‘online’ channels (websites and social media), but also in the mainstream media. The campaign is implemented within the action “Promotion of diversity and equality in Albania”, part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022", a co-operation initiative that supports reforms in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy in compliance with the European standards, and in the framework of the EU enlargement process.