At a time when social networks and digital communication are having a major impact on our everyday interaction, raising awareness of discriminatory remarks and speech is a real challenge for public authorities. The amount of information and the speed at which it flashes across our screens mean that it is effectively impossible to control. Meanwhile, insufficiently robust legislation increases our powerlessness to deal with defamation and incitement to hatred.
In this context, the topic of the 2018 anti-racism week was ‟hurtful words”. In order to identify, deconstruct and condemn them, of course. But also, and perhaps more importantly, to highlight, through poetry slam, storytelling, films, workshops and talks/lectures, positive use of language that promotes diversity and celebrates our plural identity.
Young audiences are particularly vulnerable to verbal violence. The 2018 anti-racism week in the City of Geneva was therefore organised with the firm intention of encouraging young people to develop prevention tools. Another feature of this year’s campaign was the active support shown by all the neighbourhoods, which put on a number of excellent local events.
The Action Week against Racism in the City of Geneva is co-ordinated by the Service Agenda 21 - Sustainable City, in the context of the city’s policy on diversity and is co-hosted by the Culture and Sport department and the Social Cohesion and Solidarity department of the City of Geneva, the Office for the Integration of Foreigners of the Canton of Geneva and the voluntary sector.
