Tracks

To help you navigate the Forum and find what interests you most, the Forum has been clustered along 6 tracks:

 

#RebuildingTrust

In an uncertain world, institutions should put people first. Open and inclusive policymaking builds trust, ensures equal opportunities and a shared sense of belonging.

Contact with public institutions is part of our everyday life. While trust in the EU and national governments has increased since 2015, threats to the rule of law and democratic processes are undermining this trust. In addition, some vulnerable groups have trouble seeking justice as their rights to be treated fairly are violated. To recapture lost trust requires more transparent and accountable decision-making. The bodies entrusted with promoting and protecting rights also need the resources and powers to safeguards rights. So how can we remove the practical and financial obstacles that make rights inaccessible? How can we regain the trust of those who feel marginalised or disenfranchised with society today?

This track will explore trust from various angles. Over three days a FRA Working Group will critically review what erodes and what drives trust. In addition, dedicated open sessions will examine specific issues. Special attention will be paid to ensuring the judiciary is independent and accountable while maintaining high standards of integrity and impartiality. Democratic schooling where pupils are free to speak and safe to learn and tapping youth organisations can also help to rebuild trust. EU funding and alliance building can also help advance rights. 

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#SharedNeighbourhoods

Participation is the glue that holds a community together. People must be involved in decisions that affect their lives. Participation builds stronger, better neighbourhoods and cities. 

We most often experience human rights close to home in our immediate locality, city or neighbourhood. It is where we hope and expect to be treated with respect and equality. This helps create social cohesion. To create such cohesion requires commitment, engagement and active participation. So how can we motivate people to get involved in decisions that affect them? How can we enable people to feel responsible for building a better society for future generations?

This track will explore how to build stronger and more inclusive neighbourhoods. Over three days a FRA Working Group will showcase how local action can be a driver of human rights and belonging. In addition, dedicated open sessions will examine specific issues. This includes getting Europe’s citizens on board to build inclusive communities. Engaging youth movements politically is crucial. So is, capitalising on the work of human rights cities, whose network will meet at the Forum.

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#RightsCulture

Shared passions unite communities. Sport and the arts can break down barriers between cultures, faiths and nations to create a real sense of belonging.

Arts and sports can inspire and unite people. They can help promote human rights and the values of tolerance to mass audiences, breaking down ingrained prejudices. At the grassroots level, they can also be enablers for integration and tolerance, as players and artists from different background intermingle and share common passions. So, how can human rights world tap the potential of sports and the arts to promote shared values? How can sports and the arts be effective ambassadors for human rights?

This track will explore the power of sports and the arts to promote common values and human rights. Over three days a FRA Working Group will showcase positive practices, strategies and tools to raise rights awareness. In addition, dedicated open sessions will examine specific issues. This includes how sports can lead to the social inclusion of migrants, people with disabilities and others. Sports can also empower different people in their local environment. Similarly, arts through images and music can promote human rights. As a practical demonstration, an Ideathon will engage creatives at the Forum to help support rights. 

 

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#MyRightsAreYourRights

Everyone is unique. Human rights and responsibilities are for all. By celebrating diversity and respecting the rights of others, we build a sense of belonging.

Human rights apply to everyone, no matter who you are and where you come from. The EU’s shared values and motto, ‘United in Diversity’, acknowledges and respects this and the many differences that make up society today. With more and more people on the move within, and from beyond, Europe, tensions about identity arise. So how can we instil a common sense of shared understanding and tolerance? How can we build more inclusive and more cohesive societies?

This track will explore respect and tolerance for diverse people that live in Europe today. Over three days a FRA Working Group will focus on role of education and employment in fostering inclusion. In addition, dedicated open sessions will examine specific issues. For example, different groups, such as national minorities, people of African descent, women, the young, the old, all face challenges which need tackling. 

 

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#RightsTech

Technology changes the way we live, work and interact. Companies, NGOs and governments have a duty to ensure they protect human rights in a digital age.

The use of big data by social media companies and political campaigners followed in the wake of revelations of mass surveillance by the intelligence community. Both underlined how technology can have a huge impact on our human rights. This fast-moving area offers opportunities but also poses challenges, as problems ranging from cyberbullying to discrimination from automated decision-making come to the fore. So can traditional approaches cope? And what can we do to protect the human rights of users from the march of technology?

This track will explore how to protect rights in the digital age ranging from the growing use of biometrics and artificial intelligence to tackling the explosion of disinformation and hate speech across social media. Given all these changes, keeping children safe online remains critical. Digitalisation is also having a broader impact on the rule of law and democracy which needs to be addressed.

 

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#HumanRightsMatter

Fake news, filters and algorithms mean people see only what they want to see. Communicating real human rights stories in new ways can burst the bubble.

Many people across Europe have ‘switched off’ from human rights. And then, there are those significant few who feel active cynicism, distrust and hostility. As human rights are increasingly threatened, communicating human rights better to the general public has become even more mission critical. Part of this involves underlining how human rights apply to all, and apply to mainstream concerns. These include tackling poverty and building a fair working future for everyone. It also involves promoting the values that underpin human rights, as much as the rights themselves. So how can we make human rights stories more powerful? How can we bring new voices into the world of human rights, and truly listen to those who are critical or indifferent? And how can we educate for human rights?

This track will explore different ways to drive home the importance of human rights to each and every one of us. Over three days a FRA Working Group will focus on how education and employment can underpin this message and foster inclusion. A checklist for effective communication can help guide us. At the same time, there is no need to counter hate speech as this undermines respect, tolerance and ultimately human rights. Refugees, who have often borne the brunt of the increasingly intolerant societies, should be involved in the policies that affect them.

 

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Keep in touch!

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