Education about religions and beliefs, together with interfaith and interreligious dialogue, can help counter prejudice and hostility that can lead to violence, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement ahead of tomorrow's International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.
"Across the OSCE region, individuals and communities continue to face violence on account of their religion or belief, and states have a duty to prevent and effectively respond to such violence," said ODIHR Director Maria Telalian. "They can do this by creating the conditions for mutual respect and peaceful coexistence, including through education that instills respect for the human dignity of each person, strengthening resilience to polarizing narratives, and equipping people to recognize and respond to misinformation and disinformation."
"Dialogue across religious and belief boundaries can help make diversity a familiar part of everyday life, encouraging understanding instead of fear, and helping to prevent and counter prejudice," she said.
Year after year, ODIHR's annual Hate Crime Report documents that individuals and communities are targeted on the basis of religion or belief across broad sectors of society and in a range of spaces, including online.
Limited opportunities for people to meet and understand those they perceive as different can allow stereotypes and prejudice to take hold. In the absence of direct interaction, perceptions can, instead, be shaped by hearsay, prejudice, misinformation and disinformation that exploit and reinforce fears that can fuel hostility. Online platforms can further amplify the spread of divisive or misleading content.
"Respect for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, means recognizing that people have the right to hold and express different religious or non-religious convictions, including the belief that their own religion or worldview is true, while respecting the rights and dignity of those who believe differently," the ODIHR Director said.
Through their OSCE commitments, participating States have committed to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue as a way to foster respect and mutual understanding, and to counter intolerance. They have also undertaken to address the root causes of intolerance and discrimination through education.
ODIHR assists in this work by providing guidance on fostering dialogue, as well as practical tools, resources and capacity-building support on freedom of religion or belief and hate crimes for state officials and civil society actors.
