As colleagues committed to countering hate and supporting human rights, we can take practical & meaningful action. Please consider this webinar as a source for ideas:
· WEBINAR: Tuesday May 17 — 3pm Eastern / 12 noon Pacific, USA
· TO REGISTER FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR, CLICK HERE. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
· New publication: “A COMMUNITY GUIDE FOR OPPOSING HATE”* (Download the Guide). Feel free to share it widely, too, as well as the notice of this webinar.
*This guide was jointly written and published by the Bard Center for the Study of Hate (BCSH), the Western States Center, and the Montana Human Rights Network.
From the Bard Center for the Study of Hate: The purpose of this manual is to provide those who want to “do something” about hate the something they can do, step by step, not only for the immediate aftermath of a hateful act but for years to come to improve their community. It details best practices for starting a local group to oppose hate and enhancing the work of organizations already engaged in this effort.
Written by people with decades of experience in the field, the guide notes that “hate may be manifested by different means (rallies, posters, social media postings, crimes, etc.) and may have a variety of targets (people of different ethnicity or religion, gender or sexual identity, even different politics). But we make a huge mistake when we ignore hateful acts against anyone. . . [H]ate threatens democratic norms and institutions. . . . [H]ate embedded as a noble idea can inspire individuals to acts of violence.”
The guide has detailed sections on messaging, traditional media and social media strategies, working with politicians and schools and academics, hate crimes, security, and research. Importantly, it also has a section on the importance of protecting free speech rights and how, while doing so, to make the hater’s free speech exercise backfire.
It also stresses the importance of thinking through various scenarios that a community might face, from threats to hateful leaflets to speakers and politicians and others vilifying any group in the community. The guide provides thirteen different scenarios for group contemplation and preparation.
From the Gonzaga Center for the Study of Hate, our collective strength grows when we come together to stand for the dignity inherent in all, as supported by the message (click here) from Gonzaga President Dr. Thayne McCulloh.
David J. Smith Consulting, LLC 