What I learned from European citizens on tackling hatred

A plumber, a teacher and a 90-year-old artist walk into a bar. While this could have been the opening line of a joke, it was in fact, a portrait of the European Citizens' Panel on Tackling Hatred.

A diverse group came together not for laughs, but for a serious mission – to address and counteract the growing tide of hatred within the European Union. Over three weekends, ordinary EU citizens from all walks of life talked, listened, analysed and came to conclusions, proving that when people collaborate in an environment of respect and inclusivity, meaningful progress can be made.  I was part of a consortium that was commissioned by the EU to ran the project.

The assembly, which concluded on 19 May sparked a wave of optimism and provides a compelling blueprint for how Australia can engage its citizens on complex social issues. It produced 21 robust recommendations aimed at combating hatred, underscoring the potential of citizen-driven initiatives to influence policy. These recommendations cover areas such as education, digital and media literacy, awareness-raising initiatives, protection of vulnerable groups and the fight against disinformation.

The European Commission’s motivation to host such an assembly was simple.

“Hatred is a fundamental risk to our democracy,” said European Commission’s Vice-President for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica.