The Hrant Dink Foundation held a roundtable meeting bringing together civil society representatives, academics and human rights defenders. The meeting, attended by both recipients of the International Hrant Dink Award, Süheyla Doğan and Raji Sourani, aimed to open a space for dialogue in which work and experiences in the fields of human rights and discrimination in different contexts, with a particular focus on the current state of Palestine, could be shared. Drawing on their own work and experiences, participants from a range of fields discussed the current challenges they face, the approaches they have developed and the different methods used in combating discrimination.
Civil society representatives working in the fields of migration, environment and climate, international relations, law and human rights law, media and press freedom, publishing and rights advocacy shared their experiences from their respective fields. Participants reflected on the documentation and reporting of rights violations, on the methods developed against discrimination and hate speech, and on practices of joint struggle carried out in different contexts.
The meeting also addressed how contact between different fields of work and actors could be strengthened, how existing networks of solidarity could be developed, and possibilities for future cooperation. Participants highlighted the role that the transfer of knowledge and experience across fields, the development of a shared language and methodology, and practices of working together play in strengthening the resilience of civil society in the face of shrinking space.
In this way, the meeting contributed to the project's objectives of combating discrimination and strengthening dialogue, mutual understanding and a culture of living together, by supporting the sharing of diverse experiences and perspectives and by strengthening dialogue between the spheres of civil society, academia and advocacy.
*The event was held as part of the “Strengthening Civil Society for Diversity, Dialogue and Democratic Values” project, which we began implementing in 2025 with the financial support of the European Union.
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