LAB 5: A seat at the table: enhancing the role of marginalised groups in public discourse
7 November 2024 - 09.00-11.00 / Palais de l'Europe / Salle 7
Interpretation FR/EN
Sponsored by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
How can we ensure real democratic inclusion? Ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and others, are often under-represented in decision-making and media spheres. This exclusion not only limits their ability to influence policies that directly affect them, but also impoverishes public debate by depriving it of diverse perspectives. Strengthening the place of these groups in public debate means creating accessible and inclusive platforms, promoting equal opportunities policies, and combating stereotypes and discrimination.. By including the voices of marginalised groups, we enrich democratic dialogue, promote fairer and more effective decision-making, and make progress towards a fairer and more inclusive society. This approach is also essential to build trust in democratic institutions.
Moderator:
Piotr SADOWSKI, Vice-Preident of the Conference of the INGOs of the Council of Europe (CINGO), vice-président de la Conférence des OING
Discussant:
Geneveviève LALOY, member of the Conference of the INGOs
Sevilay CELENK OZEN (Türkiye, GUE), member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, member if the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye
ACT Active citizenship action, European Policy Institute (EPI)
Skopje, North Macedonia
In North Macedonia, there is a lack of all-inclusive political deliberation that crosses party and ethnic lines making it difficult to forge a consensus on the way forward in the political reforms. Since 2017, EPI has been continuously implementing a model of consultations and informing that provides space for the absent dialogue and engage citizens in a meaningful manner in the policymaking processes. EPI has been organising 4 national deliberative polling events and 6 local deliberative events with the objective to strengthen and advance the democratic debate around strategic priorities and the needed national reforms related to democratic institutions, equality, elections, social cohesion, EU integration, security, and economic stability. These events bring together around 200 citizens, representatives of national institutions, civil society organisations, media, political parties, and other relevant stakeholders in each cycle with the aim to provide structured input on the advancement of the national reform processes.
Presenter:
Ardita Vejseli is a researcher at the European Policy Institute – Skopje. She has been actively involved in leading and organizing four National Debates according to the Deliberative Polling method, organized in cooperation with Stanford University, USA. She was part of the second generation of the project "EUth - Youth Advocating in the EU” organized by Civil Rights Defenders, where she conducted research on the right to education of persons with disabilities. She has advocated on the topic at the European Parliament. She holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex where she was also actively involved in the Digital Verification Unit within Amnesty International.
Facts inclusive, Media Inno Tech / News Verifier Africa
Nigeria
Facts Inclusive is a project focused on making fact check content accessible to people with hearing and visual disability, and relatable. The project sought to minimise the vulnerability of persons with visual impairment and hearing disability to misinformation and disinformation and fostering a participatory democratic process. The project which was executed under the Media Inno Tech’s News Verifier Africa initiative launched an animated sign language fact-checker and utilised AI video tools to create fact-check videos that people with hearing disability can easily engage with. The project has seen a drastic increase in the number of deaf and blind consumers of fact-checks. Subsequent testing of the approach, in partnership with the Abuja Association of Deaf Persons, exposed a widespread lack of civic awareness and information literacy amongst persons with hearing disability in Nigeria, representative of the African context. It further highlighted an urgent need to create media literacy and digital resources in sign language.
Presenter:
Zainab Oyiza is the co-founder of Media Inno Tech, where she leads the innovation of products and tools to bridge the gap of access in combating information disorders. Simultaneously, she serves as Assistant Producer of the Weekend Show of Africa Independent Television (AIT), where she also hosts “The Climate Chat”. Zainab’s commitment to excellence is underscored by recognition from several notable organizations including Wole Merit, the International Organization of Migration Reporting Competition, Nigeria (2022). Additionally, she is the vice-curator of the World Economic Forum’ Global Shapers Community (Ibadan Hub).
The Global Pluralism Monitor, The Global Centre for Pluralism
Canada
The Global Pluralism Monitor (GPM) is a measurement tool of the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) that assesses the state of pluralism in countries around the world. Across political, economic, social and cultural domains, the Monitor informs decision-making to address root causes of exclusion and improve the prospects for pluralism. The goal is to strengthen efforts by governments, civil society, and the private sector to enable gap analysis, trend analysis, intersectional analysis, conflict prevention and share good practices. A team of national experts on diversity and inclusion uses this framework to produce national reports, combining qualitative data and GCP-developed pluralism perception surveys, guiding local initiatives for dialogue and change. In this way, these initiatives play a crucial role in encouraging social transformations and supporting global efforts to promote harmonious and inclusive coexistence. The GPM framework has already been adopted and adapted by the Women of the Ethnic Commission in Colombia and it was used during our training programmes in Sri Lanka to help build more pluralistic policies.
Presenter:
As Senior Manager of Global Analysis at the Global Centre for Pluralism, Michael focuses on implementation of the Global Pluralism Monitor. Monitor reports evaluate the state of pluralism in a country to inform positive social transformation initiatives. Monitor-based projects have been undertaken in Colombia, Ghana, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Projects in other countries are under consideration. Michael’s background in constitutional design in divided societies includes work ranging from legislature strengthening, public participation in policy processes, and budgetary oversight. His work strives to connect communities, civil society, elected representatives, and government officials to define practical solutions for pressing problems.
Esimde research and discussion platform, Public Association Center Polis Asia
Kyrgyzstan
Esimde is a platform for research and discussion on memory and activities in the Central Asia region, particularly in the Kyrgyz Republic. Composed of diverse professionals, from practitioners to theorists, Esimde is passionately committed to enriching the understanding of the history of the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries. Its mission is to promote social change by redefining the historical and memorial perception of this period. Esimde’s main objectives include the restitution and preservation of historical truth, particularly around periods of mass repression, as well as stimulating public debate on understudied aspects of Kyrgyz history. Esimde also aspires to promote fundamental values such as human life, freedom and democracy in collective consciousness and state policy. By cultivating an interest in history, Esimde aims to lay the foundations for future meaningful initiatives that will offer new impartial perspectives on the past, present, and future of independent Kyrgyz society.
Presenter:
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