“At the Congress, we are absolutely convinced that inclusive societies, with no place for hate or intolerance, are a must if we want to strengthen local democracy and rebuild citizens’ trust at all levels”, stated Congress President Leendert Verbeek, at the Transatlantic Mayoral Dialogue on preventing hate, extremism and polarization, and safeguarding local democracy, on 15 November 2022 in the Hague, Netherlands.
"The prevention of hate, the fight against disinformation, the strengthening of resilience and the protection of vulnerable refugees are at the centre of the Congress’s concerns", underlined President Verbeek, recalling that despite their differences, local and regional authorities across Europe face similar threats that erode social cohesion and democratic values, but that they are also best placed to counter these threats.
This requires “dialogue and building trust among and between citizens, civil society and local government, but also the responsibility of political leaders,” said Verbeek, presenting the tools and work developed by the Congress. Among them is a toolkit to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue at the local level. More recently, during its October 2022 session, the Congress adopted a report on the reception of refugee women and children, based in particular on a field mission carried out in Poland, as well as a report on the impact of hate speech and fake news on the working conditions of local elected representatives.
