(VEE) THE FARNESINA TO HOST A WOKSHOP ON MEDIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS

(VELINO) Roma, 7 Jul - The Farnesina will play host to a workshop entitled "Communicating Rights: sharing common values and connecting people" on July 11, 2017. The event, organized by the Interministerial Committee for Human Rights - CIDU - in conjunction with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights - FRA - stems from the need to engage the main media players in a debate to develop a common action strategy for the correct use of the media with a view to spreading the knowledge about human rights. The results of the workshop will give a first contribution to future actions the Agency will undertake according to its mission to divulge a culture of human rights across Europe at the institutional and social level. The event also envisages the presentation at 5 p.m. of the 2017 FRA Annual Report. The idea that "at a time of uncertainty, the European mind is closing" due to "real, exaggerated, if not imaginary, fears" that "make us less curious, less creative and in search of protection" is at the core of the initiative. As it is explained in the event's concept note, institutions and society from across Europe are showing a basic lack in fundamental rights culture. As a result the FRA is focusing on the importance of new strategies "to communicate rights". It means that there is the need "to go beyond the promotion of rights in the language of treaties and legislations, communicating the vital significance of human rights as the pillar of our society". The strategy also pursues "a change in register, doing away with jargon and focusing on clear, down-to-earth expressions". The CIDU, as the Italian counterpart of the FRA, intends to cooperate with the Agency to develop and promote virtuous practices in such an important field. The Committee and the FRA are working to bring together the main actors and government experts with a view to comparing experiences and learning from the most efficient strategies with a view to communicating human rights. The ultimate goal is to spread human rights in the most efficient way and contribute to making the FRA into a hub for innovative discussions on communication strategies that would promote an idea of an open society protected by a human rights-based approach. vel
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